Joaquín, eternal, will continue one more year

At about a quarter past three in the morning on Sunday, Joaquín, the eternal captain of Betis, was the last Verdiblanco player to leave the team's locker room at the La Cartuja stadium.

Joaquín came out with the Cup in his hands, seconded by Javi, the chief prop of the first team.

A few minutes earlier, in the bowels of the gigantic Sevillian stadium, the captain had undressed in a very sentimental appearance.

Joaquín cried when he referred to his condition of being the only footballer in the history of Betis with two titles, this Cup and the one in 2005, which he achieved at the age of 23.

Now he has won it with 40. “He hadn't slept for several days.

He could not.

I have dreamed so many times of lifting this Cup that I had too much weight on my head.

I am who I am and that is sometimes difficult to carry”, said Joaquín,

consoled in tears by Borja Iglesias, declared the best player in the final.

The forward, scorer of the Betis goal, was clear about it: “You are the best player in the history of Betis,

”.

The Andalusian club had won its third Cup title, the second in its history on penalties, as in 1977 against Athletic.

The five Betis pitchers, Willian José, Joaquín, Guardado, Tello and Miranda, had been Manuel Pellegrini's replacements.

No team has won two Cup finals since the fateful point.

The party was great throughout the day on Sunday in Seville.

The revelry culminated with a celebration at the Benito Villamarín.

There, Joaquín spoke again to the delirium of the Verdiblanco fans, who filled the stadium.

"Yes, I'm going to continue for another year," said Joaquín with tears in his eyes.

The explosion of joy was tremendous in the stadium and all the teammates hugged Joaquín, who will continue to play in elite football at the age of 41, ready to break all the records of the entity and of Spanish football.

Pellegrini was delighted to be able to continue counting on Joaquín.

“It will be an honor to be able to continue directing our captain”, commented the Chilean, also idolized by the Verdiblanca fans.

In addition, the man from Porto continues to perform on the pitch (32 games and two goals this season).

Those who know Joaquín well highlight the mastery he has acquired of the game.

“He is the best substitute for Fekir that I have in the team”, the Betis coach has publicly admitted, content in the triumph at La Cartuja, without failing to send a clear message just after obtaining his first important title in Spain, the Copa del Rey: "We are going to celebrate and from Monday we will only think about the duel against Getafe and fight with all our might to qualify for the Champions League", highlighted the coach.

Joaquín spent a Sunday full of emotions installed once again in green and white eternity.

He had planned to tell the King about his grandmother, María de las Mercedes, a well-known Betician, but he forgot due to the emotion of the moment in the box when collecting the Cup. In addition, he did not stop analyzing the penalty he had taken in the shootout against the Valencia.

It was the second for Betis and Mamardashvili was about to stop the shot.

“Before shooting, the World Cup in Korea came to mind.

I always try to shoot the penalty with a strong shot and to the natural side, but it never comes out.

It happened to me again in this final.

When he entered I felt very liberated”, recalled Joaquín.

At just 20 years old, the player from Porto missed the penalty that led to Spain's elimination from the 2002 World Cup. History changed in 2022.

20 years have passed.

Joaquín is the soul of Betis.

He was the absolute protagonist at the final party and at a celebration that filled the streets of Seville with thousands of Betis.

Seville's Plaza Nueva, venue for the Verdiblanca fans, and the Benito Villamarín, vibrated with their team and their captain, champion again 17 years later.

Like the number on his back.

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