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Vicente during his time playing for Valencia. |
Once a whirlwind on Valencia's left flank, Vicente Rodriguez can no longer stand for more than a few minutes. The legend broke his silence to recount his battle after retiring - a battle without a pitch, without spectators, just him and the pain.
Behind the glory is hell
When he was still playing football, Vicente was considered one of the players with the most beautiful “left foot” in Spanish football. He used to make the toughest defenders in La Liga retreat half a step, just with a turn as light as silk. But those same feet are now the source of suffering.
“I can’t stand for long. My hips start to hurt, my ankles hurt. I have to sit down, then stand up, and keep turning,” Vicente said on the SER program Mano a Mano , where he appeared calm, but his eyes could not hide his fatigue.
At 44, the former Valencia player now lives with the after-effects of the years. “I can walk, I live a decent life, but I can’t ride a bike, I can’t play sports . I’ve had three surgeries on my right hip and two on my ankle,” he said. “If it was just psychological, I would have overcome it. But no, I can’t do anything but accept it.”
For Vicente, every day is a physical test. “I still have to carry a small pillow to sit on. At first, I had to stand up after only five minutes because my butt was burning. Now it’s a little better, but I still need it,” he confided, smiling, half-smiling. That smile – half bitter, half self-assured – was a reminder of the price players pay for their brilliant moments on the pitch.
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Vicente was once considered one of the best left wingers in the world . |
Nicknamed “ Puñal de Benicalap ” – “Blade of Benicalap” – Vicente was not only the soul of the Mestalla’s left wing for more than a decade, but also the symbol of Valencia’s golden age. Two La Liga titles (2001-02, 2003-04), a UEFA Cup, a European Super Cup, and a Copa del Rey – all of which bear his mark. Vicente is not a loud person, nor is he used to fighting for the limelight, but on the pitch, his every touch is a delicate, cool, and mesmerizing slice.
But beneath that soft exterior lies a body that is constantly crying out for help. Vicente has always played with the fear of injury . Since 2004, he has rarely had a full season. The seemingly harmless tackles, the familiar accelerations - all have become a double-edged sword.
“People say: ‘Vicente is the best winger in the world, what a shame he got injured.’ I wish I had been like that – not injured, so I could have played twice as many games. If I hadn’t been at Valencia, I might have been at another team, who knows,” he says, his voice light as air.
Unfinished genius
After retiring, Vicente served as Valencia’s technical director (2016-2018), but then stepped down due to health reasons. Now he is the club’s image ambassador – a lighter job, enough for him to continue to be attached to the place that was once his flesh and blood. “I love Valencia, I love Mestalla. Even though it hurts, I still want to be close to the team, because it is home,” he confided.
In the Spanish football world, Vicente is a typical case of football tragedy: extraordinary talent imprisoned by a fragile body. Valencia fans still call him “the unfinished genius”, but perhaps he knows better than anyone - every goal, every dribble back then has been exchanged for the years of decay today.
“I am still lucky because I can walk, because I am still with my son,” Vicente said. “But football has taken more from me than I thought.”
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For Valencia, Vicente is a legend. |
The younger generation may only know Vicente from grainy videos on the internet – a skinny, wet-haired player, weaving past three players in orange and white. But for those who lived through Valencia in the early 2000s, Vicente is a part of the memory. He was not as loud as Aimar, not as flashy as Mendieta, but he was the one who silenced the Mestalla every time the ball was at his feet.
Now, with the “Benicalap blade” worn out, with his legs no longer able to run, Vicente still retains an unchanged quality - quiet pride. He does not seek pity, but tells his story as a reminder: behind the halo, there are broken bodies that few people see.
And for those who love Valencia, just knowing that - despite the pain, Vicente is still there, still part of the soul of Mestalla - is enough.
Source: https://znews.vn/bieu-tuong-valencia-lac-trong-dia-nguc-sau-giai-nghe-post1593624.html
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