Molowny and Corona played in the stadium's inaugural match
Luis Miguel González / Translation by Matthew Goltz
It's been 60 years since the stadium was inaugurated. Real Madrid and Os Belenenses met on 14 December 1947 to play the first match in what has become an iconic facility in world football. Luis Molowny and José Llopis Corona participated in that match, and six decades later they told us what they remember about that historic day in Madridismo.
Molowny Arbelo, more frequently known as "El Mangas", played for Real Madrid for eleven seasons after joining the club in 1946 by way of the Canary Islands. Molowny was a member of the Madridista squad that played against Os Belenenses in the inaugural match of Chamartín.
What do you remember about that 14 December 1947?
I'll never forget it. I had arrived in Madrid one year earlier. I debuted against Barcelona and scored a header. We played at Metropolitano Stadium during the 1946/47 season and half of the following one. I also remember training in Ciudad Universitaria until the stadium was completed. We would come see how the construction was going because we were all so anxious to play on our field. The entire squad wanted to play the day of the inauguration because we all knew it was such an historic day for the club.
Were the players surprised by the new stadium?
Like I said, we kept an eye on the construction and knew it was going to be big. Bonds were also sold to help in the construction, and the players pitched in. We were very involved in the project. It was exciting having a stadium of such magnitude. I spent my entire youth in it.
What do you recall from the match against the Portuguese?
We were all filled with emotion when we took to the pitch. The stands were absolutely packed and we had waited so long to finally break in the stadium.
What was you relationship with Santiago Bernabéu like?
Sensational. I had the same relationship with many of the players. I have a lot of reasons to thank Don Santiago. It was he who told Technical Secretary Quincoces to get on plane to go to Las Palmas to sign me, whether he did or didn't see me play. When it comes to building the stadium...
Do go on...
It was a fabulous piece of work. Many believed it to be the best stadium in Europe. The team was in very bad shape in 1947; in the middle of a transition. All the money was going towards the stadium and not the team, and proof is in the fact that we were almost relegated to Second Division in 1947/48.
Did coach Álbeniz or Bernabéu talk to the team before taking to the pitch?
I don't remember, but I don't think either of them told us anything.
Is there any anecdote from the Real Madrid-Os Belenenses match that you can tell us?
I will never forget feeling overcome with emotion when Sabino Barinaga scored the first goal. When we would see each other years later he would tell me, "Be quiet because you're talking to the guy who scored the first goal in the inaugural match of the stadium." We celebrated that goal in style, and Barinaga couldn't hold back how thrilled he was.
Corona:
José Llopis Corona was born in Alicante on 4 June 1918. Known in the football world as Corona, he was a defender who perfectly defined "either the man or ball get by you, but never both." Before joining Real Madrid in the 1943/44 season, Corona played for Gimnástico de las Carolinas, Alicante, and Hércules. He arrived in Madrid and was recognised for his strength and powerful strike, which is why he was responsible for taking penalty kicks.
José Llopies Corona and Luis Molowny are the only two living members of the team that inaugurated the new stadium on 14 December 1947. While looking back on the unforgettable day, Corona has the following to say. "What can I say about that match? It was marvelous. We had been playing in the Metropolitano and taking to the pitch of Real Madrid's new field was marvelous. We defeated Os Belenenses three to one, and even though the team wasn't going through its best patch, we were able to make the fans happy. Barinaga scored the first goal, and we could barely hold on to him to hug him because he was so excited. The other two were scored by "Chus" Alonso. Oh yeah! And the Portuguese team was a worthy adversary. There are so many wonderful memories. Look here. Having played for Real Madrid has always filled me with pride."
الخميس نوفمبر 20, 2008 11:21 pm
