José Luís Sanmartín Mato. Per tutti, Joselu. He, a 34-year-old center forward, is Real Madrid’s hero in the 2023-2024 Champions League. The backup striker scores an incredible brace in 5 minutes and turns the semi-final against Bayern Munich around: 2-1 for Carlo Ancelotti’s team and Los Blancos in the final, once again. Joselu lives ‘the night’ of life after a supporting career with suitcase in hand.
The striker born in Stuttgart and moved to Real Madrid at the age of 21, with one appearance and one goal in the 2011-2012 La Liga, is looking for glory between Germany and England. He plays for Hoffenheim, Eintracht, Hannover. Then in Stoke and Newcastle. In 2019 he returned to Spain to wear the shirt of Alaves and then Espanyol. The Lungognone confirms himself as an excellent penalty area centre-forward, between 2019 and 2023 he scores over 50 goals in the championship.
They are enough and more to deserve the call from Real Madrid, who are looking for a backup striker capable of sitting on the bench without mumbling and capable of coming in to give rest to the big players in the attack. JOselu scores 16 goals between the various competitions: he rarely enchants, misses many chances and finds himself apologizing more than once to the Bernabeu crowd. In the Champions League he takes the liberty of scoring 3 goals before the unforgettable 8th May. Nobody would have thought that Joselu, a true bench player, would decide the most important match of the year so far. “I would never have dreamed of a night like this. If I spoke from my heart, it would explode now. I was in the right place at the right time, I scored two important goals and now I’m in the final”, says the striker. Appointment now in the final, to close the year. Maybe with another goal.