Love for football without limits – a 70-year-old former miner plays in goal for a local club

Angel Mateos, a 70-year-old former miner, made an unlikely return to official football by stepping between the posts for Colunga in their match against Praviano this Sunday. The fixture, part of Group II in the Tercera RFEF, came late in the season with both sides already safe from danger.

Despite relentless rain, Mateos was handed a starting role and spent around twenty minutes on the pitch. In that short spell, he pulled off an impressive low save to deny Praviano before eventually conceding from a corner. When he was substituted, the crowd responded with warm applause.

His football journey stretches back half a century, beginning with Turon in Getxo. Although he stepped away from registered competition in 1998, Mateos never fully left the game—continuing to feature in informal tournaments and company leagues. More recently, he had been involved with Colunga as a backup option and goalkeeping coach during training sessions.

The idea of his return first surfaced during a casual Tuesday kickabout with club staff from the Asturian coastal town. Mateos agreed to the plan, but only under one condition: that his appearance would not negatively affect anyone else. "When I started, a goalkeeper who had wool gloves was privileged. You had to make saves bare-handed," he reflected before kickoff, as his ten-year-old grandson watched from the sidelines.

Colunga were quick to clarify that his inclusion was not about chasing records or creating a spectacle, but rather a gesture of appreciation.

"We're not looking for easy headlines, this isn't about numbers, it's about values. If someone focuses solely on age, they're missing what's important. Mateos isn't playing because he's 70 years old. He's playing because he's earned it," the club emphasized.