Carlos Matallanas passes away

Carlos Alberto Gómez Matallanas (1981-2021) died this Tuesday from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis against which he fought tirelessly. Always linked to football as a player and then, through journalism with AS and other media, the ELA was his greatest rival, whom he fought with hope, sincerity and without shame, making known the reality of a disease of which, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology, three new cases are diagnosed every day.

Born in the Madrid neighborhood of Carabanchel, Carlos wanted to be a footballer and he was. He trained at RCD Carabanchel and played for several Madrid soccer teams: Alcobendas, Santa Ana, Parque Europa, Fortuna, Puerta Bonita, Rayo Majadahonda, Pozuelo or Moscardó. His football career ended in Cádiz, where he now resided, between Racing Portuense and UD Roteña.

In 2014, his life changed. As he himself told in El Confidencial, where he was responsible for the Sports section, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Damn ALS. He, who turned to soccer, saw soccer turn to him in a solidary arreón. His last time with a ball was at the Fernando Torres de Fuenlabrada, in 2014, surrounded by his family. His brother Israel was a doorman and also Javier, a journalist from this house among them, was in the green. Also with another family, the one with the ball, with Fernando Torres, Kiko Narváez, Jémez, Pantic, Alfonso, Pepe Reina, Mono Burgos, Petón, Camacho … The proceeds of the meeting were donated to FUNDELA, the foundation that fights against this disease and for which he became an ambassador. The sport never stopped supporting: he received tributes from his clubs and other sports entities, the CSD awarded him the Royal Order of Merit for Deportivo and he was present at every act that could be of help.

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Carlos hung up his boots, but did not separate from football. He was in the organization chart of Fuenlabrada and Alcorcón as an advisor and analyst and also reviewed in his AS columns each point of the present time that seemed relevant to him. Stories that came out of his mind, for which he was awarded, and his pupils had to transfer to paper because of the advance of the disease. One that never discouraged him from showing his struggle through his texts.

This was reflected in his books. The first was 'My Battle against ELA ', a compendium of articles he wrote in El Confidencial where he started his blog narrating his day-to-day illness. Just a few weeks ago his second book came out: 'The life is a game. Strategy for Mario and Blanca '. A manual of life, of resilience and of struggle always with football as the common thread. “I have been able to remember in its pages the reasons why I keep fighting,” he said in the presentation. A manual that made him especially excited and now, he leaves us all as a legacy.

With his friend Fernando Torres he recorded a talk about everything that they titled 'Football and Life' and that Jose Antonio Martín 'Petón' titled 'Who said surrender? ' so that it would stay on the shelves forever.

One afternoon several December ago, he shouted with his blackboard at a crowded Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid that “Everything is going to be okay” to give hope. Because that was what Carlos was transmitting. He never got off the ball and left, as he wanted, with his football boots on.