And he finally succeeded. Just as dreams come true, with work, effort, sacrifice and without throwing in the towel. Today Alberto Cifuentes (Albacete, 05/29/1979) has debuted in LaLiga Santander with 41 years and 114 days, and he has done so with the first victory of his team, Cádiz, in the First Division.
In addition, the goalkeeper has surpassed Amadeo Carboni, Italian side of Valencia and he only has to overtake goalkeeper Ricardo (formerly from Atlético and Valladolid) with 41 years and 154 days, even if will continue away from the anecdotal story of Harry Lowe who played a game for Real Sociedad in the 1930s at 48 years and 226 days when he was coach and because it had no players.
Alberto Cifuentes has made his debut in style, and now it is placed third in the ranking of most veteran players who have played official matches in the First Division:
1. Harry Lowe (48 years and 226 days)
2. Ricardo López (41 years and 154 days)
3. Alberto Cifuentes (41 years and 114 days)
4. Amedeo Carboni (41 years and 40 days)
5. Juan Carlos Valerón (40 years and 324 days)
6. Donato (40 years and 173 days)
7. Manuel Pablo (40 years and 110 days)
8. Songo’o (40 years and 67 days)
9. César Sánchez (40 years and 15 days)
10. Juanfran (39 years and 305 days)
This debut is your reward for consistency. Alberto Cifuentes, the captain of Cádiz, He has gone from being the oldest player in the Second Division to being one of the highest category. The Albacete spent much of his career in Second B, a category in which he signed for Cádiz, the team with which he has reached the top.
The keeper of the goal He is facing his sixth season with the Yellow Submarine and has already won two promotions with the entity of the Silver Cup (Second in the 2015/16 season and First in the 2019/20). Now, he has to fight for the permanence of the club while enjoying LaLiga Santander, that category that he has surely dreamed of so many times and is already a reality.
That's how happy Cifuentes was after the victory against Huesca: “I'm very happy, very happy, with goosebumps right now. What a way to get into history, I could have done it before“, he joked before the Movistar microphones.
In a very special moment, Cifuentes remembers his family: “Of course I have remembered my current partner, Marta, my children, who are the most important in my life, my parents, who have been following me all my life. career, my sister. It's a bit dedicated to them. ” And he adds, “They have followed me, they have supported me a lot, they know what it has cost me, they know what I was wrong, because if not I would surely have debuted before. So, at some point, I have made a mistake not to do it, but They are happy that I am here and that I can enjoy it. “
In this way, Alberto Cifuentes, after becoming the oldest goalkeeper to make his debut in the First Division, is 40 days away from snatching the second position in the ranking from also goalkeeper Ricardo López. And it is that the goalkeeper and captain of Cádiz only understands records.