From Atlético-MG defender to Ecuadorian governor and reality cooking champion

Most footballers move into coaching, broadcasting or club administration when they retire. Ecuador's Frickson Erazo has taken a different route, moving from the pitch into politics and then to the title of best celebrity cook on a television reality show. His playing career included spells at Flamengo, Grêmio, Atlético-MG and Vasco.

Erazo's time in Brazil has a link to the current Copa do Brasil. Atlético-MG and Grêmio, the two clubs he played for, are contesting a semifinal that will decide a place in the final, with the match on Saturday at 6pm in Minas Gerais. Asked about it, Erazo said he was missing Brazil and called it a difficult choice: both clubs treated him very well, and he expected a big game.

A difficult start at Flamengo

Erazo arrived at Flamengo in 2014, the year Brazil hosted the World Cup, and appeared in three of the tournament's matches. He made only seven appearances for the Rio club, a period he describes as one of the hardest of his career. He was dealing with depression and being far from his family, and he did not speak Portuguese at the time. He said he felt almost alone until teammates including Léo Moura, Felipe, André Santos, Elias and Negueba helped him. He called Flamengo "a university" where he recovered.

Grêmio, Atlético-MG and the 2016 final

After overcoming those difficult months, Erazo had a more settled spell at Grêmio, where he played 42 matches and scored twice. He said the club gave him the confidence to play his own game. He later joined Atlético-MG, attracted by a project focused on winning the Copa Libertadores and a long-term contract. Between 2016 and 2018 he played 46 matches for the club, won the Minas Gerais state championship and reached the 2016 Copa do Brasil final, where Atlético lost to Grêmio. Erazo was sent off in that final. He said the team had been favourites but lacked sharpness and greater security at the back.

From law school to governor

Erazo retired in 2020 and chose a path away from football. He studied law and prepared for public office, motivated by a desire to help the people of Esmeralda, his hometown. He ran for mayor of the city and lost, but was then chosen as governor of his province, a post he held for eight months. He said some people doubted him because he had been a footballer, but he believed his knowledge of public administration eventually won them over. He had already been running projects through his foundation during his playing days, working with mothers raising young children without a partner.

Reality show champion

Last year Erazo was invited to take part in a celebrity cooking reality show. He said he could not cook at all when he accepted, but he saw it as a chance to show the public a different side of himself. He studied hard, tried dishes from other countries and went on to beat 23 other contestants, winning the trophy for best celebrity cook. For the final he made a Brazilian dessert with açaí, presenting it as a molecular gastronomy gel that impressed the judges.

Erazo says he is still studying cooking and wants to become a professional chef. He is also considering writing a book.