famous visit

Mali was from Sporting, whose second would be. We all had another team, either from Barça or from Madrid, I also liked Real Sociedad, Athetic, and because I had family in Valencia, too. Outside of our borders, I loved Arrigo Sacchi and Baresi’s Milan, and Platini’s Juventus. Without the Internet, without social networks, it was about what you read in Marca y el As, Estudio Estadia summaries and Wednesdays with the European Cup, the old Champions League. You got news from two teams from Argentina, Boca and Ríver, and that’s where my football story ended, it wasn’t a short one. In any case, it was either close or international teams on the front line.

Gonzalo Bobadilla is more from Lugo than any of us who go to the Miño stadium every fortnight, or at least the same. He lives in Argentina and for ten years he suffers defeats and celebrates victories with the emotion of the oldest fan or the happiest entertainer. He says he can’t find an explanation, that is, the connection is in a computer game, he chooses a team at random, searched its history on the Internet and from that moment, like every resident of Muimenta, Viveiro, Monforte, from the Albeiros district, or Augas Férreas, he became a passionate rojiblanco. This fearless fan described our city as “small, beautiful and pleasant”, described his experience as a dream come true, and just before leaving for his return he declared “my heart will stay here forever”.

Gonzalo won me over for posterity. Since I understood that the result is not important, the position of the team is not important, what I wanted was to see the game in Lugo. There is no explanation and I will not discuss it. His story is exemplary and all those who recognized him during his visit deserve my admiration.

Anonymous fans, media, rojiblancas fan clubs or the club itself justified it. My wish is that this story projects a path in which everyone, depending on their responsibility, responds like never before.