The Association of Former Real Madrid CF Soccer Players is a private, non-profit and independent entity whose purpose is to integrate players who were part of the Real Madrid C.F.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the first friendly football matches of the Real Madrid veterans with other similar teams of former players, without the Association being formally constituted yet. They acted as if they were a group of friends, directed and convened by coach Valeriano Fernández and having played for Real Madrid as an essential requirement.
This situation continued until 1992, when the Association was legally constituted. To find out more about the Association of Former Real Madrid Players (@VeteranosRM) 65YMAS has had the opportunity to interview Isidoro San Joséformer Real Madrid player and current Deputy Secretary of the Association.
Isidoro tells us that “when we retired many years ago, many players, starting with Alfredo Di Stéfano, Pachín and many others emblematic players of Real Madrid, we met in the old sports city to train. As we withdrew, more people signed up and from there what is now the Association was born”.
Since then, sporting activity has been very intense, producing in recent years a growing international expansion that has led them to participate in sporting competitions on five continents. Matches and tournaments organized mainly for solidarity purposes, always against other veteran teams. This year they celebrate their 30th anniversary..
How does the Association work?
According to Isidoro, the Association was born with a very clear purpose: “Turn the sport that unites us all (football) into a way to get resources for the members of the Association, former players, widows and others, who were in difficulty”.
The Deputy Secretary of the Association explains that to be a member “You have to have belonged to Real Madrid with at least a one-year contract and have played at least one official match”. In any case, he adds that there are also members “who, due to certain circumstances, form part of the Association with full rights without complying with these requirements, exceptional cases.”
Regarding the financing method of the Association, Isidoro confesses that “although we have tried, we are not yet self-sufficient, so Our main supporter at the moment is the club, Real Madrid. We are always hand in hand with the club”. In this sense, when they have any difficulties, the club always comes to their rescue and helps them: “We survive thanks to them”.
It is also true that through soccerwhat keeps them together and “what we know how to do best and what we like the most”, says the former player with a laugh, they try to organize and carry out games “to obtain resources that make us more economically independent.” In addition, he points out that from the Association they try to do other things that they have been doing for years “such as the golf tournament, charity and solidarity, and all those activities that suggest the possibility of financing.”
What activities do they do?
“All actions that we undertake, whether or not we are the initiators, because there are people who also call us for this type of action, they are beneficial. Our sole objective is to obtain resources to serve all those who are currently part of the Association and who need our help. That’s what it was created for,” says Isidoro.
In the games they usually play, they appear Iconic former Real Madrid players such as Pavón, Arbeloa, Hierro, Amavisca, Iván Pérez, Balboa, Luis Figo, Raúl González, Emilio Butragueño, Carlos ‘Santillana’, Zinedine Zidane or Fernando Redondo, among others.
Although the Real Madrid Veterans try to play with some frequency, they can’t always do it. The former player comments that “It is impossible to attend to all the party requests that the Association receives”.
In this sense, he explains that it would be unfeasible “because the players of the Association who, fortunately, can still play, are not professionals and, therefore, we have to coordinate each other’s agendasto see when it is possible to play the games so that they do not coincide with those of our team, Real Madrid, and the other teams… In short, it is not easy to coordinate it, but we try to go as far as we can”.
In another vein, the Association collaborates with Real Madrid and its Foundation with the provision of services such as the presence in social events organized by the Club or the Foundation, intervention as commentators, talk show hosts or interviewees in the different media of the Club, representation of the Club or its leaders when necessary…
Isidoro points out that they do not develop “many extra-sports activities and those that we have of a social nature and others, we almost always go hand in hand with the club or the Real Madrid Foundation”. He himself states that this is because, “Although we are an independent entity, we are linked to Real Madrid. That’s how we want it and that’s how we want it.”
On the other hand, Isidoro highlights “All activities must be coordinated and organized wellbecause we want the Association to be the channel for all this type of action”. “We are aware that the players, individually, have an important brand and name and that they are interesting, but this must always be channeled from the Association”, he insists .
The gold and diamond badge
A couple of weeks ago, the Association of Former Real Madrid Players presented Carlo Ancelotti, the first team coach, with the gold and diamond badge. But, What does this award mean and who is awarded with it?
“To have this distinction, which is the highest award we can givethe gold and diamond insignia, by agreement and since the Association was created, All those players or people who have been, from our point of view, deserving of that award have it”, explains Isidoro.
To be considered for the prize, in the case of players, are criteria to be taken into account, for example, a certain number of games played in favor of the Association. Instead, Isidoro tells us that there are other people to whom the award is being given, such as “our presidents and the coaches of the club’s first team. We believe they are important and relevant people who deserve to have this distinction of ours“.
Upcoming events or matches planned?
Asked about upcoming matches or events, the former Real Madrid player confesses that “there are always match forecasts. Requests continually arrive, both nationally and internationally. What happens is that these requests do not always materialize because of what I told you. You have to coordinate the individual agendas of all the players who, furthermore, are not dedicated to playing football but what they really do is collaborate with us and that makes everything a little more complicated”.
“However, it is also true that the pandemic, this blissful pandemic has slowed us down a lot and it has made us lose many chances of matches. We are trying to resume it,” says the Deputy Secretary.
Isidoro points out that “the Association is giving it a twist. We want to modernize ourselves in every way, update us. We are working on it. So we’ll see what we can do next.”
Finally, Isidoro leaves us his forecast for Real Madrid’s match against Paris Saint-Germainsecond leg of the Champions League round of 16 to be played on March 9: “I have absolutely no doubt that we are going to win that match. I think the result of the first leg (0-1 in home of PSG) could have been different but it was not achieved”.
The former player adds that it is “very difficult for Real Madrid to fail one or two games in a row at this level. That game, also due to PSG’s merits, was not how these games usually go for Real Madrid, but the second leg is going to be different. We play at home, at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and this says a lot in favor of Real Madrid, so I have not the slightest doubt that Real Madrid will pass the tie“, he concludes.
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