Fernando Romay revealed that he cannot receive his full retirement pension because four years of his basketball career were left uncounted by the social security system.
The former pivot and Olympic silver medalist spoke on the laSexta television program Salvados about the financial realities facing professional athletes after retirement. Romay represented Spain at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and played a prominent role for Real Madrid during his club career.
He appeared on the broadcast alongside former rhythmic gymnast Almudena Cid and former skier Lola Fernández Ochoa to discuss social protection gaps with host Gonzo. Cid is currently leading an initiative supported by the UGT union to have elite competition years officially counted toward retirement calculations.
“Me puedo jubilar pero no puedo cobrar en mi caso el 100 % de lo que me correspondería porque me faltan 4 años,” Romay said.
The missing contribution years stem from regulations governing athletic amateurism during much of Romay’s career. Registering athletes with the social security system at that time could strip them of their amateur status and disqualify them from representing Spain internationally.
“Si cotizaba por mí, me declaraban profesional y no podía ir ni a los Juegos Olímpicos, ni a los europeos, ni con la Selección,” Romay said.
The regulatory framework shifted following the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, which featured the United States Dream Team. Romay said that athletes transitioned into the social security system in 1993, leaving the preceding decades uncredited for retirement calculations.
The lack of formal coverage also affected athletes and their families during active competition years. Romay recounted paying out of pocket when one of his daughters required emergency treatment at Hospital La Paz following a severe reaction to penicillin.
“300.000 pelas de entonces que tuve que pagar, por la incubadora, por todo el tratamiento que le hicieron, porque yo no tenía Seguridad Social,” Romay said.
The former center also highlighted the economic difficulties facing other veterans of Spain’s top basketball division. While some retirees receive minimal allowances, others rely on their adult children for financial support.
“Es que hay gente que está cobrando la mínima. A mí me vienen compañeros míos, muchos años en Primera División que me dicen: ‘Fernando, es que mis amigos de mi edad, que ya están jubilados, ayudan a sus hijos y en mi caso son mis hijos los que me ayudan a mí, porque estoy cobrando la de 600 o 700 pavos’,” Romay said.
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