At 38 years and 140 days, the Real Betis forward has become the oldest player to score three in a La Liga match
They were all there except him, everyone waiting for the old man again. It was six minutes to two, time to go, and in the tunnel at the Benito Villamarín 21 players lined up ready to go out alongside the referee, Valentín Pizarro Gómez, and one of his assistants. Just up the stairs, the other linesman stood by the dressing-room door, flag in one hand, getting a little impatient. “We’re only missing Joaquín,” he called down, “… yeah I know.” Alongside him the Betis manager, Joan Francesc Ferrer ‘Rubi’, wore a look that said what do you want me to do? so the linesman took a step inside. “Come on Joaquín!” he shouted. “Let’s go mate. We’re waiting for you here.” Rubi looked at his watch, then stuck his head round the door, nervous now.
The next time he looked it said one minute past two, 01.28 on the screens around the stadium, and the place was going wild. Joaquín had finally left the dressing room, high-fived his manager and, with linesman in tow shouting “come on let’s go”, led them into the sunshine. He had shaken hands with all of Athletic’s players, Betis’s anthem booming round as he went along the line, and posed for a team picture with dozens of kids, many in wheelchairs. He had chosen ends, Iñaki Williams calling wrong, stood head bowed in silence in honour of former player Francisco Aparicio, and belted the ball into the net. He had been out only seven minutes, touched the ball only twice, and hadn’t even been playing 90 seconds, but he had already scored.
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Eibar 0-1 Getafe, Real Betis 3-2 Athletic Bilbao, Real Valladolid 0-0 Real Sociedad, Leganés 3-2 Celta Vigo, Osasuna 1-1 Sevilla, Real Madrid 2-0 Espanyol, Granada 3-0 Alavés, Levante 2-4 Valencia, Barcelona 5-2 Real Mallorca, Villarreal 0-0 Atlético Madrid
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