Chronicle of World, for reasons of space, I published a short version of my encounter with Magico Gonzalez. Here's the full story, with stories that have never been told, that meeting and finding this crazy and good football genius.
A Magico Gonzalez spoke to her feet. Salvadoran football compared to Maradona. Two geniuses to whom the ball will be turned into a gum stuck to his boots. but Maradona, nevertheless, He ascended to God as Magic plunged in the human. I travel to El Salvador to meet a footballer become strange legend. Crazy good a piece of Cádiz was one of the most fucked up places on the planet.
"Today I don't know if he will play, although it is his team many times if he is late they do not take him out », says Jaime Alberto Rodríguez, "The Chelona Rodriguez", The other big star of the Salvadoran football and perhaps the person who best knows Magico Gonzalez, better than himself. In the humble field Bayer, in San Salvador, Saturday 18 June, play Pachines, Team Jorge Alberto González Barillas, nicknamed the Wizard. Magic is in the band encouraging his. Her hair is long and white like a rock star retreat. He is wearing sunglasses and clothing, as all players, Cadiz, his Cádiz.
Magic does not play a single second. Anima, signing some autographs and a photo with fans makes the ball. Finish the game. Hello Magic, I came to talk to you from far away». And the, with small eyes, friendly and polite tone, rejects invitation to be absolutely inopportune: "Thank you so much, I want much to Spain, but we won and now I have to go to celebrate the club with the boys. Excuse me, but today impossible. Another time, ¿ok?».
He arrived at eleven o'clock the next day at home. We will have to wait for the stars to come together, he does things like that», He explains another former football player and friend Mario Escobar.
Deconstructing Jorge Alberto
While the Magic lost in the privacy that only comes by stumbling or neglect, let deconstructing human life dearer country. His image is on the big announcements of the streets and their legends go by word of mouth without the truth of what distinguished imagined. "Many years ago he was involved in drugs and the humiliating thing is that to help him an advertisement was published in a newspaper in El Salvador asking Salvadorans to help him get out of drugs". «In the city of Santa Ana he could be seen fornicating with women or sleeping on the same street». Those are some of the legends in the country we have it. The feeling is that beyond his legendary binges, someone hides singularly good. Nobody said a single bad word about him.
We leaned over his head to see the ground and say "look how beautiful are the networks and grass'
"George with 16 years entered the stadium and the first thing he did was tell me to go out and see the countryside. We reached the tunnel locker room and leaned over his head to see the ground and say 'look how beautiful are the networks and grass'. What he liked was to see different fields «, Rodriguez explains Chelona. It was then rebel: "If the coach said we couldn't shower before the game, he showered and out to the field with perfume. At three or four in the morning a sandwich and milkshake was his typical dinner», says his compadre.
Then came the World of Spain 1982, in which for the second time in its history last she ranked El Salvador, and his life turned towards Europe had dreamed more than I thought. "This story has never been told.. He finished the World Cup and we went one month trip to Spain. Benidorm lost in a portfolio 2500 dollars returned a waiter. On another occasion we were at the beach after three days without sleep and three men in black suits who wanted to sign him Malaga. But we were traveling, on a spree», The Chelona account.
And what happened? «Carlos Jurado arrived and the 20 days took us to Cadiz. President Irigoyen signed him in a hotel and told him to go to the stadium presentation. We told him we were leaving , We left the hotel and took a taxi and went to Seville without going to the presentation. From there we went a week to Madrid where ever spent in nightclubs. Magic then told me he was going with me, I did not stay in Cadiz, until there were two types sent by President Irigoyen who seemed policemen and told him he had a contract that must meet or could be stopped. Why the Magic remained in Cádiz, because of fear", The Chelona account.
Why the Magic remained in Cádiz, because of fear
And how was it? «At first he called me saying that he wanted to leave and shortly after he called me and told me to go there, that was cute», also recalls the Salvadoran international footballer who played in Germany and Mexico.
"Her love for her little silver cup is her great secret. Gaditana still listening to his music, longing for his friend -the dwarf- and wishing to return», explains Mario Escobar. But only still has a, his complicated relationship with the coach who failed to understand that he was a terrific amateur player winning money playing better football than all professionals. «When he hears the name of David Vidal he gets bad», The comments Chelonia.
He thought even go to Mexico, after his disastrous pass by Valladolid, to play in the Lion with his friend La Chelona. «The president of Cádiz called and told me that he either brought him back to Cádiz or they kicked him out of the city. time stayed in my house, always I am playing with my son if need guns under the table, and once he told me he was going outside to smoke a cigar. He returned two days later. He appeared dressed in a shirt and shorts when not wearing down. They had recognized some Brazilian and went with them to nightclubs and bars to another city. That's Magic".
Then, after all those amazing goals that are now scattered online and all these legends of binge drinking and faults in training, returns to El Salvador. Perhaps his real milestone is that it was able to exhaust up to Cadiz.
Perhaps his real milestone is that it was able to exhaust up to Cadiz
the normal life of the hero who returns home begins. “He is the most generous person I have ever met.. Jorge Alberto is a loving and humble guy, an excellent friend», Escobar says that today is also a member of the team Pachines. «We are going to play in the fields of exhibition towns where if he goes they pay much more. He bears the expenses of the team and gives money to those who he knows have no income., Focus. "He is concerned about the situation of violence. He goes to the difficult neighborhoods to play with the children», dice Chelona.
His life in El Salvador is a middle class, away from the great mansions of the noble neighborhoods with some vital order had been occupying. Live near the national stadium that bears his name. "He once told me that maybe I could have saved a little more", recalls Mario. "He takes off his shoes or his shirt, literal, if you see someone barefoot who asks for them on the street», exemplifies the Chelona.
«I was the deputy who proposed that he be paid a lifetime pension of 600 dollars a month. I have very good relationship with him, he is a very generous man who never accumulated wealth», explains Vice President of the National Assembly, Guillermo Gallegos. How? «The Magician is the Magician. Bohemian and somewhat irresponsible. Do not agree to anything, it appears disappears, but in El Salvador he is very loved and untouchable», responds political.
About addictions, everything looks like a secret exaggerated voices and mitigated at a time. "Once in a year 2000 we were in Cadiz and taught me something of hashish had given. He threw it to the bathroom. He never took drugs in front of me", He affirms the Chelona. "We go out and drink without going out of our minds. I never ever have seen Jorge drugs, but it is true that sometimes he falls asleep and is late», Escobar says, explaining that "Magico doesn't mind what they say about him, but it hurts him for his children who also read it».
Magic talking about magic
Despite the many voices which made intermediaries so he could have a new meeting with Magic while we were in El Salvador, the player does not find a hole in its no agenda to be produced. "I promise you'll talk to him on the phone when you get back to Mexico (where I live)», Rodriguez assures us Chelona. Fails twice the agreed day until suddenly, a Friday, phone sounds by surprise: I am La Chelona, I'll pass you to Magico that I have him by my side».
-Hello Magic, it is difficult to talk to you. Do not you really like the press?
-Not, Jaime tells me that you plan to make a revistilla out there and thanking.
– You'll be happy with the rise of Cádiz, ¿no?
-Hello my love (greets somebody as we speak)…. Yes, always aware of Cadiz and Spain. A Spanish culture thanks to him I have. Let me stop for a bit (He is heard talking to some people, It takes one minute and resumed the talk).
-Magical, I think you want to have a life away from the media and fame, Is that?
-Well, I prefer to be a little out of the limelight. I'm close to the national football but I try this appeal is for players who is who is responsible.
-How do you live today?
-From the economic point of view I have a life as normal, God made me to live as normal as any Salvadoran. Neither me nor do I need anything abounds.
-How many children do you have? (in an interview I read he hesitated at that question)
-uhmm, children? Tengooo, eight children (friends and other sources say it has 10)
-When you remember the player who left El Salvador, Are the dreams you had as a player has fulfilled the?
-Yes I have fulfilled the dreams I had as a player. Lie lived and dreamed while dreaming lived.
-To you comparing you to Maradona, everyone believes could play a big as Barcelona or Real Madrid. Do you regret not having played with them?
-I do not know. Cadiz was more than enough for my aspirations and to do something for my country. I could bear the name of El Salvador for the world and show that we were not only shot and killed, remember that then was the time of the Civil War.
-But the boy who played football in the streets of San Salvador dreamed not play with a big?
-As a kid I was excited to play for Barcelona, which it was the name of a team from the neighboring colony. I wanted to play with them because my brother played there.
-You know you could be one of the greatest players ever if you had trained more and you had wanted to live under night?
-Yes, but no person may be someone else. I get to see who I could not be. There are more ambitious people and I respect.
-Still feeling footballer?
-Well, football oxygenates me, but I am already a grandfather (She has grandchildren). I am an old man who has football in the blood, in their genes. It coming from my mother's belly, She loved football.
-Do you mind all the legends that are on your life, your vices, your addictions?
-Not bother me at all, I understand that I am a public person. Who bothers to talk about it you can not enter the world of football.
-Many of the legends that are told you you the desmientes as that famous that you fell asleep on a break in the Vicenta Calderon and not jumped to the field.
-Ah, I thought that story was told of Cádiz field against Atletico Madrid (Some say it was in a corner and others even at the Bernabeu). There are many things that are counted me, but in my case I already went, if it was, now is the time to look out for other.
-Your friends say you are very generous and help many people, Are you very conscious of the serious problems passing your country?
-Yes, I care what happens in El Salvador, I want things to go well. Young people need to play sports, be better placed in his teens.
-Are gangs have gotten you or you've never had a problem because people love you and recognizes?
-These issues have respect. It's a difficult topic. Must be reinserted and recover people. You should go appeasing, work to improve things.
-Some people in El Salvador have you lived on the street and had strong addictions, how are you now?
-You have to understand and know El Salvador. In my time in the colonies and neighborhoods there was so much insecurity and people had fun on the street. It was normal to have fun and see dawn, maybe sometimes you tired you were staying asleep, but it was normal. I do not know how young people now spend, but then it was so. For me life is paradise…
He turns to listen to on the phone background voices, some effusive greetings, a timeout. "Sorry Xavier., It is that I'm in a restaurant. You care and we'll talk in five minutes.". And then to Magic, whose phone stopped working, the afternoon will probably dawn again.
He returned to the shadow that always struggled to remain; those mornings when going to the beach, asks a hub in some capacity, sand is cast over his body and start doing crunches. "I'd rather be pitied than envious", summarizes the.
