“The great one is Athletic. Like Athletic, there is none”

Jose Angel Iribar He “deeply” appreciated the award received last day on the occasion of his 80th birthday, with almost all goalkeepers in Spanish football, and some in other countries, wearing black in his honor .

“You have reached my heart,” Txopo said in a letter released by Athletic. “I would like to thank the whole world of football for the successive tributes I received on the occasion of my 80th birthday. You have reached my heart and that of my family for your actions towards me and, through of extension, towards the Athletic Club, which As you know, this is everything in my life”, said the great Athletic legend. “It has been certified again that we are unique, that they respect us, that they admire us,” he adds.

“First of all, I have to remember my Athletic, who designed an amazing, magical initiative. I did not even imagine so many girls and boys dressed as goalkeepers in my colors and in their clubs. shine receiving their photographs. I have cried a lot, but with real emotion. What to say about our incredible fans!”, he added.

He also “grateful to the federative entities, to the referees for allowing the two goalkeepers to wear the same color, for building an important first image of complicity before the games.”

“Football is a wonderful sport and united even more. I have to remember my lions jumping onto the field with a black shirt. The whim of fate is in Vallecas, where the parade from the changes room looks the best. From a movie,” he said.

“I don’t want to give many names, for me they are all doorbells and doorbells. I remember. simonwho couldn’t play due to injury, but Julen accounted for ten of the first and type. Similar to Quinones in Amaya…”, he remembered Athletic’s goalkeepers, although he also appreciated having “seen world-class goalkeepers, my Celtic friends, proudly wearing black”.

“I feel compelled to remind the rest of us, that Aitor Fernandez, blacksmith, remiro, Raul Fernandez, ezkieta, kep… I will never forget his emotional warm-up at Chelsea with my last name on his back, or our reunion”, he mentioned the goals raised on Lezama who was not at Athletic.

And, in addition to Kepa Arrizabalagaalso showed an act of complicity with David De GeaLiverpool lashed out that day: “I know many others tried to play black, but the regulations prevented it. Thank you, dey. On Sunday I suffered for you. The goalkeeper, alone before a storm. This is the job.”

Finally, he also wants to remember “the first gift” he received, “the letter sent to me by the Bilbao City Council and Athletic Club, the statue they promised me at the foot of San Mamés.”

“I think of it as a tribute to all of us who wear the shirt of this great club. I would say that Iribar is not amazing, but Athletic is amazing. Like Athletic, nothing”, he concluded in line that He always said about the club where he became an idol and, later, a legend.