More than 11 years have passed since Humberto Suazo left Mexican football, where he played exclusively for Monterrey. However, the affection of the Aztec fans for the historic goal scorer of Rayados remains intact. Today, on the other side of the pitch as coach of San Luis de Quillota, Chupete took a break while awaiting the end of the Primera B championship, with one of the best scenarios for promotion, pending the resolution of San Marcos de Arica's appeal. In the midst of that preparation, the former striker traveled to the country up north to take part in the ceremony for the fourteenth class of the International Football Hall of Fame. The recognition took place in the city of Pachuca, where the San Antonio native was inducted into the so-called Vitrina de los Inmortales in consideration of his legacy in Aztec lands, where he was a multi-champion with the blue-and-white team, scoring 121 goals. In addition to Suazo, another Chilean was also honored, former midfielder Fabián Estay. A host of former footballers were inducted into the International Football Hall of Fame, including the Frenchman Thierry Henry, the Italian Alessandro del Piero, the German Miroslav Klose, the Spaniard Fernando Torres, and the Brazilian Bebeto, among others. "I will always be grateful to my Rayados, the team that opened the door for me to get to know this beautiful country and to be able to make history together. There was a lot of hard work behind it, and family has been very important in achieving achievements with the club; I think we spent almost seven years of very good seasons. It's nice that it can be reflected over the years," the former player recalled. Joys and one sadness But Mexico is not only a source of joy for the man from San Antonio. Precisely, the local Tuzos team was the protagonist of one of his great frustrations. Two decades ago, the Colo Colo that had Chupete as one of its stars lost the Copa Sudamericana final. "We drew here in Pachuca, and in Santiago we were winning 1-0. Then Damián (Álvarez) came on and turned the match around in the second half. It was a painful moment that football leaves you with, but it opened doors for me; I finished as top scorer in that tournament and had the chance for Monterrey to see me and sign me. Sometimes you have to take the longest way around, although that was a hard blow for me, because we had quality players like Alexis Sánchez, Arturo Vidal, and Matías Fernández," said Suazo. On the same occasion, the current coach of the Canarios highlighted the importance that the football of that nation had marked in his career, after almost eight years in the capital of Nuevo León, only interrupted by half a season at Zaragoza in Spain. "For me, this country itself means a lot. I have a son born here in Monterrey. The truth is that Mexico and football itself gave me everything. I think I spent more than 6 years in the country. I already have a son living here. This has given me everything I have," he acknowledged to Récord, the newspaper from the country up north. Likewise, he had comments about the Clásico Regio against Tigres, the main match of the Aztecs' industrial capital: "it is a tremendous passion. During the week they make you feel it. I think when the fixture comes out, the only thing people look at is when the clásico will be. I got to win it several times and also lose it." NEWSLETTER El Deportivo Monday, 8:45 AM A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the Sports team of La Tercera. By subscribing you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.