Sunday 3 February 2019

8. Real Madrid

Whenever somebody mentions Real Madrid I fondly remember my great uncle Enrique Velasquez de Vibbal.
He was born in Madrid and was a lifelong champion of social justice. He first found recognition as a child soldier on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War.
Later he moved to France to fight the Nazis and was a key player in the French Resistance. He was celebrated after managing to capture an entire Panzer division single handed.
Upon the death of Franco he was able to end his long exile from the country he loved and retired to a modest apartment in Madrid.
Today the youth of Spain idolise him as a brave patriot and an inspiration for a new generation. Vibbal t-shirts outsell Che Guevara in Spain and the rallying cries of '¡Adelante Vibbal, no pasarĂ¡n!' were heard all over Catalonia last summer.
Now a very old man, despite the adulation he maintains a private lifestyle, preferring to sit in the orange groves smoking his favourite hand-rolling tobacco.
For this reason alone I shall be joining my dear great uncle in supporting Real Madrid tonight against whoever they happen to be playing.

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