1 month ago
At an property erstwhile galore seasoned footballers mightiness for illustration to beryllium regaling grandchildren, friends and type barflies pinch somewhat embroidered tales of their erstwhile sporting prowess, 70-year-old Ángel Mateos González is heading backmost connected to nan pitch.
The Spaniard, who retired from competitory shot 27 years ago, is owed to play successful extremity for nan Asturian squad CD Colunga successful a fifth-tier lucifer this Sunday. If each goes to scheme and he pulls connected his gloves, he will reportedly go nan oldest subordinate to return portion successful an charismatic lucifer successful Spain.
Mateos, who has been helping retired Colunga’s keepers during this season’s Tercera Federación group 2 campaign, said he did not cognize whether he would play nan afloat game.
“I’m going to train pinch nan squad this week but I still don’t cognize if I’ll play nan full 90 minutes aliases conscionable nan first half,” he told nan section newspaper El Comercio.
In a station connected Facebook, nan bluish Spanish squad said they had decided to play Mateos successful their lucifer against location rivals CD Praviano to observe nan goalie and his lifelong dedication to activity and to football.
The broadside denied nan move was a stunt, adding that nan determination was astir recognising a man who represented its values.
“Mateos perfectly embodies what we guidelines for astatine CD Colunga: passion; consistency; respect for football, and a measurement of experiencing nan athletics that transcends age,” nan connection said.
“Age is secondary. What matters is attitude, dedication and committedness to nan sport. We’re talking astir a man who was a miner, who has dedicated his life to activity and football, and who has helped our goalkeepers each play long.”
The nine added: “Mateos isn’t playing because he’s 70 years old. He’s playing because he’s earned it.”
The erstwhile miner told El Comercio that while he had ever kept himself active, shot had changed a small complete nan years.
“When I started out, it was almost a different sport,” said Mateos. “The balls; nan pitches … I retrieve I utilized to support a bucket adjacent to nan goalpost truthful I could bail retired h2o erstwhile nan transportation sewage muddy, which was almost an mundane occurrence backmost then.”
Mateos told Cope power he had been playing shot since he was 10 and was still nan aforesaid weight – 68 aliases 69kg – that he was astatine nan property of 18. He besides said he was fiercely competitive, hated losing immoderate benignant of game, and had ever loved different sports.
“A batch of nan guys I worked pinch successful nan mines didn’t for illustration sports and conscionable wanted to spell to nan bar,” he said connected Wednesday. “I ne'er sewage that. You person to support progressive and do athletics aliases spell for a walk.”
CD Colunga said Sunday’s lucifer was astir overmuch much than 1 man’s advancing years.
“If anyone’s focusing solely connected his age, past they’re missing what’s important,” it said. “This is astir getting backmost to nan principle of football, recognising nan group who make it awesome and showing that there’s different measurement of doing things.”
Reuters contributed reporting
