Carlos Matallanas (18 April 1981 – 9 March 2021) was a Spanish sports journalist and writer.[1] A former soccer player, his analyses mostly focused on that sport.[2][3]
Carlos Matallanas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 April 1981 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | 9 March 2021 (aged 39) Seville, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Sports Journalist |
Biography
editIn summer 2013, Matallanas began suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), although he was not diagnosed for another year, when he retired from playing football.[4] He also left all of his recently begun coaching roles.[5][6] In 2014, he entered journalism, contributing to El Confidencial with articles about his everyday life suffering from ALS.[7] He also worked with Diario AS in a blog called "Silencio, se juega"[8] and had a book published titled La vida es un juego. Estrategia para Mario y Blanca.[9][10] The book was written as he was already bedridden and tetraplegic.[11]
In 2015, before his tetraplegia worsened, he received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit,[12] presented by Miguel Cardenal, for his fight against ALS and uplifting of sportsman values.[13] In 2018, the Association of Spanish Footballers created the Premio Carlos Matallanas for short novels, bringing together his passions for literature and football.[14]
At the end of 2014, Matallanas organized a friendly match at Estadio Fernando Torres to raise money and awareness for ALS patients.[15] It was the last time he ever was able to play in a football match.[16]
By 2016, Matallanas was unable to speak. In a documentary interview titled "Fútbol y Vida" that year, his brother, Gonzalo, read his texts. These texts ended up becoming published as a book José Antonio Martín titled ¿Quién dijo rendirse?.[17]
In 2017, Matallanas' former coach at Racing Club Portuense, Mere, hired him as an analyst.[18] He was then hired by CF Fuenlabrada and helped the club rise to the Segunda División and ended up the league's champion in 2019.[19][20] He left the club midway through the next season along with the dismissal of their coach.[21] In summer 2020, he signed with AD Alcorcón.[22]
Carlos Matallanas died of complications from ALS in Seville on 9 March 2021 at the age of 39.[23]
References
edit- ^ "Muere el exfutbolista y periodista Carlos Matallanas, símbolo de la lucha contra la ELA". 20 minutos (in Spanish). 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Carlos Matallanas: "A 2020 le pido vivirlo"". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 2 January 2020.
- ^ "3.769. Carlos Alberto Gómez Matallanas. Ex futbolista del Portuense, periodista y escritor. La superación de un enfermo de ELA". Gente del Puerto (in Spanish). 17 October 2018.
- ^ "Hola, soy Carlos Matallanas y me acaban de diagnosticar ELA". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 1 October 2014.
- ^ "Carlos Matallanas, con ELA, ficha por el Fuenlabrada como analista". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 24 September 2018.
- ^ "La final de Champions la veré desde un asiento muy especial". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 25 May 2016.
- ^ "Hoy sale mi libro… y yo llevo dos meses en el hospital". El Confidencial (in Spanish).
- ^ "Carlos Matallanas". Diario AS (in Spanish).
- ^ "Carlos Matallanas publica el libro "La vida es un juego"". Golsmedia (in Spanish). 14 January 2021.
- ^ "Gracias de antemano por permitir que sigamos mejorando". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 16 December 2015.
- ^ "Así escribe Carlos Matallanas con sus pupilas y un ordenador". Diario AS (in Spanish). 21 June 2018.
- ^ ""Gracias por tu lucha, Carlos Matallanas"". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 27 November 2015.
- ^ "El CSD concede a Carlos Matallanas la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo". Marca (in Spanish). 17 November 2015.
- ^ "La AFE crea el premio Carlos Matallanas de novela breve". ElDesmarque Actualidad (in Spanish). 3 October 2018.
- ^ "La Comunidad y FUNDELA se unen para remover conciencias y lograr apoyos a la investigación". Europa Press (in Spanish). 18 June 2019.
- ^ "Una victoria contra la ELA en el sentido homenaje realizado a Carlos Matallanas". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 27 December 2014.
- ^ "'¿Quién dijo rendirse?', Fernando Torres y Carlos Matallanas, fútbol y vida". ElDesmarque Actualidad (in Spanish). 18 May 2017.
- ^ "Homenaje del Racing Portuense a Carlos Matallanas". Diario de Cadiz (in Spanish). 26 October 2018.
- ^ "El Fuenlabrada ficha a Carlos Matallanas para su cuerpo técnico". ElDesmarque Actualidad (in Spanish). 24 September 2018.
- ^ "El Fuenlabrada se proclama campeón de Segunda B". Marca (in Spanish). 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Carlos Matallanas deja de ser analista del Fuenlabrada tras la destitución de Mere". COPE (in Spanish). 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Este es el cuerpo técnico que acompaña a Mere Hermoso en la temporada 2020/2021". Agrupación Deportiva Alcorcón (in Spanish). 28 August 2020.
- ^ "Muere Carlos Matallanas, periodista enfermo de ELA". El Periodico (in Spanish). 9 March 2021.