Ricardo Bochini will receive today in the run-up to the League match between Athletic and Valencia the ‘One Club Man’ award that the Ibaigane club awards annually to those players who have completed their entire career with the same club. “I am very happy and proud to receive this award from a club as big as Athletic, known throughout the world. This distinction is something very important that I am going to share with the people of Independiente because it gave me everything. Eternally grateful to Athletic. It is a very nice award that those of us who play in a single club are receiving”, explained an emotional Bochini in the Jose Iragorri press room in San Mamés.
“I am the first from South America and it is a pride to receive this award. It is also the first time that they give me an award in a country other than Argentina. Very grateful to all Athletic. This is somewhat unusual because few players have worn just one shirt. You only have players from here. I was always in Independent. Since I was 15 years old I went to the Independent pension where I slept, had lunch, had dinner. I lived there. The people of Independiente already knew me when I was a boy”, explained Bocha.
This living myth of Independiente and Argentine soccer wore the 10 on his back in the most glorious era of Rojo. Maradona himself came to ensure that Bochini was one of his references. “The one who plays as a 10 has to be a midfield player, create goal plays or reach the goal himself. I tried to enable the forwards or to reach the goal with dribbles, walls, passes… Today you don’t see the 10 as much because the game changed a lot. I, let’s say, was the team’s point guard from midcourt forward.”
