Farewell, Amancio

Amancio Amaro Varela passed away on 21 February 2023 at the age of 83. A Real Madrid icon, he played for our team from 1962 to 1976. During those 14 seasons he made 471 appearances, scoring 155 goals and becoming one of the greatest legends of our team.

The club's Honorary President since 2022, Amancio led Real Madrid to their 6th European Cup victory, scoring a magnificent goal in the final. He also won 9 Spanish League titles and 3 Spanish Cups as a player, and was a driving force behind the Quinta del Buitre during his time as coach, where he won a historic Second Division championship with Castilla.

After his passing, the displays of affection received from the sporting world were countless. Florentino Pérez said: "He's one of the greatest legends of Real Madrid. One of the best players in our history and one of the best wingers in the football world. Most of all, he was an example of the values of our club". 

Amancio's name was recognised all over the world. Madrid fans, institutions, public figures, clubs and sportsmen and women sent their messages of condolence. 

The funeral chapel with the remains of Amancio was situated in the presidential box at the Santiago Bernabéu. A large representation from the club, led by the president, public figures, representatives of institutions and hundreds of fans accompanied the honorary president's family. The La Paz mortuary (Madrid) was then the venue for the final farewell to the Real Madrid legend.

The Santiago Bernabéu paid an emotional tribute to him before the derby against Atlético de Madrid. A large shirt bearing the number 7 on the centre of the pitch dominated the ceremony, along with the trophies won by Amancio. All the Real Madrid players posed behind them wearing the Galician footballer's jerseys. A string quartet accompanied the emotional farewell on the pitch.