ICYMI – the gracias Jerzy edition

In case you missed it – Real Madrid vs. Almería [2011-05-21, Liga jornada 38, Jerzy Dudek’s last game as a Real Madrid player].  Regular ICYMI post to come later; this is a Jerzy Dudek tribute ICYMI.

ONE.  Jerzy Dudek started his last game in the Real Madrid shirt, and it was a memorable one, for the affection he received from the fans, and for the honor guard he received from his teammates.

TWO.  I wonder what was going through Jerzy’s mind, as he arrived at the Bernabéu for the last time?

THREE.  As he warmed up, the crowd applauded him.  Prior to the game, he received hugs and a mini replica of the statue of Sotero Aranguren and Machimbarrena from the hands of FP and Jorge Valdano, and an ovation from the Bernabéu.  Then, as he jogged towards his goal, the crowd regaled him with chants of “Du-dek, Du-dek.”  The crowd continued supporting him, even after Almería scored a goal, their only one of the night.

FOUR.  The green of the jersey really complements his eyes, no?

FIVE.  In the 77th minute, Jerzy Dudek came out to a standing ovation from the fans, and a pasillo from his teammates, both the ones on the field and the ones on the bench, as well as the technical staff who all got up to take part.  It made me cry.  He hugged each one of them as he passed by, including Mou, with the longest hug coming from Kaká.

SIX.  Jerzy also had the nice gesture of taking off his gloves and tossing them into the crowd behind the bench.  As he sat down on the bench, he received even more hugs.

SEVEN.  After the game, he said, “I’m speechless.  It has been a spectacular day… with teammates like this, I will never forget this day.  (The honor guard) was unexpected, I had never seen anything like it before and it was a surprise.  I had spoken with the míster about getting subbed out at the end of the game so I could thank the fans, but I didn’t expect to receive a pasillo.  I want to thank everyone, this team and this club are so great, and very affectionate, which you can feel both on and off the field.”  And when asked what he’s leaving behind, Jerzy replied, “I don’t know, I am how I am.  I always try to support everyone, I don’t get a lot of playing time, but I’m always there behind the team because you have to know what your role is.”  What a fantastic person he is.

EIGHT.  And a couple more moments from the game featuring our beloved Jerzy.

NINE.  Iker said on Facebook yesterday that (I’m going to translate from the Spanish for him, instead of relying on his English post) “during my football career, I’ve gotten to know many people.  ‘Jerzey’ is without a doubt one of the best friends I’ve made in this profession.  All the best for you, crack!”  What a sweet note!  But Iker, you couldn’t leave your purse to the side for this picture?

TEN.  And here’s my little tribute to Jerzy, in the form of nice things I’ve posted about him in the past.

In his Real… interview, Antonio Adán said, “I feel privileged to be able to work with Jerzy Dudek, who is a wonderful goalkeeper and above all else a wonderful person.”  Iker said during an interview with Marca that “Jerzy, he’s won everything and we have a spectacular relationship.  Both (Jerzy and Antonio) are wonderful.”  And José Mourinho said during a press conference in October that “Dudek is a top goalkeeper for his experience and his weight on the team.”

We’ve also seen Jerzy cheer on his team from the bench, defend his teammates against the rivals…

… support the canteranos…

… make some wonderful saves…

… coach his teammates from the sidelines…

… and when he got injured, we got to see the love his teammates and the fans have for him.

And of course, who can forget his role in this incident?

Or his love for golf and these golf outfits?

We’ve also seen Jerzy teach Kaká about Poland, campaign for the FAO, explain why goalkeepers are like wine and reveal where Sergio expects to see him in 10 years time.

ELEVEN.  And of course, we can’t forget Psychic Jerzy.

During the Almería vs. Real Madrid on April 15, 2010, Rafa van der Vaart celebrated his goal (and thus marking a Madrid comeback) by running over to the bench to celebrate with Jerzy.  He revealed later that his goal was dedicated to Jerzy, because he deserved it, because he’s a wonderful teammate who is always cheering everyone on, and because Jerzy had told Rafa that he would score that day!

And this is from the ICYMI post for Zaragoza vs. Real Madrid on April 24, 2010 (full game post here).

During the month and a half that Kaká was injured, Jerzy told him every day, “you are one of the best players in the world and you’re going to show that to everyone.”  Before this game, Jerzy had said to Ricky that he was going to score an important goal this season and predicted it would be at La Romareda.  He told him via song: he sang “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas – “I gotta a feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night.”

And that’s why Kaká celebrated by embracing Jerzy Dudek, just as Rafa van der Vaart had done against Almería (because Jerzy cheered him up and told him he would score, and for the Polish plane accident that took the life of the president), and Cristiano against Santander, for the goalkeeper’s 37th birthday.  Kaká and Jerzy also sat together on the plane ride back from Zaragoza.

Thank you for everything, Jerzy Dudek!  You will be missed by your teammates, by the coaching staff, by the club and by the fans.  Mucha suerte.