Club Olimpia demands respect following national team coach's criticism

Club Olimpia has issued a formal statement demanding that Paraguay national team coach Gustavo Alfaro speak with “rigor and respect” regarding the country's domestic football. The dispute follows recent comments by Alfaro, who criticized the level of the local league, specifically citing Olimpia's 1-4 loss to Vasco da Gama in the Copa Sudamericana as an example of the need for improvement.

In its communiqué, the club expressed support for the national team's goals to elevate the standard of Paraguayan football but emphasized that institutional respect must be reciprocal. Olimpia argued that specific match performances should not be used to make broad generalizations that devalue the work of local institutions and professionals.

Alfaro has maintained his stance, stating that he is merely communicating his observations to help clubs like Olimpia, Cerro, Nacional, and Guaraní become more competitive. He noted that he had previously provided clubs with a report containing recommendations to improve the domestic game ahead of the 2026 World Cup.