Key Takeaways
- Angel Mateos Gonzalez will play for CD Colunga at age 70 this Sunday.
- The match against Praviano will make him the oldest player in Spanish football history.
- The club says this is a tribute to his passion and values, not just a record attempt.
Angel Mateos Gonzalez is 70 years old. He spent his early life working in mines. This weekend, he will stand between the posts for CD Colunga.
The Spanish goalkeeper will face Praviano on Sunday. The match is in the Tercera Federacion. This is the fifth level of Spanish football. If he plays, he will set a new record. He will become the oldest player to play in an official match in Spain.
Mateos first stopped playing competitive football when he was 43. But he never left the sport. He has helped train the club’s goalkeepers this season. Now, Colunga has named him in the squad for the Group Two fixture.
The club posted a message on Instagram. They said this is not about records. It is a tribute to Mateos.
“This is neither a record nor an oddity. It is a tribute,” the club wrote.
They praised his character. “Mateos represents exactly what we stand for at Colunga. He shows passion. He shows consistency. He respects football. He lives the sport in a way that goes beyond age.”
The club also spoke about his past. He worked hard as a miner. He dedicated his life to work and football.
“This isn’t about numbers. It’s about values. If anyone focuses only on his age, they miss the point,” the club said.
Mateos spoke to the local newspaper Las Provincias. He does not know if he will play the full 90 minutes. But he feels ready.
“I still feel agile,” he said. Mateos is 1.73 metres tall. During his career, he played for Turon, Caudal and Santiago de Aller. These teams play at the same level as Colunga.
He has stayed active since retiring. He played for the Hunosa company team. He also plays for the Turon veterans’ side.
He remembers when football was different. The balls and pitches have changed.
“When I started, it was almost a different sport,” he said.
He told a story about old pitches. They used to get very muddy. He kept a cauldron next to his goal. He used it to scoop water off the pitch. He did this when the referee was not looking. This happened almost every day in those times.
The match on Sunday is not crucial for the league table. Colunga sits in tenth place. There are 18 teams in the league. Only two matches remain. The team is safe from relegation. They cannot get promotion either.
This gives the club freedom to honour their veteran keeper. They can focus on celebrating his love for the game.