From Churruca’s debut, on February 20, 1971 in a match between Italy and Spain, to David Villa’s, in a match between La Roja and San Marino in 2005, there is a 34-year difference. But the same passion. “Getting to debut in your country’s national team is the best, a dream come true,” the players from Sporting and Oviedo who made it to the national team agreed.
There were 18 footballers honored by the Leyendas de España association, chaired by Fernando Giner, in an emotional act at the Asturian Football Federation headquarters, in which there was also a memory for Quini and Campanal, whose distinction was collected by their children. The prize consisted of a shirt with the legendary number, which corresponds to the order of debut in the absolute.
In an atmosphere of nostalgia, of extolling the weight that Asturian football had in the past, messages of optimism were also launched. On the one hand, with the illusion that El Molinón will be one of the venues for the 2030 World Cup. “The repercussion for Asturias would be unique,” said Oli, who made his debut with La Roja in 1997. “When that happens, it is not the Sporting field or Oviedo, it’s everyone’s, it happened to me when I played with the national team at El Molinón”, said the former Oviedo striker, who recalled the matches he lived in the Tartiere of the 82 World Cup with his grandfather.
And on the other hand, the future of Sporting and Oviedo was analyzed with optimism, with the change of ownership, with Orlegi and Pachuca. “I wish both of them the best. Hopefully we will have both of them in the First Division soon,” said Luis Manuel, a former Oviedo player who made his debut in 1989 with La Roja. “We are all very hopeful,” said Bango, formerly of Oviedo and Sporting, who came to play in Mexico: “We hope that their knowledge can be applied here, adapted to our culture, and that many successes will come.” An idea that Marcelino Elena also supported, focused on his Sporting. “There is a new energy, a different ability to run a club as it should be done in the modern age we are in, Sporting had fallen behind on many levels, had lost step with history,” he stressed.
In a morning of anecdotes, of memories of historic matches, there was complicity between Oviedistas and Sportinguistas and also signs of affection towards Maximino Martínez, former president of the Federation, recovered, but with some sequel to covid.
