More tributes to Españeta from former VCF players

Mario Kempes

“Españeta leaves behind an indelible friendship. Anyone who saw him, but never spoke with him or knew him, might think: Who was he? a God? That's what he was for us. Life goes on, and we will remember great friend and a great character who gave three-quarters of his life to Valencia CF. He leaves behind many friends and, most importantly, nobody can speak ill of him.”

“We had a great trust, a great friendship and a lot of respect… He even signed cheques for me, so imagine the trust we had between us. We had permanent contact every day, including Sundays. We were like brothers.”

David Villa

“I am very saddened by the death of Españeta. What can I say about him? He was one of the most beloved people because of his charisma, for his work, his passion for Valencia CF and for having spent practically all his life at the club he loved. On a personal level, he helped me a lot in my time as a Valencia CF player. I was always a happy person in the dressing room, and I knew when things were not going very well or it had not been a good training session. He would look for you with that joke to cheer you up. He was very affectionate and hardworking in the dressing room and we will miss him a lot. I hope that he is remembered for all that he has given to Valencia CF. May he rest in peace and know that everyone here is going to remember him a lot.”

Ruben Baraja

“To speak of Españeta is to speak of passion for Valencia CF. He was a person who not only represents the club in the past or the present, but will also do so in the future. We all have a very special affection for him; he is an endearing person and a symbol of the club, without having been a player or a coach.  He was full of emotion and feeling for Valencia CF and was very popular with the fans. He is a person I will always hold close to my heart.”

Vicente

“It’s sad because a great person has left us. Someone who, above all, loved Valencia CF. We have had very fun moments together; he was one of us in the dressing room and he loved us all very much. He is the man who, apart from doing his job, was very involved in the dressing room and enjoyed himself a lot with the players, making jokes and laughing. We players had a lot of appreciation for him, we waited for him to arrive and before the games we would enjoy 5-10 minutes being silly with him to take the pressure off, to laugh a little. That relaxed you before going out onto the pitch. It's a shame that he's gone, and all Valencia CF fans are going to miss him a lot."

Mista

“Any generation that has been lucky enough to be around Bernardo will tell you he was an affable, funny person, a person who is really needed in a dressing room. I would dare to say that Valencia CF without Españeta -or Españeta without Valencia CF- makes no sense. For what he meant to all of us, he became an indispensable person in the dressing room.

"On a matchday that had a more serious or tense atmosphere, he was always provoking us, looking for that sweet spot between relaxation and the tension of the game, so that you could give your all.

“He will never really die, because he will continue to be part of Valencia CF throughout our lives and for many generations. What he achieved has not been achieved by anyone else within the club. I am overwhelmed but deep down a little happy as well, to see all the affection that is being shown to a figure that many of us knew, but who was not so well known to the younger generation.”

David Albelda

“It’s about what he represents. Whilst he was a kitman -which we shouldn’t take merit away from, as it is an important job, of course- the way he is remembered and the love that people had for someone who was part of the club says a lot about what he meant to Valencia CF. We laughed, but in the end he was the person who was cheered the most when he went out for the presentation. He enjoyed that so much that we would have to tell him to move along, so that the event could continue.”

Voro

“It's a shame, Españeta was 82 years old and now he's gone. It is a very sad day. He meant a lot for this club for so many decades, since he began working collecting balls in training. Besides his humanity, there is nobody who has a bad word to say about him, from so many people who have come through the club over so many years; everyone speaks well of Españeta. I saw it when teams came here with players who had been at the club, there was always a fond greeting. He was always in a good mood, and despite the jokes that are made in a dressing room, he also generated an atmosphere of harmony. I remember that love that everyone had for Españeta. He leaves behind friends everywhere: He was a kind person and an exceptional human being."

Rufete

“It’s a sad day for Valencia CF. We have lost a friend and a Valencianista. We will always remember him and he will always be with us.”

Juan Sánchez

"Nobody can speak badly of him. He was a person who taught us and helped us a lot. He made us laugh and he has made us love Valencia CF much more because of the passion he had. He was a person who always generated a lot of joy in the dressing room and was very important to us achieving success. He will always be in our hearts "

Curro Torres

“His favourite time of the day was when he was at the Ciudad Deportiva. We used to joke around a lot and he always got into that good atmosphere. He was an important part of the dressing room and he would welcome us when we got to the stadium. He really liked being able to welcome us and we liked having that joking around and seeing that happy face. He was a very important person in my time at Valencia CF and he was unique.”