UNZUÉ, THRILLED BY HIS INDUCTION TO THE HALL OF FAME: "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THANK YOU"

As is usual, Juan Carlos Unzué was responsible for closing the ceremony in which he became the twelfth player to be inducted into the Sevilla FC Hall of Fame, and he did so with a heartfelt speech: "You've been lucky, because I've had a cold for a few days and my voice is a little bit hoarse. For once, I'll try to be concise. The first thing I want to express is my gratitude to the club, to everyone who decided that I was deserving of my place in the Hall of Fame of Sevilla FC, the club where I spent more seasons than any other. I've always felt loved here, not just as a player, but also when I was here with other teams or on a visit. You've always shown me that affection and it's very comforting. But, the fact you remember me and make me go through such an emotional moment at at a time of difficulty and illness, I don't know how to say thank you. I am overwhelmed by everything you have said, both colleagues and friends as well as the club's hierarchy. The song at the end was the surprise of the day. Like any of you, I am a very normal guy. From what I've seen here, you might think that I'm perfect and I've done everything right. Nothing could be further from the truth. I made some mistakes as a goalkeeper, and as a person I also regret many things, but it is true that the part I like most about this event is not what you have said, but what you said to me there in Pamplona the day you announced this to me. Not only did you praise my numbers as a footballer, but you also added to it and valued my attitude as a person, and that is priceless. I know that in this club there have been players with better numbers than me to receive a space in the Hall of Fame, but I really appreciate the fact that you don't forget that we are normal people".

"My aim in life is to make this disease more visible or to inform you about its consequences and the harsh reality of most of my colleagues. With events like this, what you are doing is giving us the chance to help raise awareness of MND. Ten days ago, a bill was unanimously accepted in Congress in favour of the dignified life that all MND sufferers are asking for. It is a first step, but behind it there is a great deal of work by associations, foundations and people with names and surnames. From here I say to all those colleagues that life is worth living despite all these limitations, and I say this to you as someone who feels inspired by those colleagues with more advanced stages of the disease. When I am no longer here, which I hope will be a long time from now, what I would like is for you to remember me with this smile that I have today and that I hope to have until my last day as a consequence of feeling useful. I recognise that this new life is as satisfying or more satisfying than anything I can experience in football. I would like to finish by thanking this city and this club, with the detail of inviting Barcelona and Osasuna. For giving me the chance to feel as loved as I have always felt here, and always will", he concluded.