
Maturana: “Football is a powerful tool for sending messages”
Maturana: “Football is a powerful tool for sending messages”
The renowned Colombian coach reflected on the links between society and football after the screening of a documentary about the Colombia side he coached
Day three of Thinking Football featured two luxury guests in Francisco ‘Pacho’ Maturana, "the father of Colombian football", and film director Martin Fradkin.
Also known as ‘doctor’, the respected coach was the main guest in the discussion that took place after the screening of ‘Colombia: Camino a la gloria’ (Colombia: Road to Glory).
The documentary revisits the Colombian national team's golden era between 1994 and 2001, but also addresses the political and social complexities of the country at that time.
The importance of the emotional links - not always positive, especially if a country is shaken by drug trafficking - established between a national team or football club and society was one of the themes addressed both in the film and in the post-screening chat.
Maturana spoke elegantly about the importance of forming a family-like group in football and 'creating a shield’ to the outside distractions.
"The family never falls apart, it is always in harmony," concluded the great maestro.
Maturana also touched upon the waves of happiness that football can generate among a nation. He said: "Football is a tool for sending messages and it is a vehicle for touching feelings."
During the talk, the names of some of the film's protagonists also came up. Historic Colombian football players such as René Higuita and Andrés Escobar, the young defender who was murdered after the Colombian national team was knocked out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Prior to the screening of ‘Colombia: Road to Glory’, the Thinking Football audience watched ESPN short film ‘Greenland: Santa Cruz del Islote’. The feature's director, Martin Fradkin, also took part in the discussion with Pacho Maturana.
The evening began with "Campos", a wonderfully-shot documentary about the legacy of the football pitches being left behind in the increasingly empty rural Spain. The film's directors, Óscar Falagán and David Casado, were both in attendance.
Thursday, “As primeiras” & “Los Williams”, with Iñaki Williams doing a Q&A
On Thursday, we'll be showing 'Los Williams', one of the most anticipated features at this year's Thinking Football Film Festival. Iñaki and Nico Williams narrate the most important years of their lives, from their beginnings in the Basque Country to their victory at the Copa del Rey. Iñaki Williams will take part in the post-screening discussion.
Before that, at 18:00 CET, we'll be screening ‘As primeiras’ (The First Ones), a film that depicts the life of a group of women who formed the basis of Brazil's first women's national football team.