Spanish football team’s most famous fan, ‘Manolo – el del Bombo’, dies, aged 76

‘One of our most faithful fans, who was always with us in the good times and the bad, has died,’ read a statement on the website of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) alongside a picture of Manolo and one of his iconic bass drums – ‘bombo’ – of which he had around a dozen.

‘We know that you will keep on making our hearts beat. Rest in peace Manolo. Our deepest condolences to your family and friends.’

Born in the town of San Carlos del Valle, Manolo ‘el del Bombo’ (‘the man with the bass drum’) lived in Huesca, Zaragoza and Valencia, all cities in which he became an icon for banging his popular bass drum. His current home was in the town of Moncófar, in the province of Castellón (Valencia). A few days ago he was admitted to the Hospital Universitario La Plana de Vila-Real due to respiratory problems that finally ended his life.

Manolo attended 10 World Cups and eight European Championships, tournaments that turned him into a true legend for Spanish fans, to the point of making him the star of several advertising campaigns.

A fervent supporter of the national team since childhood, Manolo first burst onto the drumming scene during the 1982 World Cup hosted by Spain.

He then attended the World Cup tournaments of Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, USA 1994, France 1998, South Korea and Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.

His attendance was cut short in 2022, however, after the RFEF awarded him entry tickets to attend the national team’s matches at the World Cup in Qatar and provided him with flights, but not the proof of prepaid accommodation that he needed to enter that country, eventually leaving him grounded.

 The last time he accompanied La Roja (red being the colour for the national team) was on 23 March, when Spain overcame the Dutch on penalties in their Nations League quarter-final after the tie finished 5-5 on aggregate. Spain will play France in the semi-finals in June.

‘All those who love Spain’s national football team will miss you, Manolo,’ wrote Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on X, sharing the RFEF’s own post. ‘A hug to your family and friends.’