Tapia, the Peruvian clone of Casemiro

In the land that boasts of preparing the best octopus in the world, two midfielders with tentacles are measured for recovery. Renato Tapia and Carlos Henrique Casemiro are the pivots who intercept the most balls in LaLiga. A duel between clones, two '5' playing with number 14.

“We are similar players”, affirms the Peruvian when the comparison with the Brazilian is raised. The numbers confirm it. At interceptions ranking they are the only midfielders to appear in the top five in a section dominated by defenders. The stopper of Real Madrid has 49, two more than Celta's.

Regardless of statistics, their trajectories keep a curious coincidence. Both landed in European football in 2013. Casemiro, four years older, ended up at the Real Madrid Castilla from Sao Paulo, while Tapia signed for him Dutch Twente.

Without having competed professionally in his country, the footballer who had been elected the best Peruvian youth in 2009 was opened the doors of Europe after having been rejected by a matter of centimeters in England. He was tested in the Tottenham and in the Liverpool, but the Anfield club rejected him due to a medical examination which indicated that it was not going to grow beyond 1.80.

Tapia has not only exposed the author of that report (he measures 1.85), but also the technical managers of the clubs that let him escape. His performance at Twente led him to Feyenoord. In rotterdam won a league and a cup, but it never enjoyed too much prominence and even played half a season on loan to the modest Willem II.

As the conclusion of his contract with Feyenoord approached, Celta was closing in on the pivot and the sports director Felipe Miñambres caught it at zero cost a year ago. Tapia landed in Vigo last summer and the olive club shielded him with a 30 million euro clause. His excellent level has led him to be linked with several of the most powerful teams in Europe and from Peru they insist that one of them is Real Madrid.