Unzué: "We want to continue living and enjoying, ALS does not wait"

If 91,062 people gathered this Wednesday at the Camp Nou, it was thanks to Juan Carlos Unzué, the main promoter of the match between Barça and Manchester City, the proceeds of which will be invested in the investigation of ALS, which affects more than 4,000 people in Spain and over 250,000 worldwide.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
24 August 2022 Wednesday 16:34
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Unzué: "We want to continue living and enjoying, ALS does not wait"

If 91,062 people gathered this Wednesday at the Camp Nou, it was thanks to Juan Carlos Unzué, the main promoter of the match between Barça and Manchester City, the proceeds of which will be invested in the investigation of ALS, which affects more than 4,000 people in Spain and over 250,000 worldwide.

The Barça exporter, a victim since 2020 of this neuromuscular degenerative disease and a great activist, took advantage of the attention of the Blaugrana fans and football in general to demand more commitment from the political authorities.

“The members of the ELA team want to continue living and enjoying life, but we need the ELA law to be unblocked and processed. There is no time to waste”, the Navarrese requested on the pitch before taking the honorary kick-off and receiving a warm ovation. This law, designed to subsidize the care of patients with few financial resources, was approved unanimously in Congress in March, but has not yet entered into force.

Unzué also recalled part of his experiences as a footballer and coach, giving a speech before the Barcelona players in the locker room. "You are a great example," he told him after his words, Xavi Hernández, a student at Barça from Pamplona when he was Luis Enrique's second in the 2014-15 season. Once the ball rolled, Unzué, 55, alternated between the two benches: in the first half at Guardiola's City bench and in the second, commenting on the match with the coach from Egar.