Who are you going with, City or Real Madrid?, by Paulo Futre

Tonight the eternal rival faces the Manchester City in the semifinals of Champions League. As you know that I like to joke a lot, I couldn’t resist writing to several mattress friends who were extremely indignant with Guardiola and the citizens after the game of the Metropolitan. For days they filled my WhatsApp with insults against the English, so it was inevitable to ask them the big question: “Who are you going with on Tuesday? I’ve seen you so angry that I see you capable of celebrating a merengue goal”. The answers were more or less the same: “Don’t insult me, Paulo, I’m from the City since I was little, all my life”. It gives me that many mattresses have woken up today with an English accent. Holy rivalry.

talking about the club Thorn Shell, it was inevitable to remember the whites this past Saturday night. Especially for the moment when the great Joaquin raised the Copa del Rey, after a short chat with Felipe VI. For an instant my mind went back 30 years, when Juan Carlos I he gave me that same trophy in the Santiago Bernabeu. To my surprise, he spoke to me in perfect Portuguese, which he learned in his childhood exiled in my land: “You know that I am very excited to deliver this Copa to a Portuguese. One of the most important moments of my life. For many years I was the only Portuguese playing outside my country. I always felt the weight of being the greatest ambassador, the only great figure abroad. That conquest was very important not only for the red and white fans, but also for an entire nation.

Another of the protagonists of that historic June 27, 1992, my dearest Bernd Schustercommented last Friday that he fully trusts that the Atletico Madrid will achieve the goal of qualifying for Champions League. I share the same optimism and confidence as the German teacher. 5 very finals await us: Athletic Club, Real Madrid, Elche, Seville and Real Sociedad. Complicated schedule, but this is the Athleteswe are riding and I have no doubt that we will emerge victorious from this final sprint.

Lastly (and most importantly!), it turns out that this wonderful club that stole my heart in the summer of 1987 today celebrates 119 years of blessed madness. My congratulations to all the colchoneros, it is a great honor to be part of the rojiblanca family and to have contributed my bit in our history. Congratulations Atleti!