Manolo Cassers has given up everything in his life, even his wife and children, to devote himself to one thing - his drum: He has taken it everywhere in the world, including 10 World Cups and 8 European Championships, and has become an attraction • But now the Corona crisis threatens to ruin the factory The life of the 71-year-old fan

• Manolo and the drum. Put it up for sale, and the bar he owns in Valencia is in danger

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  AP

Like millions of people around the world, Manolo Kassers has also entered the dismal statistics. A business owner who was financially hurt by the Corona crisis and now has to fight for his future. But in the case of the 71-year-old Spaniard, the war is not just about the bar he owns near the Mestea Stadium in Valencia, it is a battle for identity and his life's work.

Known as "MANOLO EL DEL BOMBO" (Manolo and Drum) and considered one of the most famous and colorful football fans in the world, he has reached such a pit that he is considering giving up an item whose value is far greater than one or the other amount of money. "I make about 400 euros a month and I have nothing to eat," he told Spanish media this week. "Many times I tried to buy my drums and refused, but I think I now have no choice."

These precious drums were adopted into his lap Manolo almost 50 years ago. It happened in Huasuke, a city with a drumming tradition, and started small games by local groups. The first time he put the drum on a plane to cheer for the Spanish team was in 1979 in Cyprus.

Then the World Cup came to his country (1982), and since then he has not separated himself from the drum and the Spanish national team. "In 1982 I hitchhiked 16,000 miles with him," he told the English Guardian. "Although I had no money, I never gave up." Who gave up was Manolo's family - on him. "I pretty much abandoned them," he explained. "I abandoned them for the Spanish national team."

His new love was accompanied by Manolo Kassers in over 400 international games. With financial support from the Spanish Association, Manolo visited the most remote regions of the world, in youth and youth tournaments, and no less than ten World Cups and eight European Championships. In the World Cup in South Africa, he missed the biggest moment of all when he fell ill and flew back home to Spain, but despite the pain he was able to return in time for the finals.

Always with the number 12 shirt, a black hat, a handkerchief on the neck and the iconic drum, Manolo does not regret the choice that led to severing the relationship with his wife and children. "This is my place," always made it clear with complete heart.

"I'm nothing without it!"

Over the years, naturally, the drums - produced by a local expert named Pepe - have taken the place of the family. Manolo took care of them, nurtured them, and mostly kept them safe. One of the tough moments in that relationship came at the World Cup in Russia, where she was not allowed to put the drum in stadiums and wept in front of the television cameras.

A much more difficult moment occurred in 2018. At the end of a game between Spain and Colombia, held in the city of Murcia, the mythical drum was stolen. Manolo broke up in front of the media, the pictures were heartbreaking, and all of Spain worriedly followed what was going on. Spanish police eventually combined forces with the association, and after 24 hours the drum was found in Madrid and returned to the Manolo bar in Valencia. With tears of joy streaming from his eyes, he declared: "I am nothing without him!"

Now that he had sacrificed so much for the drum and overcame so many obstacles, Manolo ran into a crisis that might force him to give up the love of his life. His bar, which also serves as a busy museum in Mobilia, has not been working for a period of time and there are no plans to reopen it, and the economic crisis is forcing him to make a tough decision. "I have four drums, and I intend to sell them," he said.

But before that happens, Manolo is asking for the public's help, the fans, and maybe the actors he has been with all his life. On his website, he is asking for donations to get out of the predicament he is in, and most importantly to keep the drum with which he plans to reach two more world cups.