Manolete: I went through the operating room 15 times

A Coruña From the neighborhood of Monte Alto. athlete Former bank manager Associate of the Padre Rubinos Foundation. Altarpiece. Former captain of the club Coruña. absolute international. But above all, “a friend of my friends,” he says. Manuel Ríos Quintanilla (1945), Manolete, is the living history of Galician football. Football player from before. From those who combined football with work. Of those who did not shy away from the spotlight. A guy who, despite defending the colors of Spain, continues to maintain normality with the flag.

– How do you explain the fact that you became a legend of Deportivo and retired at only 28 years old?

— I don’t know if I’m a myth. What I do know is that people loved me very much. I think it’s because I’ve always done my best on the field. I played injured, infiltrated… I gave everything for the club and, now on the other side, I continue to do so.

— The withdrawal followed soon after fifteen million pesetas (90,000 euros) remained in Deportivo’s coffers in 1972, when, for example, an apartment in the heart of Madrid cost around 20,000.

– I must say that it was difficult for me to leave Deportivo, but I was proud that Valencia paid such an amount. Both this club and Atlético de Madrid tried to sign me for years, but then there was a pledge and they didn’t want to let me here. Not that it was bad. But for me, who had already played twice, it was very difficult to play for Deportivo (against Ireland and Greece), there came a moment when I aspired to something more. And the money came in handy for the club. But I got injured early on. In training, nonsense, I ruined my knee. For that, I went through the operating room eight times.

-Eight times?

— Yes, and just for that, for other things, seven more. I operated on the meniscus, hip, spinal cord, heart, prostate, eyesight… I won’t list them because I barely remember everything anymore.

— He had to live through that time when football was combined with work.

-Well yes. I started working at Fenosa very young. I was in the testing lab. We checked that the meters work well. And, at the same time, he played in the First League.

— Clerk, football player, employee of Fenosa… And even a banker.

That came to me a bit by accident. I had already given up football and a friend from Granada Bank called me. I thought he should open an account and told him he was involved in other businesses at the time (he was the founder of Egas, which led to what is now known as Luckia) and that we would talk. But no. What he wanted to offer me was a job there. I had no idea about that world, but he convinced me. I started and worked my way up until I became a director. Then I went to Bank Bilbao and also became the branch manager in Plaza de Pontevedra, next to the Deportivo office.

— And when the club became SAD, in 1992, he risked his position to lend a hand.

– And I would do it again. It is true that things happened later that distanced me from the man who was the president at the time [Lendoiro], but I did it for Deportivo and, I repeat, I would do it again. Not that he committed any crime or anything like that. It just didn’t look very good in the bank to leave the money to the clubs. I made a good exposure and got the authorization. But of course if things went wrong… I would pay for them.

— During Lendoir’s mandate, the veterans’ association, which you chair, was outside Deportivo. How did you live it?

– Well, very bad. Because only those who care about the club can understand what Deportivo means to me. Except I was playing. Yes, I notice him as mine. Fortunately, when Tino Fernández became president, he welcomed us and we are still there. We put our grain of sand and help, because veterans are not there just to play and see each other from time to time, we collect money to help colleagues who need it and other people who don’t have much.

— We talked before that he risked his job for Deportivo, and almost his marriage.

— (Laughs) I just had no luck with the wedding date. It was in 1972. I dated the event at the end of May. In the Cup, Real Madrid touched us in the round of 16 and I didn’t think we would pass. There we equalized at one, and then at Riazor at zero. And we passed. So we had to play the round of 16 on the day I had the ceremony scheduled. In the round of 16 we played against Celta and drew at Riazor, so I kept the date because I didn’t think we would go through. And it turned out that we won 0-2 in Balaídos and I think I played one of the best games of my life. But the next tie coincided with the wedding, so I had to vary again… Then Barcelona caught us and there were no more changes (he laughs again).

—Despite playing central defender and midfielder, specializing in marking players, he was only sent off twice. It has merit.

-No no. This information appears out there, but it is wrong. They only gave me one. It was against Celta in 1966. I had to mark Abel, and he was messing with my mother, my family the whole match… And so, I went crazy and turned on him. But it wasn’t something, they only fined me for one game.

– What car do you have?

—I have a Smart, very pleasant to drive in the city.

-Meal?

— I have a good tooth. Also, I like to cook. On Sundays, I prepare fideua, with prawns, monkfish, clams…

-Drink?

—Mencía with the orange phantom.

What is the last housework you did?

—Installation of a switch in the kitchen, which was broken.

-Movie?

—I watch reports more than movies, but I like the police.

-What kind of music do you listen to?

– Spanish. I really like Julio Iglesias.

— Which famous person would you go to the club with?

– With the good friends I have, I like it, but if someone I know asks me, then with Nadal, because of his way and simplicity of looking at sports.

—For information, press, radio or television?

I’m from the daily press. I always have breakfast reading La Voz de Galicia, of which I am a subscriber. And then, well, I watch the news.

– Are you a believer?

— A lot and, besides, a practitioner.

—The harshest thing they said to you on the field?

“I haven’t had a lot of them.” I was lucky that I was not cheered or insulted, but it is clear that as a visitor no one is exempt from the memory of their mother or their family.

— The worst thing about football?

— Ungrateful football players. We should all praise people, but some…