A Tribute to Raimundo Tupper in the Wake of La Universidad Católica's League Triumph

Last Sunday, the Universidad Católica clinched the Chilean league title in a season that they controlled from start to finish. Los Cruzados took their first title since the Apertura of 2016, when they had Benfica striker Nicolas Castillo leading the line. Católica, Colo Colo, and the Universidad de Chile make up a “big three” in Chile, not unlike the footballing landscape of Portugal or Turkey. Católica, however, is the smallest of the big three in terms of supporters. The club’s history and location in the city have made it the club of the upper echelons of Chilean society. While Católica being the team of the elite might have some truth to it, la UC, like every major football club, has fans from all corners of Chilean society. This is their 13th league title, making Católica one of the most successful clubs in Chile. They are also one of only two Chilean clubs to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition. They did this back in 1993, while being led by one of their greatest players - Raimundo Tupper. Marked by immense humility and success, Mumo, as he is affectionately known, struggled with depression throughout his life and tragically committed suicide by jumping from his hotel room in Costa Rica while on duty with Católica on July 20, 1995. He was just 26 years old.

Tupper came from the Chilean upper-class and was well-educated. Perhaps fittingly, he was also raised to be a massive Católica supporter. Tupper started at Católica’s academy, probably the best in Chile, at just 11 years old. Later, he would attend the Universidad Católica, the university which spawned the club of the same name. He eventually left university to play football full-time, much to his regret. Like many talented youngsters, Tupper started out as a forward. He went on to be a left-back, debuting for the first team at just 16 years old. Tupper was a bit of a pioneer in that he was able to attack with pace but was also a more than adequate defender.

Tupper was known by those closest to him as a shy, conscientious person. His teammates saw that he was honest with a strong moral sense. Tupper’s former teammate and roommate Sergio Vasquez tried his best to explain Mumo in an interview with Don Julio: “How does such an introverted person connect so much with so many people? And in my eyes, honestly, Raymond was an angel that wasn’t from this world. You knew he was a very special person.” Another former teammate, Marco Cornez, described him as a “very quiet, very intelligent lad.” Cornez also noted that Tupper didn’t talk much but, when he did, he said something worthwhile and that people listened.

Tupper hated many of the things that came with being a top footballer. The cameras, the interviews, the special treatment - none of it appealed to Tupper. And though he came from wealth, he was a man very connected to the pueblo - the humble, working-class people. He grew up during Pinochet’s violent, torture-laden dictatorship that lasted from 1973 to 1990. Pinochet was often supported in the wealthier circles of Chilean society, making it reasonable enough that Tupper would have fallen in line. This was a time when one would be disdainfully labeled a “fucking communist” for speaking negatively of the dictatorship.

And yet none of that influenced Tupper. He didn’t like the dictatorship or the inequality that it brought, a position that he often defended. Pinochet left the decision of whether or not Chile should remain under a dictatorship up to the people - a vote that Pinochet was supposed to win comfortably. One day, with the Católica players gathered around and discussing the impending vote, Tupper spoke up and said that he was going to vote no and that he didn’t agree with Pinochet. Cornez recalls how all of his teammates admired his bravery to come out and openly disagree with the dictatorship, especially when considering all of those that were killed or went missing and the fact that many rich footballers were assumed to support Pinochet.

The world of football, very often a reflection of society more generally, has grown more open in its discussion of depression. Major English Premier League players such as Danny Rose, Michael Carrick, and Aaron Lennon have all helped make such a stigmatized topic more approachable by coming out recently and publicly discussing their own struggles. Tupper fought depression his entire life. Most of his teammates were unaware of it but someone who did know was his manager at Católica, Manuel Pellegrini. The current West Ham boss roomed him with Sergio Vasquez, knowing what a positive person Vasquez was. Tupper missed bouts throughout his last season because of his depression, but the club put his absences down to “gastric problems.” Evidently, no one truly recognized the magnitude of Tupper’s situation.

Perhaps one of the more disturbing events in the hate-filled rivalry between the Universidad Católica and the Universidad de Chile took place in the 2017/18 season. In a match at Católica’s Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, a fan of La U dressed up as Superman, referencing Católica’s reverence for their lost idol, and wore a mask of Tupper’s face with tears streaming down it, a crude and despicable reference to his depression. They also held up a message saying “Your only idol deserted you.” The event was resoundingly condemned by Católica, the Universidad de Chile, and the leaders of La U’s main ultras group, Los de Abajo. However, it serves as a reminder of not only how cruel we become when confronting our rivals, but also how lightly the issues associated with depression are often taken.

Tupper’s legacy remains. He was capped 7 times in just a year for the Chilean national team, as well as making close to 200 appearances for his beloved UC. Near Católica’s Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo, the club built a memorial to Tupper which overlooks Santiago. Hordes of Católica supporters visit the memorial each year on the anniversary of his death. After Mumo’s passing, an extraordinary mass funeral took place, where 10,000 people filled the Estadio San Carlos and formed a seemingly endless procession to the cemetery. The Católica supporters were joined by many Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile supporters. Tupper was revered in the Chilean football community. But the more we learn about him, the more obvious it becomes that he was more special a man than he was a footballer. Rest in Peace, Mumo.