Monday, November 20, 2006

Every Bernabeu fan on its feet and the eleven starters of Real Madrid in the centre circle, paying their respects for the loss of a wonderful Madridista: Ferenc Puskas.Sad days for Real Madrid CF as Ferenc Puskas, a legend of the Whites, passed away. The special tribute that the Bernabeu crowd paid him today honoured his memory.
For the first time ever, the video with the images of the extraordinary Hungarian footballer displayed on the stadium's electronic scoreboards was joined by a live rendition of a musical piece by Spanish virtuoso cellist Pau Casals called El Canto de los Pájaros (Song of the Birds). The cello solo was interpreted by Laura Benítez, making the homage that much more emotional. The players stood in the centre circle, embracing each other, some looking up at the sky, others with their heads hanging low, all remembering the remarkable footballer.
People of all ages congregated in the White colosseum to watch the Real Madrid-Racing Santander match and to pay their personal tribute to the Galloping Major by standing up and observing a minute of silence that gave way to a fierce ovation.The attending fans at a Bernabéu full to capacity also displayed other tokens of appreciation in memory of the late Puskas, including banners and signs and a few mourning armbands.