Today’s featured player is Antonio Adán, or “el gordito,” as José Mourinho calls him! This is because there is a “famous” video of Antonio’s younger days with Madrid (he joined the club at the tender age of 10) when he was much chubbier, and Mou’s reaction was, “that can’t be you!” And from that time on, he has called Antonio “el gordito.”
One of my favorite things about Antonio is the team and tournament he founded for his hometown. The Torneo Benjamín Mejorada del Campo has become an annual event for young footballers in Madrid, and each year Antonio’s Nuevo Mejorada team competes alongside big names such as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Los Piratas de Granero. Antonio previously said, “the idea came to me in summer, when we decided to set up a football school for children, and do other small things to benefit children… The most important thing is that the kids enjoy themselves.” Here’s the write-up on the 2011 edition, and here’s the write-up for the 2012 edition.
(I was going to use this picture, but I thought that would make all of us too sad, so I chose another one.)
What is it about Antonio Adán that strikes you?