Joselu one of us: when he asked for the links for Madrid matches. In 2022 in Paris as a fan

Disclaimer: in the following lines no one intends to sponsor the use of any illicit technology to follow the matches. Piracy kills football.

But here it is: in 2012, José Luís Sanmartín Mato, known – from today to a few more people – as Joselu it was there, up there Twitterwhich asked other users for a link to follow the matches of real Madrid. Maybe less important than this evening’s match, which he decided with a brace.

He is a hero by chance and completely unexpected, the Spanish center forward born in Stuttgart on 27 March 1990. He plays for Real on loan from Espanyol, the redemption will cost 1.5 million euros and will take place by popular acclaim. He arrived at the court of Carlo Ancelotti with one of the least coveted roles in football, imagine if the owner isn’t even a striker and yet has scored 22 goals in 38 games: the reserve striker, the legend of provincial fields. He also did it discreetly, even before a night of eternal glory: 9 in this championship, the coach from Reggiolo wanted it and made the most of it. Hero in the Santiago Bernabeu, the theater of his dreams as he watched from the sofa.

Browse posts on social by Joselu is almost a panacea, in a multi-million dollar football full of matches, many of which are not even willing to be watched. “Watching our Real Madrid”, he wrote in April 2013. He was young, yes, but not even that much: he was 23 years old, he had essentially been discarded by merengues after two years in the second team (one appearance and a goal with the first: perhaps one could understand that it was destiny) and he was still a professional footballer. In Germany, with Hoffenheim.

His X it’s full of references like this: having dinner with his girlfriend at the time, “seeing Madrid”. As the fans call him. Because Joselu, who (it is worth remembering) is not a runaway but a striker with decent numbers at a high level, was this – a fan – until not long ago. On 20 May 2022, when Real won the fourteenth Champions League of its legendary history, he was also there in Paris. Around the streets of Villas of Light with the white shirt, in the stands of the Stade de France cheering, not on the pitch. On 1 June 2024 at Wembley, Madrid will try to win the fifteenth Champions League in its legendary history: thanks to him, José Luís Sanmartín Mato, Joselu. And who was supposed to tell him. And who had to tell us.