A newborn child cries in her dad’s hands only hours after coming into this world. Vega is her name. She’s Victor Marquez Mateo’s second daughter, and the ecstatic dad calls his friends and family so they can hear her voice for the first time on a speaker.The anticipation and excitement are almost palpable as Vega finally breaks the silence and starts screaming into a phone, which causes immediate celebration on the other side.What a gift from God that is!The 36-year-old Victor leaves his wife some necessary groceries as he heads home to Almazan for a quick nap before returning to the hospital.He needs to be awake in just a few hours, as his other great love, SD Almazan – an amateur fifth-tier Spanish football club – is about to hear the name of their rival in the domestic cup’s opening round.Founded in 1967, this charming little outfit has spent most of its days in those lowest niches of the Spanish football hierarchy. Living in the fourth division has been the highest achievement for the side that plays their home games in the picturesque ground La Arboleda (The Grove), a 2,000-sitter that resembles some Kenyan venues rather than the Santiago Bernabeu.Acá va a jugar el Atlético Madrid por Copa del Rey. Maravilloso. 🤩⚽ pic.twitter.com/CJnvVWQRWF— Fodboldworld (@fodboldword) October 24, 2022 Actually, the entire population of Almazan municipality has less than 6,000 living souls – Vega Mateo and her older sister included – and this local club means everything to them.And especially to the club’s president, Victor Marquez Mateo.After 15 years of representing SD Almazan as a player, this is his second season in charge of the minnows as a chief. Which he does voluntarily, in every sense of the word. Because he has a regular job besides, just like all Almazan’s players – a petrol pump attendant, a pastry shop assistant, an IT geek, a part-time stonemason…However, all those blue collars shift their attention that morning to pots and a draw that could change their lives. At least for a day, for those 90 minutes. They’re on the phone with Victor, his wife and their two daughters… Less than 24 hours after Vega’s arrival on the planet, another larger-than-life moment for Victor is approaching fast.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Spanish FA hotshots are calling names out loud, and in one of those pots, there it is – SD Almazan. Now, the tension is at its peak. What’s it gonna be for the tiny contenders? Who their gonna host at La Arboleda?The draw has finally decided – it will be none other than Atletico Madrid! The Spanish and European greats.What a gift from God that is!A true Gospel of Almazan (the word gospel, today known mainly for the music, derives from the Bible, god-spell, meaning good story, a piece of good news).The reaction of the SD Almazán players when they found out they were going to play against Atlético de Madrid in the Copa del Rey. 😍 pic.twitter.com/fuNCkmnnUk— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) October 24, 2022 “We had been thinking about the draw for several days. We had the hope that we could get a rival of the premium ilk, and we got the most premium one!” explains Victor after the scenes of Almazan’s players’ post-draw euphoria and the vocal celebration became viral on social media.”We feel tremendous enthusiasm and enormous emotion for what it means for the town, the team, and all of us. It is something historical!”Reminiscing about the draw, he concludes they won the most giant lottery in Spain, which regularly runs every Christmas. Only this time, it came earlier than usual.For the club, whose entire annual budget is around 180.000 euros – compared to Atletico’s more than 400.000.000 – it’s not about winning the tie. Because that sort of outcome is basically impossible. It’s about the occasion itself, the opportunity to host the colossus, stand toe to toe, look the wounded giant straight in the eyes, and enjoy every single moment of it. To embrace that unique joy that will go down in the history of these underdogs as the most significant moment in their decades-long existence.Y nos toca el gordooooooo de navidaaad por adelantado!!!!! recibiremos al @Atleti 💙🤍Vamos SD💙🤍 @rfef pic.twitter.com/9PU54Qxzyy— S.D Almazan Oficial (@SDAlmazanoficia) October 24, 2022 For them, it is much more than a pot with Atletico’s name in it – it is a genuine epiphany.And then came Cholo Simeone, the books will say…And we say that the God-given draw – which brought together Almazan and Diego Simeone’s Atletico – could do wonders in both directions. It came at the moment when not only Almazan is thrilled about the encounter with Cholo, but the world’s highest-paid football coach should be so grateful for it, too.His once-glorious status at Wanda Metropolitano is rapidly deteriorating due to disappointing results. Atletico are out of Europe before December, a subsequent financial crisis is around the corner, and Los Colchoneros seem deprived of any joy on the pitch. It’s sad watching those multi-millionaires as the fans are chanting, ‘you don’t deserve those jerseys’, in agony.😪 pic.twitter.com/EwQwhIQXLj— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) October 27, 2022 That specific fixture against Almazan – scheduled for the 12th of November – could be a fantastic opportunity for Cholo and his boys to stop for a second and have a long, sincere chat with Victor and his band of brothers. To look at the faces of those plumbers and shop workers, then at a ball, then back to Almazan’s players – and somehow discover the glooming truth. What was the moment when they lost it; when they lost the joy, the thrill, the excitement, the desire, the passion…No one is scared of Cholo’s Sparta anymoreBecause the small town of Almazan is definitely a hotbed of a long-lost ingredient that not only Atletico Madrid but almost all of us no longer cherish.Happiness.We got rid of it ages ago… But perhaps no one lost it so much like Cholo himself, the biggest earner in the business.”We are aware that it is the game to enjoy in the first place,” adds Marquez Mateo. And the club’s assistant coach agrees. We should congratulate that man for Almazan’s sudden recognition because his video of the draw celebration spread a good story of Almazan. But why did an assistant coach take the video, you might ask? The answer is quite simple – the man is their social media manager, too. Their captain is their sports director. Kit-man is probably a defensive midfielder and a banker in his spare time.🖥️ La Sociedad Deportiva Almazán espera con ilusión el partido de Copa del Rey contra el Atlético de Madrid. @SDAlmazanoficia @Atleti pic.twitter.com/yjRpdy3H6n— RTVECastillayLeon (@RTVEcyl) October 27, 2022 And their most loyal fans are Vega’s aunts and other women of Almazan, who don’t find football as a dull, men thing but cherish the moment and importance of the club for the local community.So it’s no wonder the good people of Almazan are disappointed with the news they can’t host Atletico at La Arboleda. The Spanish FA forbids the minnows from organizing the match at a stadium that fails to meet the rigorous conditions. Instead, they’ll play at the Pajaritos stadium in nearby Numancia, the venue with a capacity two times bigger than the entire population of Almazan.📢La afición del @SDAlmazanoficia toma la palabra🏆”El partido de Copa ante el Atlético de Madrid se tiene que jugar en La Arboleda”📺Más información a las 14:00h en el informativo de @la8soria pic.twitter.com/bkQ2oa3yxF— La Jornada La 8Soria (@LaJornada8Soria) October 25, 2022 “The technical needs of television caused us to look for another ground. The club’s and the City Council’s intention was to play in Almazan, but it was impossible. It is a star-studded game, it will be televised, and everything has to be perfect,” explains Victor, who made sure a bus transport will be organized for Almazan’s fans to attend the game of all the games.But what if Atletico sacks Simeone after the upcoming Espanyol and Mallorca ties in LaLiga? We sincerely hope they won’t. The Gospel of Almazan is something he should experience and absorb.Not just Cholo, but all of us.By: BOJAN BABIĆ
