Mirko Jozic returns to Chile after nearly 20 years as Colo Colo honors him at Teatro Caupolicán

Nearly 20 years without setting foot on Chilean soil, and maybe that's why his voice cracked a bit as he walked into Teatro Caupolicán. Mirko Jozic was back. And he wasn't back for just anything: he was back because Colo Colo, through its Club Social y Deportivo, decided it was time to pay tribute to the coach who gave the club the greatest glory in its history.

For anyone who needs a refresher: Jozic is the Croatian who led the white shirts to the 1991 Copa Libertadores title, the only continental trophy the club has won to date. That feat earned him a special place in Colo Colo fans' memory, the kind that doesn't fade with the years or with distance. And distance is exactly what there had been: nearly two decades away from the country where he became a legend.

The reunion had its emotional edge the moment he picked up the microphone. Jozic, still weary from the flight over from Europe, held nothing back in front of the fans who packed the venue.

To be happy, you have to do things that make others happy.Mirko Jozic

Then came the part that hit hardest in the room. His voice heavy with emotion, the former coach addressed the crowd that gave him a standing ovation.

I am standing on Chilean soil, in front of the most loyal fans in the world.Mirko Jozic

He didn't stop there. Jozic wanted to make something else clear, almost like a message aimed at the current squad and club leadership: that the title from more than three decades ago shouldn't stand as a closed chapter, but as a bar to be matched again.

I am surrounded by the greatest architects of Colo Colo's success, and that is everything this club represents. Hopefully something similar will come very soon, because Colo Colo deserves more, and you all know that.Mirko Jozic

What's next

The tribute doesn't end with one night. This Thursday, the club has a longer interview with Jozic scheduled, which will be shared through Colo Colo's social media channels. The idea, from what's known so far, is for the man himself to take a calmer look back at that 1991 campaign and his time at the club.

It's good to see scenes like this, isn't it? A coach who hadn't been back to Chile in nearly 20 years, welcomed as if no time had passed at all. For a fan base still waiting to repeat that continental glory, having the architect of that title back is, at the very least, a nice reminder that it's been done once before.