“With Simeone, it is difficult for Atletico to win anything again.”

This means that today Thomas has a “normal” job and continues to move around the world like a “citizen”: normal, clear and without posturing. For example, when he describes what he feels and what he wants today, the day that Atlético and Oviedo face each other in the Metropolitano: “I have always been, I am and I will be an Atletibut I will choose Oviedo because I live here and I need them to move up (the Asturian club is in first place). First, where I live: then the feeling.

This apparent irony for Thomas comes from his dual career, life and sport: “I come from an arranged family, as a child I went for a test three times to join Atletico. These tests consist of putting 40 or 50 children to play a game. It was a bit messy and they never caught me. I continued to play on Puerto ChicoThe Paseo Extremadura (Madrid) club saw me and took me to the club’s youth club Atletico Madrid. When the league ended they promoted me to the preferential team. That year we rose to third place and after a few matches Joaquín Pero (Madrileño’s coach, who played second) called me. He picked me up and told me he was going to play for 20 minutes to see how I looked in this class. I’ve played the entire game so far.

Then, in January 1983, he established himself in the red and white reserve team Thomas II (Tomas Renones was also on this team.) In the same season they won the Second League Cup, and two years later they played again in the final of the aforementioned competition against Oviedo: “We lost, and as soon as the second leg was over (at the Vicente Calderon Stadium) they sent me to the presidency. Oviedo officials and Atlético’s technical secretary were there, and they told me that Oviedo wanted me. I blinked and replied, “Okay.” No one ever talked to me. I never thought in my life that I would leave MadridIn the end, I was out of Madrid my whole life. My whole family came from there, I was practicing as a painter and when I was 22 I had to start, take the night train and go to Oviedo. “It was a good adventure for me.”

And very good. He spent three years in the second division, and in the fourth year he left. In June 1988, Oviedo was promoted and from there Spanish football’s elite met Thomas (just like that). An undisputed starter in the blue midfield, and it was specifically against Atletico where he really put himself at the forefront. He scored two memorable goals against the Colchoneros: the first of his career in the first category (2-2 at the Calderon) and a howitzer, broadcast live, in the Asturian victory in the second round (5-2).

“The first was with the head. They outplayed us a bit, with a penalty at the end for Atleti, but we equalized on a very difficult field and I scored a goal. I celebrated it enough, with joy and special feeling. Because on that day my family came to see me and because they introduced me to the first team in the 84-85 pre-season and I was training with them throughout the cycle. I couldn’t stay in that team because Landaburu was untouchable. That’s why I wanted that night to do well for Oviedo, and that’s what happened.”

On February 25, 1989, the famous goal from the middle of the field by Al-Ajouz Carlos Tartiri: “I knew Abel well – the goalkeeper he met in Madrid – I saw that he was a bit of a striker, he shot the ball and scored. It was a very nice game, we started losing and in the end we came back against Atletico who had a great team. “I was already wanted by some teams, but that gave me more wings.”

The midfielder was very comfortable in Oviedo. He wanted to stay, but the renewal offer did not convince him: “I was one of the people who paid the lowest amount, I was playing in first place and” He received about 5 million pesetas (30 thousand euros).. I was out of my house, I had to pay for the apartment… Football wasn’t like now, so it was survival. Previously, you had to show a lot in matches to get a good wage, now it is enough to be in the team, and you do not even have to play. “The stupidest person wins what I’ve ever won in my entire life.”

Then they showed up Seville and Valencia. “Atletico also asked me, but I wanted to play and I didn’t see it clearly there, so I decided to go to Valencia, where I spent five good years.”

Thomas dreamed of becoming an international. He never was, and his sporting side is attributed, in part, to the big megaphone and praise Real Madrid players receive for simply wearing white: “That’s how it’s been all my life. They’ve always had a little disdain for Atletico Because there are fewer addresses.

“When I finished at Valencia my agent told me about it I have received an offer from Sporting. “No, I want to live in Oviedo,” I answered. “I also had another one from Celta, but I decided to go to Racing Santander because of its proximity.”

Thomas II still does not know the Metropolitan Stadium. He had planned to go today, but he won’t: “With the schedules set by Tebas, without knowing in advance when and at what time the match will be played, it is difficult to schedule the trip.”

Atletico will not see Atletico del Cholo live: “It is clear that Simeone has given us a great place, but with him it is difficult to win something again. When we play something, you see it The team backs down and raises a lot of doubtsAlthough it is true that he has improved a lot this year, and if he scores one goal he tries to score the second. Simeone has given us the security of always being in the Champions League and that is important. Now they have a great team and many players in every position. “We need to change our mentality and we want to win titles.”

Speaking of coaches, the coach of his other team, Oviedo, raises disapproval from some Carballeona fans themselves: “The problem is that… Carrion was in Oviedo and went to Las PalmasThen the first team. The reasonable doubt here is whether he left early without saying anything or whether he wanted to stay but had already signed the contract. It has raised doubts, but the club has made a decision and I think we have to accept it. Now, what we have to ask of him is to lead the team forward.”

In conclusion, there are two strange things, both from football from another era. The first is surprising. Thomas He always wore glasses…except when he was playing“When I was at Atletico they took me to have my eyesight checked to see if I could wear contact lenses, but one eye didn’t take them well, so I never used them. I took off my glasses and played. Long, short and without problems.

The other, the reason for his strange username on the social network ‘X’, @bocadillo2: “On the long trips that the teams used to take by bus, when we wanted to stop to eat something, I would shout ‘sandwiches!'” What I said: a normal person. citizen