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Abelardo, sportinguista de oro: “I hope the return to Primera lives”

When Joaquín Alonso picked up the phone to notify Abelardo that the Veterans Association planned to award him the gold badge in recognition of a career -rather, a lifetime- linked to his Sporting, the Pitu had not yet decided to leave aside his comfort zone to risk many things to save the institution from the abyss. “When Joaquín called me, I didn’t believe it.” The happy covid stopped everything, true. But that time, at least, has served to elevate the man from Gijón even more for what he is: a legend of the club. Yesterday he collected the award from Joaquín, one of his idols, friend, partner, also now in the entity. And he did it broken with happiness. Of emotion. Holding back the tears as he could. Because the Bellavista room was full (close to a hundred veterans occupied all the tables) of his own: his friends, ex-colleagues, colleagues from the Veterans Association, his wife (Graciela) and his daughter ( Aitana). Only Diego was missing, who has inherited the rojiblancos genes. “Hopefully we can all experience the return to First Division. If I am the coach, it would be fine… And if not, nothing happens either,” declared Abelardo.

The rojiblanco coach shakes hands with Alonso «Miluca». | Angel Gonzalez


The meeting also served to elect Eloy Olaya as a member of the board of directors in Cundi’s place. The journalist José Ramón Rodríguez made the presentation. Although the context was delicate, after the defeat against Las Palmas, and the sporting slump that the team is going through, without winning in the last seven games, all the words yesterday were of great affection, of deep respect. First Joaquín’s prologue. And, later, those of Abelardo himself. “We are lucky today (for yesterday) to live here the past, the present and the future. We all have to think about evolving together. And we want to have that bright future with the best commander. Pitu, you deserve this recognition in capital letters: for what you were on the field, what you are on the bench and what you are also as a person, teammate and friend. Thank you very much indeed. We must thank you for the courage you had when you came to the club at a very delicate moment. When Now we are going to El Molinón, we are all happy because we know that we have a very important reference on the bench”, began Joaquín. “We know that the path will not be easy. But with your strength, character and way of being and wisdom, I am sure that success will come. Thank you very much for being who you are,” he added in a message of thanks, but also with a double reading: supportive and trustworthy. Of unity. “For me this is a source of pride. It’s precious. Because you are praising the personal issue and not only the sports one,” he acknowledged. At the table, his wife and daughter, Joaquín, José Antonio Morga, José Ramón Tuero, Dani Pinín and Joaquín Miranda gave him a loud ovation. Abelardo remembered his first steps at the club. “I remember when Luis Enrique, Manjarín and I went up when we were 19 years old… When we went up we had tremendous respect, because our idols were there. And we were scared to death. Meeting Joaquín, Cundi, Jaime, Villa, Iñaki, Tati… They made it very easy for us to integrate. I remember how they trained. They were an example”, he recalled. Wearing an elegant jacket, Abelardo distributed hugs and thanks. He went one by one to greet all the former teammates and veterans from other eras who were scattered around the tables at Bellavista the tables: Novoa, Eloy Olaya, Alonso “Miluca”, Cundi, Enzo Ferrero, Marcelino Elena, Luis Sierra, Claudio, Echevarría , Jorge David, Jaime, Arturo, Claudio, Manolo… Different generations of sportinguistas.

Abelardo greets Cundi, between Rubén Suárez and Ferrero. | Angel Gonzalez


El Pitu greets Espinosa, with Joaquín Villa in the foreground, and in the background, Antonio Maestro and Loza talking. | Angel Gonzalez


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