Each month in the section "our heroes" you will read about the club's greatest idols. Who are these heroes and what have they meant to the club? With this month: Jefferson Farfán. For years, the Peruvian crowd favorite was a fixed force in PSV's attacking line. 'La Foquita' put an end to his memorable career in 2022.
Jefferson Agustín Farfán Guadelupe, as the former striker's full name is, was born in 1984 in Lima, the capital of the South American country of Peru. His football journey began at Deportivo Municipal II and in 1998 he made the move to Allianza Lima, one of the country's most successful clubs. It was the beginning of a brilliant career.
Champion in Lima
In 2001, Jefferson was transferred from Allianza Lima's Under 19 squad to the A squad. Whereas in that season - in which the club became champions - he made only one appearance for the main squad, the right-winger would have his breakthrough in 2002. He became a regular base player and made twenty-five appearances in the league. Once he secured his place in the first team of "Los Blanquiazules," it was impossible to imagine the team without him. In 2003, he made nearly forty appearances and had a big part in the club's national championship with thirteen goals. In 2004 he was also crowned national champion, finding the net eighteen times. That same year, the only 19-year-old Jefferson made the move to PSV.
Top shooter in Eindhoven
In Eindhoven, Farfán was doing well. He caught the eye of former head coach Guus Hiddink, and his performances on the pitch did not disappoint either. In his debut season, 2004-2005, he was of immediate value for PSV with 28 games to his name. He scored his first Eredivisie goal in the red and white in the sixth round, against SC Heerenveen. In his first season, he won both the national title and the TOTO KNVB Cup. He also played all twelve UEFA Champions League games that season, when PSV made it to the semifinals.
Also in the seasons that followed, Jefferson was an important link in PSV's team, where he played alongside players such as Ji-Sung Park, Philip Cocu and Mark van Bommel. As a base player, characterized by his speed and explosiveness, he won the national title in the following three years. In the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, he scored 42 goals in 61 games and became PSV's club top scorer in both seasons. In 2008, the goal-oriented Peruvian made the switch to Germany's FC Schalke 04 at the age of 23.
Germany
In Gelsenkirchen, Jefferson came to play under coach Fred Rutten, transferring from FC Twente in the summer of the same year. He made his debut in the FC Schalke 04 - Borussia Dortmund game, also known as the "Kohlenpott derby. With a utilized penalty kick, he immediately asserted himself. At the German club, Jefferson had the longest tenure of his career with 170 games played (39 goals). He was a base player almost every season and also participated in several editions of the UEFA Champions League. In Germany, he added two trophies to his trophy cabinet: the DFP-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup, both won in 2011.
Abu Dhabi, Russia and again Peru
After playing seven years in the blue and white of FC Schalke 04, Farfán made the move to Al-Jazira Club from Abu Dhabi in 2015 after a period of injury. With this club, he won the cup in 2016. After a season and a half in the UAE League, where he came to just 12 duels, the right-winger signed a contract with Russia's Lokomotiv Moscow. In Russia, Jefferson experienced years of success: in three and a half years, he won the national championship once and two national cups. The striker, already in his thirties at the time, scored 19 goals in 48 matches.
In March 2021, seventeen years after his departure, Jefferson returned to his childhood sweetheart Allianza Lima, completing the circle of his career. After seventeen duels (and four goals) in the Peruvian Primera División, 'The Predator From Peru' announced last year that he was hanging up his football boots, at the age of 38.
National hero
That Jefferson was welcomed with open arms in his native country was no surprise. The 102-time international made his debut in Peru's national team in 2003, in a practice match against Haiti (5-1). For his country, in the years following his debut, Farfán played in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cup qualifiers and in the Copa América in 2004 and 2007. He had his best performances with Peru in 2015 (semifinal Copa América) and in 2017: in November of that year, he was one of two Peruvian goal scorers during a double playoff against New Zealand, in which Peru qualified for the 2018 World Cup. This was the country's first World Cup qualification since 1982. At the World Cup itself, Jefferson made two appearances. During his career, he was a 27-time goalscorer for his country.