From being an Independiente player to becoming an influencer: what happened to the life of this remembered footballer

Luis Guadalupe He was born in Chincha Alta on April 3, 1976. He had a difficult childhood, being the youngest of 7 siblings, with a mother who worked and raised them. Were always very poor until he was able to reach the first division of a professional team and fulfill the dream of raising his family forward. He said that when he was a child his mother worked as a domestic worker and took him to the houses she cleaned because she had no one to leave him with.

That experience was one of those that marked him for life, because he saw the social difference between his mother’s bosses and them. Having to serve them and clean their house and being able to sit down to eat with him only when everyone had finished, in addition to the mistreatment and indifference that people who dedicate themselves to this activity can suffer from their employers.

What was Luis Guadalupe’s career like?

From a very young age he seemed to have a talent for soccer. Being quite tall for his age, he knew how to take advantage of his physique and the team where he trained, the Cantolao Sports Academy organized international tournaments, in which Lionel Messi himself came to play when he was in the youth teams of Newells Old Boys in Rosario.

His first trip outside of Peru was to Argentina, to play in a championship in Paraná when he was 10 years old. He received a 100% scholarship, because of the potential they saw in him. And he also participated in a tour of Europe. But his professional debut came in 1995 at Universitario de Deportes, where he fulfilled his dream of being a professional soccer player at the age of 18.

His good performance led him to earn ownership and in 1998 won the opening title and the decentralized championship. This led him to be scouted by Independiente, so the following year he was transferred to the Argentine team. He confessed that he had great prejudices regarding racism in Argentina, but it was the place where he had the best time. He formed a very friendly group and said that everyone treated him very well, even Flaco Menotti, of whom he has good memories.

What happened to him In Argentina it was that he didn’t have the physique to play. His position as a full-back involved physical wear and tear that was difficult for him at first, and after speaking with Menotti and training with Professor Signorini he was able to begin to overcome it. In his debut in international cups, he scored the goal against Corinthians in Brazil, which gave Independiente the victory 2-1.

When he began to get ready, given the poor results, Menotti terminated his contract and Enzo Trossero arrived, who told him that he would not take him into account, so he returned to Universitario de Deportes. After returning, he had a short stint in Europe, in Mechelen in Belgium and Veria in Greece (with a new return to the U in between)

Later, he returned to Peru to play for Juan Aurich (two cycles), León de Huánuco, Real Garcilaso, Universidad César Vallejo and Los Caimanes. He finally retired in 2015.

What was Luis Guadalupe’s life like post-retirement?

After being a footballer, There was a television program that changed his life. “The Big Show”a dance cycle from Peru made him known in another aspect and he began to be known by all Peruvian families, who saw him every Saturday. Furthermore, he was seen everywhere in the world, and when he traveled he was often recognized.

On the other hand, also He invested in his own restaurantand obtained contracts with international brands, in addition to being very active on social networks, where he has more than 200 thousand followers. So currently, he is a recognized influencer and is very comfortable with this new stage of his life, saying that children ask him for photos, and he became known in many places.