Koke is living a good moment according to Marca. Atletico Madrid’s captain and his wife, Beatriz de Espejel, gave birth to their first child, Leo, on December 19th, 2019. Since then, the midfielder has seen things differently. For him, the return of supporters to the Wanda Metropolitano this evening, when La Roja play Portugal, is welcome.
“It’s been a very hard time for many people, too many,” he said. “There’s been losses of family and friends. Fortunately, I’ve not suffered, but there’s been very hard months away from the people you love. I think by playing football we’ve helped clear the mind, the bogeyman, of the people.
“For people to be able to say I’m going to put on the TV to see my team, Atleti, the national team or whatever it was, changes everything, it makes me happy. We’ve been fortunate to help people by playing football, helping out in tough times. And I hope we do it more in the Eurocopa.”
Koke’s enjoyed a stellar year, excelling at Atletico to earn himself a pivotal role in Luis Enrique’s new-look La Roja. The midfielder captained Los Rojiblancos to La Liga, with Cholo Simeone’s men beating their great rivals Real Madrid to the title on the last day of the season after a thrilling four-way title-race.
Koke, 29, has spent his entire career at Atletico. Born and raised in Madrid, he came through the youth system at the club before graduating to the B team, with whom he spent three years on-and-off. He stepped up to the senior side in 2009, and has remained ever since. Koke has made 354 appearances for the club and been part of two La Liga-winning sides, solidifying his status as a club legend.
