Football is a factory of emotions in which there are beautiful stories. One of them is the Joaquin Roda Bozo (San Fernando, 1955), subscriber number 24 of the San Fernando CD, an example of love for colors throughout a lifetime. This fan lives for and for San Fernando. It is rare to see him walk around La Isla without his club’s shield appearing on any of his clothing items. ANDThe Sports Club is someone else in your family and this is how he transmits it every time he is asked why he loves his city’s soccer team.
Joaquín schedules his activities based on when San Fernando plays, which is why he is one of the most common figures in the Grada de General del Iberoamerican Stadium. So far everything normal. But, after exchanging a few words with him and taking off his sunglasses, something is different. Joaquín needs you to come closer. Because he doesn’t see you. And, therefore, it’s been a while since he stopped seeing his love team. But he continues to feel it in every game. With his people and his family, who are his eyes during the 90 minutes of the game.
Dieguito, nephew-grandson of Joaquín, is your great-uncle’s ‘transistor’. During the games he tells him what happens so that Joaquín can visualize in his mind the races of Biabiany and Gabri Martinezthe only ones who, due to the distance from their location, can fairly distinguish them when they run along the band.
Joaquín, who suffered a stroke last November and is still in the rehabilitation phase, confesses that more than once he has ignored the medical recommendations to go see San Fernando and has jumped out of bed with a fever to head for the Iberoamerican. In addition, Joaquín has high blood glucose levels, a pathology that classifies the patient as diabetic. Except for Joaquín, who confirms emphatically and seriously that it is ‘San Fernando’s day’.
Joaquín and his nephew pose with the San Fernando CD squad
His story reached the ears of the club, which last Saturday rewarded his loyalty by inviting him to a training session so that he could get to know all the members of the first team up close. The captains thanked him for his loyalty and constant support for decades and President Louis Kinziger presented him with a gift from the entity.
In addition, the journalist Raúl Ruiz, one of the presenters of ‘El Fútbol de Primera’, a space of the RFEF dedicated to the First Federation, was present during this beautiful act prior to the match against the Cultural Leonesa in which Joaquín, neither short nor lazy, he went to Biabiany to act as a prophet and indicate that he was going to score against the Leon team.
No sooner said than done. The blue attacker scored the equalizer in the 51st minute and went directly to the Iberoamericano General in search of a Joaquín who was celebrating the Cañaílla goal with his family. At the end of the meeting, when Joaquín Roda paraded back home, it was clear and resounding. “After this, I can now die in peace”he explained between laughs, visibly excited with his son.
Immediately afterwards, yes, he made it clear that, until that happens, he will continue to comply punctually with the appointment he has fortnightly with his seat in the General of Bahía Sur. Because, although the passage of time has weakened his vision, he will always be able to feel each goal and each victory of the team in his life. And that is the most important. Maybe the only thing.
