From heartbreak to tears of joy: ex-PL star rides a title rollercoaster | OneFootball

Hugo Rodallega. The name might only ring a bell for the slightly older and hardcore football fans, but the former player of Wigan Athletic and Fulham FC is still kicking the ball at the age of 39. And he's doing it in his native Colombia. The striker plays for Santa Fe and had the final of the Colombian Championship against Independiente Medellín lined up for his club yesterday.

And for the captain of Santa Fe, it was going to be a real roller coaster of emotions. In the playoff final for the championship, which ended 0:0 in the first leg, Santa Fe had to concede a goal after just 18 minutes. The team equalized in the first half and had all the chances for the championship. But Santa Fe was threatened with a severe sporting loss.

Captain and leading player Hugo Rodallega injured himself in the final phase and had to leave the field in tears. But Rodallega fought his way back onto the pitch, his replacement was already ready on the sideline. But Rodallega was to become the hero. The striker scored the 2:1 three minutes before his actual substitution, leading Santa Fe to the Colombian Championship. In addition, Rodallega crowned his season as the league's top scorer. And that at the age of 39, hats off!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 JAIME SALDARRIAGA