“A government member almost broke the fence” | Relief

If there was a day when it was explained to football that it is very far from an exact and logical science, it was exactly ten years ago. For this, only one second was enough, the one that passed from minute 92:47 to 92:48. In this minimal space there was a suspended firmament. The ball is in the Lisbon sky and Sergio Ramos is in the air; Atlético’s enthusiasm began to fade and Real Madrid’s desperation began to fade; fear and faith danced chotis on the tiles. Everything was happening in slow motion, and nothing had happened yet. Until that happened. The Seville header scored, equalized the score, sent it into extra time and at the same time gave meaning to it. History to be made which was written by Manuel Jabois and which was almost waiting in the drawer.

On 24 May 2014, Real Madrid won their tenth European Cup against Atlético Madrid and avoided a setback that would have resulted in another gift. Starting with Ancelotti, who, if he had fallen, most likely would not have continued and therefore would not be sitting on the bench at the Bernabeu today, preparing an assault on the Desimoquinta. The clash concentrated epic from the white point of view and the most absolute brutality from the sporting point of view. Ten years later, almost everything that happened on the field became known as the joy changed until he crossed to the other side. However, Very little is known about the tension that reigned in the box at Da Luz Stadium. It is quite possible that this was the day on which Florentino Perez’s tie knot tightened even more and on which Enrique Cerezo most clearly saw himself bathing in Neptune.

In the transcript of the speech, where the protocol encourages containment, moments of suffering and scenes that had rarely been seen before were experienced. Florentino and Cerezo were surrounded, as is the case in such cases, by high-ranking authorities. The kings of Spain were present (Juan Carlos I and Sofia), President of the Government of Spain (Mariano Rajoy) and Portuguese (Passus Coelho), head of the Portuguese state, (Cavaco Silva), UEFA President (Platini), Secretary of State for Sports (Miguel Cardenal), President of the Spanish Football Federation (Angel Maria Villar)…”“I was very careful not to express my sympathies too much.”Relevo admits, Jose Ignacio Werth, is present in this very complex epicenter as Minister of Education, Culture and Sports.

Werth, he admits, has never been a fan of boxing. He turned down Florentino’s invitation to sit at the Bernabeu for a reason to which he attaches undoubted weight: “Mainly because I am such a Real Madrid fan that when I watch the game I cannot express either my joy at the goals scored or my anger at the about Goals against For me it was more of a sacrifice than anything else. Obviously, when, as in this case, presence was part of institutional duties, I will not say that I did it reluctantly, because I was not. “

The Lisbon derby was not just another one, and this transcendence was also felt in the most privileged area of ​​the stadium, where the art of pretense rules every gesture… until the procession becomes so numerous that it goes beyond the body. “Apparently there were a lot more people… Let’s see This was no ordinary game, and that was obvious from the very beginning.. 10 years have passed and some of the memories are fading. I don’t exactly remember any comments, but I do remember the images. For example, during the break, when Godin scored a goal, Atlético’s players were more vigilant. When It was no longer in the penalty area, but in the ante-box; the Madrid fans were less happy than us.let’s put it this way,” says Werth.

The former minister is aware of this euphemism, and his laugh gives it away. For this reason, his story always tends towards the end of the second part. Good news raises barriers. “Everyone remembers the extra time. This goal is from Sergio Ramos. The truth is that Each of us being in the box, and we had colors, it took a lot of effort to hide them. There were many white supporters there. From Mariano Rajoy His Madridism is famous. He showed himself very correct; I think I did it too…”.

Florentino, on the other hand, abandoned his usual public reserve and rose from his seat like a spring, with his arms raised. The tension was stronger than modesty. “I couldn’t help myself,” he admitted later. As Werth shows, no one present in this box did this. “I celebrated in a much more subdued manner than some other government colleague who was there and almost broke the fence. Even though ten years have passed, we are better off ignoring his personality, he knows it very well,” he laughs.

Ramos’ header extended the match, and Bale’s goal in the 110th minute decided it. While some sank into their chairs and others clenched their fists to avoid hurting their feelings, Florentino once again expressed his euphoria in an unusual way: “Perhaps the most amazing thing was his embrace with Jose Maria Aznar.”. The Real Madrid president, as soon as the Welshman scored, grabbed the railing, jumped out of his chair, raised his arms again, waved them, crossed the stairs, high-fived the former chairman of the government and gave the staff a thumbs up. . He was full of energy and at that moment could not keep up with the times. “I jumped because we avoided penalties,” he said with relief, holding Decima under his arm.

Example of Cerezo and the football war in the background

Werth focuses on Enrique Cerezo. The Atlético Madrid president, who barely celebrated Godin’s goal (36th minute), was a model of brotherhood, professionalism and kindness: “What I want to emphasize most on that day is his lordship. That is, Cerezo practically felt the European Cup at his fingertips. And when what happened happened, he didn’t lose his smile, he happily acceptedcondolences’ and all his actions were always distinguished by great cordiality. In short, I think this was the most exemplary behavior in the box, although that doesn’t mean the rest of us didn’t try to behave as best we could.”

The former Minister of Education, Culture and Sports admits there was more behind this attempt to suppress a grimace. An attempt to curb his chromatic tendency was also associated with saber rattling between employers, federations and clubs at that moment: “Let’s see, it was especially difficult because we were in a situation… This was the so-called second football war.. There were very strong conflicts of interests, there was a threat of a strike. That is, demonstrating partisanship when there was a very powerful confrontation between La Liga and RFEF… It was important to create the appearance of detachment, football neutrality, because everything was very difficult due to the problem with television rights., because of the conflict between the operators and how it developed into a very strong institutional conflict between La Liga and the RFEF. It is true that in this duel, which was related to rights, Barcelona and Real Madrid were equal. And Atlético Madrid also did not take a special position on this issue. But in fact, the internal climate in football was harsh. “I think showing in Lisbon that a person has colors was the least convenient.”

The truth is what Vert did Support Master. The event in Lisbon was perhaps the least controversial: “As minister I had to accompany His Majesty the King, Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI. And I had some tough games. The Barça Athletic Cup final in Bilbao, at the Vicente Calderon and another at the Camp Nou, where maintaining the gesture took some work because it was a riot of whistles against the anthem and so on. Fortunately, I think we’re at a point where things aren’t as hot. In those cases, like in Lisbon, despite everything I said before, it was important to maintain composure…”