At his feet. And at the foot of Montjuïc mountain. “The mountain par excellence of our sport,” recalls Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona, in his speech. Just a quarter of an hour’s walk from the stadium where Barça plays this season, they have collected their MARCA awards for the 22-23 season. Ter Stegen (Zamora as best goalkeeper, Di Stéfano as best LaLiga player), Lewandowski (Pichichi as top scorer) or Pedri (Hyundai fans’ favorite), in a gala evidently marked by the domestic title of the Barça squad. And if they got them playing as hosts in a Camp Nou now under construction… why at the foot of Montjuïc?
Why there EsKlandestino is located, a spectacular event space that served as the venue for the gala and has its own history: that of the fire in the facilities of the Serrahima family that, shortly before the Civil War, forced them to move their textile activity to an old glass factory, then disused, on Méjico Street; that of the subsequent acquisition of the property; that of the transfer to Hospitalet, transforming the aforementioned headquarters into various premises to rent to small industrialists; and, starting in 2008, the rehabilitation of these facilities to use them for various creative and innovative activities.
Located in an old art gallery, in short, EsKlandestino has served to recognize the best of the past year. In an event tinged with the colors of Barça, yes, but it was also used to pay homage to Imanol Alguacil as the best First Division coach, Griezmann as a Socios.com prize, a Unai Simon as MVP of the national team, Joselu Mato and Raúl García as Zarras of First and Second, to Uzuni and Raul Fernandez like Pichichi and Zamora from Second, to Ruben Albes as the best Second Division coach, Pizarro Gomez as Guruceta of the highest category, to García Verdura and Arcediano Monescillo as Gurucetas ‘ex aequo’ of the silver division… and to the refugee selection as Door/Jarque prize.
I want to recognize your career and your successes as a sporting example and as an example of values; Barcelona once again maximizes its sporting aspect
Jaume Collboni (Mayor of Barcelona)
That is, Real Sociedad, Atlético, Athletic, Espanyol (although he now plays for Real Madrid), Mirandés (then on loan from Betis and currently in Osasuna), Granada (in duplicate), Albacete… wide representation of Spanish football in a event attended by nearly 150 guests, which included the highest authorities of our sport and which could also be followed through Marca.com. So let’s go in parts…
The welcome speech corresponded to Collboni: “As mayor I would like to highlight that the greatest sporting success of the city is that every day thousands and thousands of boys and girls train in hundreds of clubs. In the last two years and in the next two “We are going to invest more than five million euros in renovating 17 soccer fields in the neighborhoods.” He also addressed the winners… to point to the future: “I want to recognize your career and your successes as a sporting example and as an example of values. Barcelona is once again maximizing its sporting aspect. We had the Vuelta a España and we will have the America’s Cup of sailing, which will involve the transformation of kilometers of coastline starting with the Olympic port“.
Jaume Collboni’s club: Barça champion, Girona in Europe and Espanyol in Primera
Regarding football, and to conclude his speech, he makes predictions: “We have an extraordinary horizon which is the 2030 World Cup as a magnificent opportunity to unite countries and for Spanish football to once again show its full potential. Barcelona is going to get involved in everything you give, that is our commitment. I finish with a prediction that no one has asked me but I don’t care: Barça is going to win the League, Girona will play in Europe and Espanyol will return to the First Division“.
Juan Ignacio Gallardo, director of MARCA, was in charge of the reply: “We are delighted to be in Barcelona.” Using irony, “a season is long enough for me to dwell on the gala that culminates it”, he wanted to compile the awards that would be presented next, stopping of course at the Pichichi (“It is a distinction that all children dream of and Lewandowski is a craftsman of the goal”) and in Zamora (“Football is very stingy with goalkeepers, because it does not recognize their true dimension, but Ter Stegen is a masterful piece”). Gallardo concluded with a toast: “To the 70 years of history of our lifelong awards. To those who won, to those who are here today and to those who will succeed you. Thank you for making us enjoy.”
Here’s to 70 years of our awards; for those who won, for those who are here today and for those who will succeed you… Thank you for making us enjoy
Juan Ignacio Gallardo (MARCA director)
From there the winners paraded across the stage, in a ceremony masterfully presented by our colleagues. Almudena Rivera and José Luis Allegue and in which we have also been able to count on the wonderful performance of the artist Toni Ortiz, who could once be seen in Got Tolent and who, in an exercise of memory and concentration, has been able to draw the faces of Lewandowski and Ter Stegen on some cubes. While he did so, the delicious violin of Paula del Río Barroso. Write down the name for the future.
Of course, the gala leaves notes of color: that of Claudia and Adriana, seven and two years old, daughters of Raúl Fernández at the time, delighting those present and making it clear that their father is a superhero, especially when he had to play with mask Or that of Jesús de Manuel, former Operación Triunfo contestant, taking photographs with the rest of the media present at Dámaso Arcediano Monescillo, Guruceta de Segunda. Or that of Ter Stegen and the aforementioned Raúl Fernández, taking advantage of the presence of the legendary Iribar to immortalize themselves in an image of goalkeepers and have a lively chat about the secrets of the trade. The gala has also served, by the way, to present an honorary Zamora, collected by his daughter, to the former Athletic goalkeeper José María Echevarría, who saw fit to deserve the award when it did not yet exist..
The MARCA Awards fulfill dreams: the photo of Raúl Fernández with two of his idols
Among those present John Laportapresident of Barcelona (heading a broad representation of the club’s board), Sophia Yang (president of Granada), Fernando Molinero (general director of the CSD) or Diego Rivas (vice president of the AFE). On stage, the awards parade. The lifetime. The BRAND ones. And at the farewell, the Bentley in which Lewandowski arrived, elegant like Polish James Bond. When Barça’s scorer leaves him at the door, one of our drivers has a hard time getting him out of there with subtlety. The one who takes the corresponding photo of her with the Pichichi is the artist Claudia Valsells. She has her studio next to EsKlandestino and she wins. Until next time… and at her feet.
2023-11-23 14:26:29
#feet #football
