Coach dismisses heat complaints, citing high-altitude challenges

Blooming coach Erwin "Platini" Sánchez has hit back at claims that playing at 3:00 PM in Santa Cruz is impossible due to the heat. Adrián Estacio, a Colombian midfielder for The Strongest, voiced his discomfort after the match, stating that the conditions were extreme and made it difficult to breathe.

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We play at 3,600 meters in La Paz, at 3 in the afternoon, at 5, and there isn't the altitude that there is here. We play in Oruro at over 4,000 and in Potosí at 4,060. No, enough talking about that.

Sánchez, visibly annoyed, urged an end to the debate over weather conditions. He pointed out that teams from cities like La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí regularly compete in high-altitude environments, often at similar or later times, facing much harsher conditions. "We play at 3,600 meters in La Paz, at 3 in the afternoon, at 5, and there isn't the altitude that there is here," Sánchez stated. "We play in Oruro at over 4,000 and in Potosí at 4,060. No, enough talking about that."

The coach further suggested a double standard exists when eastern clubs discuss the challenges of playing in high-altitude cities. "I said again that we are not serious. When it suits you, you look for adjectives of all kinds. If we had talked about the altitude in La Paz, Potosí, or Oruro, they would say we are a bunch of 'cambas de m...', that we don't love Bolivia or that we are showing off. But when they say it's inhumane to play at 3 in the afternoon, please," he expressed.

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I said again that we are not serious. When it suits you, you look for adjectives of all kinds. If we had talked about the altitude in La Paz, Potosí, or Oruro, they would say we are a bunch of 'cambas de m...', that we don't love Bolivia or that we are showing off. But when they say it's inhumane to play at 3 in the afternoon, please.

The match between Blooming and The Strongest, part of the Professional Division tournament, ended in a 1-1 draw. Blooming currently sits in fifth place with 17 points, while The Strongest holds second place with 23 points.

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Playing here in Santa Cruz at 3 in the afternoon is impossible... you can't breathe.