The Extremadura Football Federation (FEXF), by agreement of its board of directors, has decided to grant the Order of Sports Merit to Adelardo Rodríguez (Badajoz, 1939), mythical footballer from Extremadura who forged a career “full of success” in the ranks of the Atlético de Madrid.
The Order of Sports Merit It is the highest distinction granted by the Extremadura Football Federation, an award reserved for those figures who, due to their sporting career and personal projection, “transcend as legends of the history” of regional football.
In conjunction with the awarding of this award, The FEXF has announced in a press release that it has agreed to change the name of the federative field of San Roque in Badajoz, which will be renamed Adelardo Rodríguez.
Both the act of delivery of the Order of Sports Merit like the discovery of the commemorative plaque in the field of San Roque will be held soon, with the presence of the honoree.
Athletic myth with an Extremaduran accent
The name of Adelardo Rodríguez will go “forever” linked to Atlético de Madrid, club to which he arrived in 1959 from CD Badajoz. There he chained 17 consecutive seasons, preserving to this day the honor of being the player who has worn the Atlético shirt the most times with a total of 553 games. officers.
Throughout this journey, the Extremaduran footballer garnered a significant number of titles, “becoming an iconic player due to his importance in one of the most successful times of the club,” the same sources point out, along with the fact that “they are worth as proof of this. the 113 goals scored during his rojiblanca stage, a considerable figure given his status as a midfielder. “
Upon his retirement in 1976, Adelardo accumulated three leagues (1965/66, 1969/70,1972/73), five glasses (1960, 1961, 1965, 1972 and 1976), a Recopa (1962) and an Intercontinental (1974). “His talent did not go unnoticed by the national team, with which he played a total of 14 games including two world championships (Chile 1962 and England 1966),” the statement concludes.