Criticism Mounts Against Joel Campbell Amidst Performance Issues at Alajuelense
Ronald Matarrita, father of former player Ronald Matarrita, voices concerns over Campbell's current form and high salary.
Joel Campbell, a forward for Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, has faced significant criticism regarding his performance since returning to the club.
Ronald Matarrita, the father of former Alajuelense player Ronald Matarrita, expressed his views to La Teja, stating that Campbell has not demonstrated the expected level of play since his return.
Matarrita commented, "For me, Campbell is not even a fraction of the player he was years ago; he no longer exhibits the caliber one would expect.
Everyone knows what he is capable of at the national team level, but he has lost much of his football, and I believe he lives more off of what he did in the past than what he is doing now."
He also raised concerns about Campbell's salary, highlighting that the player is one of the highest earners in the club.
Matarrita remarked, "I believe he is one of the highest-paid players and does not demonstrate on the field what he is worth."
Since his return to Alajuelense, Campbell has only played 321 minutes, divided into 242 minutes in the national championship, 50 minutes in the Copa tournament, and just 29 minutes in the Concacaf tournament.
In the current year, he has scored two goals, both from penalties—one in the final against Puntarenas in the Copa tournament and another in a league match against ADG.
Furthermore, Matarrita emphasized the need to provide more opportunities to younger players, suggesting they could contribute more effectively than Campbell.
Campbell has also faced exclusions from game lineups, including in the latest match against Perez Zeledón.
In a separate political context, three of the four candidates from the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) distanced themselves from party leadership during a recent debate, signaling their opposition to Rodrigo Arias continuing as president of the Legislative Assembly.
The internal party convention scheduled for April 6 will determine whether Arias seeks re-election for a fourth consecutive term as Assembly president on May 1.
Candidates Marvin Taylor, Carolina Delgado, and Gilberth Jiménez have publicly expressed their desire for a woman to hold the Assembly presidency.
Taylor stated, "We have never had so many women in the Legislative Assembly; Liberación has been a leader in gender equity.
We cannot miss this opportunity to have a woman lead the legislative power."
Delgado echoed this sentiment, asserting the importance of having strong female leadership in the Assembly.
Jiménez criticized the leadership while also supporting the idea of a female president.
The fourth candidate, Álvaro Ramos, refrained from voicing a clear opinion regarding Arias' potential re-election.
Additionally, an ongoing situation involves the U.S. government's recent decision to revoke the visa of former Costa Rican President Óscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
This decision comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly concerning 5G technology.
As of April 1, 2025, the reasons for the visa revocation remain unclear, and both Arias and U.S. Embassy officials have not provided public commentary on the matter.
The development aligns with a broader scrutiny of Costa Rican figures amid concerns related to cybersecurity and foreign influence, highlighting the complexities in U.S.-Costa Rica relations.
Ronald Matarrita, the father of former Alajuelense player Ronald Matarrita, expressed his views to La Teja, stating that Campbell has not demonstrated the expected level of play since his return.
Matarrita commented, "For me, Campbell is not even a fraction of the player he was years ago; he no longer exhibits the caliber one would expect.
Everyone knows what he is capable of at the national team level, but he has lost much of his football, and I believe he lives more off of what he did in the past than what he is doing now."
He also raised concerns about Campbell's salary, highlighting that the player is one of the highest earners in the club.
Matarrita remarked, "I believe he is one of the highest-paid players and does not demonstrate on the field what he is worth."
Since his return to Alajuelense, Campbell has only played 321 minutes, divided into 242 minutes in the national championship, 50 minutes in the Copa tournament, and just 29 minutes in the Concacaf tournament.
In the current year, he has scored two goals, both from penalties—one in the final against Puntarenas in the Copa tournament and another in a league match against ADG.
Furthermore, Matarrita emphasized the need to provide more opportunities to younger players, suggesting they could contribute more effectively than Campbell.
Campbell has also faced exclusions from game lineups, including in the latest match against Perez Zeledón.
In a separate political context, three of the four candidates from the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) distanced themselves from party leadership during a recent debate, signaling their opposition to Rodrigo Arias continuing as president of the Legislative Assembly.
The internal party convention scheduled for April 6 will determine whether Arias seeks re-election for a fourth consecutive term as Assembly president on May 1.
Candidates Marvin Taylor, Carolina Delgado, and Gilberth Jiménez have publicly expressed their desire for a woman to hold the Assembly presidency.
Taylor stated, "We have never had so many women in the Legislative Assembly; Liberación has been a leader in gender equity.
We cannot miss this opportunity to have a woman lead the legislative power."
Delgado echoed this sentiment, asserting the importance of having strong female leadership in the Assembly.
Jiménez criticized the leadership while also supporting the idea of a female president.
The fourth candidate, Álvaro Ramos, refrained from voicing a clear opinion regarding Arias' potential re-election.
Additionally, an ongoing situation involves the U.S. government's recent decision to revoke the visa of former Costa Rican President Óscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
This decision comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly concerning 5G technology.
As of April 1, 2025, the reasons for the visa revocation remain unclear, and both Arias and U.S. Embassy officials have not provided public commentary on the matter.
The development aligns with a broader scrutiny of Costa Rican figures amid concerns related to cybersecurity and foreign influence, highlighting the complexities in U.S.-Costa Rica relations.
