The narrator and sports commentator Renier González issued an unprecedented criticism of the management of Cuban football during his appearance on the Team Vívela podcast, published on YouTube, where he described the current moment as the worst in the history of football on the Island.
"It is the worst moment for football in Cuba. Where the press has no access to information. Where I don't hear any young journalist being given the opportunity to report on the national team. Where there is a total disconnect between the federation and the press. Where footballers complain and do not join the national team because there is no good relationship," González stated emphatically.
The communicator, with over 25 years of experience in Cuban sports media, used a musical metaphor to describe the stagnation: "Cuban football is living like Julio Iglesias. Life goes on the same, but worse. And I say it like this, nothing changes. It seems that no one cares that this continues to be so bad."
González, 55 years old, pointed directly to the communication strategy of the Federation as one of the central issues: "Recent times in football have been terrible in terms of management, especially regarding the communication strategy, very poor, bad relationship with the press, it cannot be. If you don't provide the information, how do you reach the fans?".
Among the specific cases he cited as symptoms of the crisis, he mentioned the treatment received by Arichel Hernández, who was the captain of the team: "You let go of footballers who could contribute, and you treated them poorly, like Arichel Hernández, who was the captain of that team. It's complete nonsense."
He also pointed out the situation of Luis Javier Paradela, who joined the team without the captain's armband, as another example of poor internal management.
The narrator also criticized the decision to keep coach Pedro Pablo Pereira in charge of both the U-20 team and the senior national team: "Pereira did an excellent job with the U-20 and U-17 teams, leave him there. He was promoted to senior and it was a disaster. They should have left him where he was, but we are rational innovators. There we are innovating to do worse every day," he quipped.
As a solution, González suggested hiring a foreign technician or one with international experience, using the Cuban volleyball as a model, which he described as a "vanguard" federation that was able to reinvent itself when it reached a critical point.
"We have taken a step back. Here, we had a three-time Central American and Caribbean champion. The problem is that they have been stifling that talent, and that's where the issues lie," emphasized the journalist.
The accumulated setback is undeniable: Cuba did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup after falling to Bermuda in Santiago de Cuba in June 2025, and also failed to secure a spot in the 2025 Gold Cup after losing 0-4 to Trinidad and Tobago.
In the same episode, the narrator explained why he is not covering the 2026 World Cup on Cuban television, using a rationale that combines professional ethics and generational respect.
"There are plenty of reasons, but the fundamental one is respect. Camilito, Trolli, Alejandrito, when I haven't been narrating the Spanish League, have been sacrificing their weekends. Now to arrive at the World Cup and say, no, it's my turn to do it, I believe that it's neither ethical nor fair," he stated.
"I participated in seven World Cups; I see life in cycles. My cycle has closed now, but maybe in four years, I’ll have a motivation that I don’t have right now to do it," González concluded, leaving the door open for the 2030 edition.
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