‘What we play for’: Valencia reunited as Mestalla mourns its flood victims
César Tárrega, whose home town was badly hit by the floods, scored the first goal in an emotional defeat of Betis
Somewhere in the mud and the destruction a ball appeared, left there by the flood. Six days after the worst catastrophe in Spanish history had taken 229 lives and devastated thousands more, on a street still caked in sludge a game began. Someone recorded it, sharing a moment’s happiness amidst the pain, a little light and hope let in: four boys from the small town of Aldaia covered in dirt, playing among piles of furniture from broken homes. Nineteen days later and seven miles away, a fifth local boy scored the goal of this or any season.
At 2.12pm on Saturday, seven minutes into Valencia’s first game since the catastrophe – not so much a football match as an expression of community, one giant, collective embrace – the ball dropped to César Tárrega at the south end of Mestalla. It was a simple finish, but if these fans have seen better goals, they hadn’t felt any like this. Suddenly, the silence – and it had been so, so silent – was broken, all those emotions escaping. Tárrega had cried in the quiet before kick off; now he let go, tears returning to his eyes. Then he ran to collect a shirt, holding it high. On the back, a message had been printed: “Tots junts eixirem.” Together, we will come through this.
