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When Jesús Gil scolded Carlos after leaving Oviedo: “He told me who believed me”

Date: April 8, 1989. Place: Mestalla, Valencia stadium. Atlético de Madrid plays against the Che team in the League in a hostile environment for Jesús Gil, mattress boss and a unique character, hated at that time by the Valencia fans. It is a tough match, with a lot of clash and dispute. Carlos was the striker for Atlético de Madrid. He had arrived in the summer from Oviedo after being promoted to First Division. He scored 26 goals for blue, but as rojiblanco it was costing him.

That is why he wanted to take the penalty that the referee indicated in that match against Valencia. At that time the match was 0-0. “I took the ball to throw it and the coach said loudly that no, I shouldn’t throw it. I wasn’t in a good moment, but I had plenty of confidence. I played crazy and took the penalty: it hit the post and we didn’t score a goal “. Ten minutes after that play, Valencia took the lead. And in the last play of the game, Carlos stood alone in front of the goalkeeper, dribbled him and hit the post again on the empty goal.

Result: 1-0 and Mestalla bouncing. Then the Gil storm broke loose. The president of Atlético went down to the locker room, enraged after the game. He went straight for Carlos. “He told me: ‘But who the hell do you think you are?’ I turned around and told him everything. I remember blurting out: ‘If you don’t love me, transfer me, but leave me alone’. That was Gil. Good guy and I ended up with him well, I was even on his yacht, but if he didn’t do what what he wanted”… Carlos (Úbeda, 61 years old), blue idol of the good times, –119 goals in the Carbayón League–, current ambassador of the club, remembers his adventures as a mattress maker before a very special game for him just in the same place where he scored carbayón goals. The old Tartiere is today Calatrava, but Carlos’ goals are still in the retina of Oviedismo. Oviedo, his Oviedo, hosts Atlético de Madrid this afternoon in the Copa del Rey and the memory of Carlos wells up.

Being a mattress player, it did not go particularly well. He played at rojiblanco during the 88-89 season, on loan from Barcelona. He scored four goals. Few for him: Carlos scored more goals against Atlético de Madrid (eight, seven of them with Oviedo) than with Atlético de Madrid. “There was no negotiation to go to Atlético. I was forced by Barcelona, ​​but with great enthusiasm. Atlético had Eusebio and Salinas and Barcelona wanted them, but they asked for money and also my transfer. That’s how it was done.” For Carlos, the rojiblanco adventure could not have started worse. “The night before my presentation I had tremendous gastroenteritis. I ate bad ham and was vomiting all night. I arrived in the press room pale, like a ghost.” That campaign was to forget: five coaches, synonymous with instability. Carlos was clear that he wanted to return to Oviedo. Eugenio Prieto called him every week. “Atlético wouldn’t let me leave, they said they wanted me to be there, but I was clear about it. I pushed everything I could and Oviedo also paid the transfer and I left as property.” This is how Carlos explains his rojiblanco trigger. “At Oviedo I was the boss. The players had confidence in me and everything came out of me. Of that one they said: ‘Give it to Carlos, he puts it in’. At Atlético I had doubts. I jumped onto the field and thought: ‘¿ And if I fail?’ And that I felt loved and valued. The fans always thanked me for my effort”.

What happened is that Carlos returned to Asturias and signed the best years of his career before finishing his career in Mexico. As a blue, he remembers the games against Atlético as intense and disputed. Although there were also wins: 3-0 for Oviedo in May 1991 with a brace from Carlos. “I don’t even remember anymore…”. Today and now, things have changed. Oviedo is in the Second Division and Atlético plays on another step since the arrival of Cholo. This afternoon the two teams meet and Carlos, a veteran, trusts his team. “In the Cup you never know and it’s a one-off game. It will be a nice and special game for the youngsters who have never seen Oviedo in the First Division. We’re not ruling anything out, we’re confident and on a good run. I have a lot of faith in this team. We’re going to fight, for sure.” Carlos won’t be here today, but Bastón probably will. His successor to him as nine blue? “Hopefully, hopefully, that will mean he’s doing very well for us. Bastón is doing a phenomenal job. Hopefully he scores today.” If Carlos says so…

When Carlos said “no” to Pachuca

Fate has wanted Carlos Muñoz to return to Oviedo at the hands of Jesús Martínez, owner of the blue club and president of Grupo Pachuca. Carlos and Martínez are old acquaintances. In fact, the Oviedo player refused to play for Pachuca in 1999 when everything was ready for his debut. “I left Puebla and Jesús Martínez called me. He wanted to sign me and we signed a one-year contract. I was training, but when the League was about to start I told him I was leaving,” recalls Carlos, who was 38 years old. “I didn’t see myself capable of meeting them, I was physically fine, but I wasn’t comfortable. Jesus called me. He told me: ‘I’m in the United States, we’ll talk tomorrow.” The next day he came to see me and I told him that I did not want to fail him and I did not see myself capable. He replied: ‘Don’t you trust me? I’ll give you two years”. Carlos, then, signed a new contract with Pachuca and returned to training. He already had a decorated house in the Mexican city, but he changed his mind again. “I told him again that I was leaving, that I was not I saw capable. Jesús suspected that he was going to go to another team and I told him that it was not like that. I remember that he asked me to sign it on a napkin.” In the end, it was not necessary. The contract was cancelled, Carlos returned the money and returned to Spain. Two months later he did go to another team in Mexico, Lobos, but from the Second Division. And 22 years later Carlos said yes to Jesús Martínez, but to be an ambassador for Oviedo. “Jesús is a great guy and Pachuca is very involved,” emphasizes the former player.

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