Alavés and Real Madrid are in mourning. In Vitoria, at the age of 91, Javier Berasaluce has passed away. With him goes a goalkeeper who is part of the history of Glorioso and the white team. For this reason, on January 21, 2021, he took the kick-off prior to the A lavés-Real Madrid. It was the night that Alavés celebrated its Centenary.
Born on January 4, 1931, in Deba (Guipúzcoa), he was part of Real Madrid in the first five European Cups. He was in all of them, although his name does not appear in the competition records. He never played a European game, an adventure that he lived in the shadow of Juanito Alonso and the Argentine Rogelio Domínguez .
His first official match with Real Madrid was a 1-2 loss against Deportivo de la Coruña (10-30-1955); the last one was at Mestalla: 2-2, on October 6, 1957. After two seasons without playing at all, Berasaluce left for Racing, his last adventure in the First Division.
He came to that category at the hands of Alavés, in 1951. One fine day they told him at Real Sociedad that he had to go to Vitoria, to Alavés. He was surprised, but he packed his bags. He did not know that with that decision that he did not see, he was taking the most important step in his sports life. In Vitoria, they were looking for answers to the injury of Calderón, their goalkeeper. They found his with Berasaluce. Mendizorroza’s team reached the First Division. On January 13, 1951, he set foot in the Bernabéu: Vitorian defeat by 4-1, with a double by Molowny.
During four seasons in Vitoria, he experienced two promotions before signing for Madrid. When he hung up his gloves, on April 11, 1962, he said goodbye to Primera with a bad memory (8-0 at the Camp Nou with Racing), he returned to Vitoria from Pamplona. Because Osasuna was the last goal he protected. “Alavés is the team of my life”, he used to say. And Vitoria the city of him. The one that cries for him today, as Alavés and Real Madrid do.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
