Nolberto Solano Talks About Life In Pakistan & Future Of Pakistan Football

The headcoach of Pakistan mens NT who is currently in Pakistan in a podcast with (Linkeados) talks about Pakistan football and life here as he is currently in Pakistan.

Solano was completely transparent about the massive professional hurdle in front of him, describing his role as "a very hard job." "It's difficult in a country where football is not so popular, there is not much priority," Solano admitted. He pointed to the structural damage the federation has suffered, noting: "They have had many problems previously with this FIFA suspension about 10 years ago, as they suspended them for almost 9 years, 10 years." Because of this, Solano stated that "the first important step is that they have a professional league someday." Until then, the team's competitiveness relies heavily on the diaspora. "There is a little bit of hope with some footballers who have family ties... who play in England, in some parts of Europe like Norway, Sweden, Denmark," he explained, adding that this is what they need "to be able to compete at the level of Asia."

However, the lack of a fervent football culture does have one distinct advantage for a manager: "There is the peace of mind of doing a job where the demands are lower as they dont expect me to deliver results quickly" he said. "There is no football history, [so] everything little you do more or less well is highly valued here."

Arriving in a strict Islamic nation required an immediate lifestyle adjustment, particularly regarding the holy month.

"Ramadan started, which is a very special time for Muslims," Solano detailed. "Here during the day, you see? Everything is very quiet because there is a part of the religion, right?, of not consuming any food, not drinking any water." He experienced this firsthand when looking for a meal. "[I tried] going out to find something to eat, finding a restaurant, everything empty, closed... from 5 in the morning not drinking any water, no meals until after 5 in the afternoon when the sun goes down."

When asked about what it is like living in the country, Solano wanted to clear up misconceptions while acknowledging the local realities. "It is a country of 250 million inhabitants, I mean, it's a big country, there is a lot of poverty, a lot of poverty," he observed.

Regarding safety, he was explicit: "Careful, do not confuse Afghanistan with Pakistan... they fight a lot on the border... but otherwise, in general, a very safe country." He described the intense military presence that ensures this safety: "There is a lot of security here... I think it's the fifth world power, right? A very, very armed country, of armed forces." This extends to his daily living arrangements: "Here at the hotel you enter like you're outside the airport, you go through these metal things to check... it is very safe."

For a man who is a household name in Peru and well-known in England, his fame holds no weight in his new home. "Football zero, right?" he laughed. "I walk down the street and they don't even notice. I mean, people here overlook football completely."

How the Opportunity Arose Solano's path to Pakistan was highly unorthodox. "I have a friend who was a taxi driver at the time my family used to come [to England]," he recalled. "He accidentally knew a lawyer friend who... knew the environment of the president of the Pakistani Federation." Since Solano was in England and available, the connection was made.

Reflecting on the monumental task ahead, Solano summed up his experience so far: "From the outside one says, 'Okay, well, it's going to be hard', but when you arrive here it's harder than you thought. But nothing, we are going to get to work."