Mission accomplished. Indeed, double mission. Because when at the end of January Yerry Mina and his bewitching smile landed at Elmas airport, the objective was to make himself available to save Cagliari and, at the same time, take back the Colombian national team and play the Copa America scheduled for this summer in the States.

And Yerry didn't miss a beat, putting his signature on the rossoblù's stay in the top league and taking back the "Cafeteros", with whom he will make his debut in the continental competition in a month, on June 25, against Paraguay in Houston.

Present and future

At the end of the match against his former Fiorentina, Mina took to social media to send his regards to Cagliari and its fans. Goodbye or goodbye? We will see. «Final point of the season, with the pride of having achieved the goal. I want to thank all the Cagliari fans for how they welcomed me since I arrived in the middle of the season, I feel integrated into this family from day one and together we succeeded." A thought also for Claudio Ranieri, thanks «for his trust and above all for his wonderful career. It has been a true honor to be under your guidance, to receive your advice and I wish you the best in this new phase of your life." Time to take a breath, then his Copa America will start on June 25th with Colombia-Paraguay, Mina's only thought.

Doubts and certainties

He arrived in Cagliari six months late, given that sporting director Bonato had already chosen him in the summer, only to give up when Fiorentina entered the field. But in Florence Yerry made an appearance, totally outside the Italian box, which gave him just four segments, totaling 40', in the championship. Too little even to remember of his existence the new coach of Colombia, the Argentinian (with a past as a defender of Bari) Nestor Lorenzo, someone who in his time collected scalps with majestic malice. Just like Mina, who brought a healthy dose of football piracy to the rossoblù. Opponents bullied, physically and psychologically. Mina also knew how to dodge the prying eyes of TV, adding a sample that drove his opponents crazy with anger and his new fans with love. A few games were enough to transform him into an idol. And Ranieri christened him as essential, sending him onto the field even after weeks spent on the masseur's bed rather than on the pitch, too many ailments undermined his performance.

And now?

Meanwhile, Mina is focusing on the Copa America to be played in the States: Paraguay, Costa Rica and Brazil are the opponents in the first phase. The future is a hypothesis, between the desire to relaunch with higher ambitions and the bond created with Cagliari and the Cagliari environment. And the rossoblù club is also reflecting, given the many ailments that affect their performance and a salary that knocks on the limits of the maximum ceiling. The option to renew the contract is in favor of the club, but the new owner of the rossoblù bench will have the final say, who could ask for confirmation or decide that five months of love between Mina and Cagliari may be enough. Alberto Masu

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