On February 5, 1998, 4-year-old Alexia was waiting for her new sister and parents, but when the door opened the world of Alexia and her family was about to change forever.
But 22 years later the sisters would meet again.
How will the sisters reunite...
After leaving the University (attention we are in May, we have at the end of the season...) and having spoken with the professor and course director, they said it was ok and that the parents could sign the papers when they arrived, so Helena, who had already parked the car, took a breath, and left. I greeted all the staff, teammates and went straight to the locker room. Before going to training, she asked the coach if she could talk to her before training, this is their conversation, and training.
Helena: Thank you coach, I wanted to tell you that both my professors of the management course asked us that to finish the course we should spend a year at another university I already discussed it with my parents and they both supported my decision, and that tomorrow they don't have on the agenda and if possible have a meeting with you with the sports director, with my parents and with me if possible after 5 pm.
Filipa: You're welcome, after training I'll talk to the sporting director, and then I'll get in touch with you but now let's go to training, ok. It's OK. But when are you going to Barcelona?
Helena: Coach, the Spanish university said between June and August we have to be there to transfer our bags in the dormitories and see the rooms. And thank you so much for talking to the sporting director and after texting me, I tell my parents to come here tomorrow, but for now I'll be focusing on training and games.
Filipa: That's right, you have to keep in mind the mental and psychological state first and then the future.
Already in training, focused on training, the coach gave the goals that the team will achieve and put everyone to work.
(Think it's the women's training, without the rain with training open to supporters)
After training, and washing in the locker room, Helena goes to the car and goes straight home. Once home, she tells her parents, her parents tell her now to focus on the games ahead, but that she has to tell her teammates first.
Helena: I know I have to tell them and I can guarantee that they are already suspicious, I'll tell them everything tomorrow before we go to training.
Joana: That's it, daughter, you can't hide this from them, they are your best friends and I'm sure they would be sad and hurt with you, you know.
Helena: Of course I understand. (after dinner) See you tomorrow!!!
Joana and Ramón: See you tomorrow dear!!!
After the night, Helena woke up early to go to the University to take tests in Philosophy, Humanities, History and Sports (all in writing), then went home for lunch and received a message from the coach who talked to the director and everything was fine and that the negotiation contacts and told the parents.
Helena: The theme of the meeting is to discuss what I just said, but the sports director will say that at my age, I will be in the reserves which is fine for me and sign some documents approving my loan there and that they bring it citizen card o Nif o iban a photocopy for them to send by email later.
Ramón: Okay daughter, if you want you can hand me the cards and I'll make copies in my office and talk I have about 20 minutes and when the meeting is over I'll hand it to the sports director.
Helena: Okay, (...) here's the cards and I also have to be at the gym in 20 minutes, so good meeting dad and see you soon.
Ramón and Joana: See you soon dear.
At the gym, Helena talked to the coach and said she wanted to talk to the team, the coach agreed and before training she said she talked to them.
Helena: Well, as you all know, I'm on a sports course and they told me that to complete it I have to study at another university for a year, I already told mine and they both agreed, I also told the coach and after training, my parents will come after training and with me and the coach and the sporting director we will have a meeting where they will contact Barcelona and send the documents there. I will say that until I leave this great club, and this team, I say here I will give the liter both in training and in the remaining games we will win to be national champions to win the cup of Portugal and the cup of the league, when it comes to Barcelona, I will always see and maybe see you play/rem and win games for this club. A great Benfica player said this:
"Allow me to start this speech by talking about my story with Eusébio da Silva Ferreira. That way, I believe it will be easier to understand the words that I will dedicate to you and all the others that, under any circumstances, I can dedicate to you. Benfica, still a kid, just eight years old, to do a training session, it was Eusébio, at that moment, in that training, the first to see in me the football qualities that would allow me to be the player I was. the next day, he really became my first coach. From that moment, until the day I stopped playing, Eusébio was always a person present. A mentor. A reference. A person that I was always happy to see there by my side. side, in the changing rooms and on the lawns of the fields where I played for Benfica and for the National Team. A presence that motivated me to want to be even better. That helped me, as it helped so many other colleagues, to evolve as a player. These are situations that marked me, and As an athlete and as a man, who had a profound importance in my career and who, even today, I keep with great affection. With a remarkable career at the service of Benfica, it is natural that his name is sometimes confused with Benfica himself. Talking about Eusébio is talking about Benfica. And talking about Benfica is also talking about Eusébio. A unique figure in our History and in our mystique, part of what we are today is due to him: the biggest club in Portugal and one of the biggest in the world, with an unbelievable international projection given the size of our Country, which welcomed and whom he repaid in the best way, shining for the National Team. Benfica's gratitude is eternal. Portugal's gratitude is eternal. The gratitude of all those who love the king sport is eternal. For what he did in life, he became, like Amália or Pessoa, Camões, he was greater than himself, a name that will endure in the Benfica and Portuguese collective imaginations." Rui Costa on Eusébio, Thank you.
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After speaking, the players and technical team applauded and said that they will give everything to win the trophies said by Helena. During training, everything was calm.
(Imagine Benfica's women's team training)
After training, Helena and the coach talked a bit and then, with the parents and the sports director, they went to a room, where they talked. (...)
Rui Costa: I have already contacted the Barcelona club and they told me that they were willing to have you in the reserve team since at your age, more or less, you will not have a place in the team but that they promised that if you were called to the main team they they said that a player would mentor and teach, they already did and signed the documents and which I have with me for your parents to sign and also for you to sign. And I also have a surprise for you.
After the principal spoke and the coach spoke and both parents spoke, it was Helena's turn.
Helena: Thank you so much for your words, but first I'm entirely focused on training and winning the trophies still in play, and then it's the future (...).
After Helena finished speaking, the sports director delivered two copies with four pages (one for the club to send and scan and another for Helena), in which everyone signed and in the end Rui Costa delivered an official shirt for the next season. Helena got emotional and said thank you.
After the meeting, Helena and her parents went home to celebrate the signed contract.
