• Rayo Conquista San Mamés in the discount with a goal from Falcao

"Two games, two shots, two goals!", They were radiant yesterday at Rayo Vallecano, before catching a plane back to Madrid from Bilbao, after the second and resounding blow by Radamel Falcao (1986) in just three days. In two jolts, rather. His header in the added time of San Mamés (minute 96), a quarter of an hour after having replaced Unai López, allowed the whole of the modest Madrid neighborhood to sleep very warm in some soft Champions League positions. Two times between Vallecas and Bilbao, specifically 33 minutes, to sign a fabulous scoring average: a goal every 17 minutes.

But fantasies don't usually come true just by chance. Neither in the case of that utopia that seemed to be the signing of Falcao, already 35 years old and with a handful of injuries behind him. Although also with the illusion of reaching that desired World Cup in Qatar 2022. Much of the blame for the landing of the coffee striker is his teammate

Mario Suárez

, who saw him arrive at Atlético's dressing room in that distant September 2011. Despite the Radamel's abrupt march to Monaco (2013) and despite the distance that has separated them, both have maintained contact. Radamel left his mark on a large part of that rojiblanco wardrobe and, to a large extent, that is why he is now an idol in Vallecas. And that has only played two moments.

They admit to this newspaper that it was Mario Suárez who put on the table of the president,

Raúl Martín Presa

, the name of Falcao. The midfielder, who arrived in Vallecas in January 2019, warned that the possibility existed and acted as an intermediary between both parties. And there were some corners of the Ray where they were suspicious of his hiring. Mario built the bridge on that frenzied August 31, with the forward, still owned by Galatasaray, glued to the phone in Bolivia, where he was concentrating with his team. An economic agreement with the Turks was necessary to obtain freedom (he had a year remaining on his contract) and it was also necessary for the striker to do his part by lowering the economic figures on which he had moved (10 gross kilos in Turkey) . After 12 at night, the bombing was confirmed. On the 4th, the Ray made it official.

"The operation arose at the last minute, at times it seemed like a shot into the air," they recall in the offices of the Rayista entity, which had previously focused its efforts on tying up Sergi Guardiola.

The sports management was oblivious to the signing of the Colombian.

"The Falcao thing was frenetic," they insist from the entity, where they speak of a "presidentialist" operation.

There, the open, human and friendly character of the player has surprised, who is looking for a house to live with his wife and four children, despite the fact that at first he considered the option of living in a hotel.

Precisely his wife, excited to return to Madrid, the city he fell in love with between 2011 and 2013, was another key.

The memory of Hugo, Guilherme ...

At this point, at least for Falcao, who has passed through River Plate, Porto, Atlético, Monaco, Man. United, Chelsea and Galatasaray, moving more than 100 million, always under the leadership of

Jorge Mendes

, money is the least of it . His salary will be around

1.2 million gross

, although he would receive bonuses for the permanence or number of goals. "Radamel has put a lot on his part," they emphasize at the club, where they remember the arrival of other iconic gunboats with that shirt such as

Hugo Sánchez

,

Guilherme

or

Diego Costa

.

Never before have such queues been seen in Vallecas to receive a signing.

Falcao is delighted here.

He is a very humble, cordial and very human type, "they add.

While

Andoni Iraola

, his coach, rubs his hands: "He came with the attitude of wanting to learn things quickly and help in whatever way."

And in those walks Radamel, who already marks at the speed of lightning.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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