Forero is renowned for dressing up as a ‘tiger’ when Colombia play
His inspiration came from his love and admiration for Falcao and his connection with the Barranquilla carnival
“Football should be about peace and harmony.”
José Forero, the 63-year-old Colombian is very rarely recognised in the street. Normally only by his friends, partner and family. Recently retired, he is now able to enjoy his retirement doing exercise and going on strolls through the park all without anyone stopping and asking him for a selfie.
But when his beloved Colombia are playing and he puts on his makeup and dons his tiger mask, the pendulum swings completely in the opposite direction. It is impossible to have a conversation with him without a Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers) fan coming up to him to ask him for a photo. It takes him a good 45 minutes to walk a couple of streets to the stadium due to the amount of fans stopping him for pictures and in the stands it is no different. He is often seen posing with fans baring his teeth and showing his claws.
The origin of his character is difficult to trace and several pieces of José Forero’s life must be put together in order to find the answer. There is, of course, his undeniable love for football, which began in Barranquilla when he was a kid. Also, his involvement in the Barranquilla carnival, an event that showcases many of Colombia’s cultural traditions. Finally, there is his admiration for Radamel Falcao, El Tigre.
“It was totally spontaneous. To begin with, my main motivation was Radamel Falcao in 2012, when he burst onto the scene and became a leader both in the dressing room and on the pitch. He carried the team on his shoulders, so I wanted to pay tribute to him,” he says.
Moreover, his admiration for him goes beyond his footballing talents.
“He’s a wonderful human being. Sometimes players, when they become famous, lose their way in life and get involved in drugs, alcohol or other bad habits. But Falcao’s a good person, a great family man and I identify a lot with him in that sense because that’s how I’ve always been as well.”
Since then, he has been ever present at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, at several Copa América tournaments and at some world cup qualifying matches. El Tigre has become a character who sings his heart out for his team and supports them through thick and thin, but above all, he always strives to be an ambassador for Colombian football and his country, to strengthen ties with fans from other countries and to show that football is and should always be something for everyone to enjoy and take pleasure from.
“It’s very satisfying to feel the excitement of the fans and to hear them say lovely things to me, especially when it comes from fans from other countries. If they’re from Colombia, they usually get pretty excited, they hug me and encourage me to keep doing what I’m doing.”
During the World Cup in Russia, my photo was on the front cover of the hotel magazines. A lot of people asked me what it was all about and I had the chance to talk to people from other parts of the world and tell them just how beautiful Colombia is.
However, El Tigre has been through some heart-wrenching things in his life that have tested him to the limit, but he refuses to be overcome by sadness and always finds solace and strength in being happy. Seven years ago he lost his wife, and two years ago he lost one of his children, both to cancer.
“It was an incredibly difficult time for me. I still had another child to look after, so I couldn’t let the sadness and enormity of the situation overcome me. All this has been like a sort of therapy for me, it helps me to realise that life goes on, life doesn’t stand still, the show must go on and we can’t let sadness win. In other words, as the late legendary Cuban singer Celia Cruz said in one of her songs, life is a carnival.”
He was strong enough to cope with the pain of losing his wife and one of his children and has moved on, determined to spread happiness and joy. Now he is experiencing a unique moment, because his country, Colombia, is hosting the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia™, and he has had the pleasure of interacting with fans from Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and other nationalities.
“It’s very important because FIFA has given Colombia a vote of confidence, and this is what countries need to show what they can offer to the world and to show that they can provide joy and happiness. It’s all about showing people that we can organise a huge footballing event, showing people from all corners of the globe that they can come and join us, have a good time and come together as a result of their passion for football. That’s the beauty of football, it brings people together.”
He takes great pride in acting as an ambassador for Colombian football as he journeys from stadium to stadium doing his bit to make sure that the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia goes down in history.
“I feel more like an ambassador, not necessarily for football, but rather for the joy of football. The teams and the organisers, etc., all do a great job, and we as fans have to play our part as well. We have to show a good attitude, bring lots of joy and positive energy and show that football is all about peace and harmony between people from all over the world.”