Colombian football legend Carlos Valderrama is set to make a return to
the sport, taking on a management position at Santa Marta-based Unión
Magdalena.
‘El Pibe’ has the support of footballers such as Iván Valenciano, Alex Comas and Víctor Pacheco. Together, they aim to bring the club back to Colombia’s top division.
The club are currently playing in the second division, the ‘Primera B’, having been relegated from the top flight in 2005. Last season, Unión only just missed out on the division final.
The 47-year-old Valderrama is without a doubt Colombia’s most popular former footballer, who started his long career at Unión Magdalena in 1981. The midfielder led the national team at three World Cups (1990 to 1998) and represented teams as Millonarios, Cali, Medellín, Junior and Tampa Bay. He retired from professional football in 2002, when playing for the Colorado Rapids.