Madridistas remember Steve McManaman (Liverpool, 48 years old) for his eternal smile, for his carrot-colored hair and, above all, for two emblematic goals that at the time helped Madrid to increase its prestige in Europe. The 2-0 against Valencia in the Paris final that gave rise to the Eighth with brilliancewith a semi-volley-scissor forward that surprised Cañizares, and the great goal of Vaseline that he signed at the Camp Nou against Barça in the semifinals of the 2002 Champions Leagueprelude to the Ninth in Glasgow.
maccaas his teammates nicknamed him since his triumphant times at Liverpool, was a midfielder who was out of the English profile. He was not corpulent nor did he like to play long balls. He had good handling of the ball, he was tactically very intelligent and if he had to play for the team he was one of the most supportive. That is why he could be in the Madrid that won the Champions after revolutionizing Lorenzo Sanz the so-called Madrid of the Ferrarisbuilding a team with fewer egos, and therefore was able to ride alongside the Galactics (Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Raúl, Roberto Carlos, Casillas…) to lift the Ninth in 2002 with his valuable prominence in the Glasgow final (he replaced Figo with half an hour to go and helped with his pressure work to keep the 2 -1 which finally awarded the title). In fact, McManaman boasted at that time for being the first English player in history to lift the Champions League playing outside the Islands. And he got to be on a podium of the best British players playing out of there, behind Kevin Keegan and welsh John Charles.
McMamanan, with the Ninth.
REUTERS
McManaman he left Liverpool in 1999 for free, in an operation by Lorenzo Sanz that was highly praised for convincing him not to renew his contract with the ‘reds’ and thus be able to get to the Bernabéu without paying any transfer. And that Barcelona, tempted by Liverpool, came to offer 3,000 million of the old pesetas to snatch it from Madrid, but Van Gaal He discarded him for accusing him of having little physique and little goal. In his beloved Liverpool he won a Cup and a League Cup, but that was too small for him. In Madrid he exploded as a player and his resume sailed at the same speed: two Champions Leagues, one Intercontinental Cup, one European Super Cup and two Spanish Leagues. She had to leave in 2003 due to the lively night of Txistu, in celebration for the 29th league title. In fact, Steve and Ronaldo Nazario were the only ones absent from the official events the following day at La AlmudenaTown Hall and Community Headquarters.
He jumped into the world of television…
From Madrid, where he played 152 games (with 16 goals and 31 assists), he went to Manchester City, but he only lasted two courses there and decided to hang up his boots for lack of incentives (he was only 33 years old). He resigned from the benches and ventured into the world of communication taking advantage of his self-confidence in the colloquium and his football experience. He was a commentator for Setanta Sports, ESPN and BT Sports, the pay-per-view sports channel where he currently works. That has allowed him to often come to his long-awaited Bernabéu to comment on Champions League matches.
A macca he is considered ‘half Spanish’. He married his wife Victoria Edwards in the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca and for 14 years they have had a magnificent home in Son Vida, a splendid neighborhood of the Balearic capital. There they have spent every summer with their three children and that is why on the island the marriage is well known and is very integrated. When allowed by his activities with BT Sports, he spends long periods on the island that gave birth to Rafa Nadal, with whom he has a good relationship. macca He is an atypical Englishman who, unlike other compatriots, can boast of having triumphed in Spanish football and having left his mark. Two Champions (Eighth and Ninth) can attest to this…