There’s a photo that looks like one of those “Look for the Intruder” games. The setting is the Santiago Bernabeu, the shirt is the white Adidas one, with Siemens sponsor on the chest. Of Real Madrid, in short. On the right there is Ronaldo the Phenomenonon the left instead David Beckhamwhich embraces Luis Figo. In the centre, turned around, there is him: Javier Portillo.
These are the truly Galacticos years of Real Madrid, those of the year 2000, when they manage to win everything there is to win. And there in the middle, destined for a stellar career, is him. And this is his story.
Javier Portillo. Photo Source: CalcioWeb
A star born in the merengues cantera
700 goals in Real Madrid’s academy, immediately the call among the greats. With the B team he scored 17 goals in 57 appearances, a prelude to his arrival in La Liga. This is Javier Portillo’s start. Born in 1982, technician, with an eye for goal, with a thousand ambitions. But at Real Madrid in those years there was a lot of elbowing to do, which is why in 2004 he decided to try abroad. He wants it there Fiorentinathe right place to relaunch, perhaps break through everything, take Serie A and return to be a protagonist with Real.
He is on the Viola bench Emiliano Mondonico and in attack, above all, they are there Jockeys, Vryzas and Soncin. Nothing to do with Figo and Ronaldo, yet Portillo is on the bench. “I am ready to play with both Riganò and Miccoli – says the Spaniard – but we can also play all three. The important thing for me is not to go to the bench, because I suffer a lot there”. The championship begins, but Portillo doesn’t play. Clips, lackluster matches, a few goals. There will be 4 in 17 games, before returning to Madrid in January 2005.”We took him, but I let Soncin play and so they gave him to me – Mondonico said years later – He was good, but he didn’t know the movements of our football and Riganò went crazy because he had to explain them to him”
Javier Portillo. Source Photo: Fanpage
The return to Spain
There is no room for Portillo at Real Madrid and this is where the attacker’s downward trajectory begins. He goes to Belgium, al Usedbefore turning between Gymnastic, Osasuna (3 goals in 45 appearances) and find a home atHercules. Home in every sense, because Portillo falls in love with Laura Ortiz, daughter of the team’s major shareholder, who in the meantime had sold it to The Palms. His father-in-law tries to get him back home, especially when, in the spring of 2012, the news comes out that his daughter is pregnant. The sporting director, Sergio Fernandez, does not want to proceed with the negotiation, the diplomatic case breaks out, with the DS being fired together with Juan Carlos Mandia, the team’s coach.
Portillo can thus return to Hercules, where between 2012 and 2015 he will score 36 goals in 123 games. In Segunda Division and in Segunda Division B, it must be said. Perhaps the right size, for the Galacticos who passed through Florence.
2024-03-26 11:00:02
#story #Javier #Portillo #Galacticos #Florence
