The popular Manolo donates his iconic drum to support CD Burriana’s upcoming promotion

Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, July 11, 2010.

“La Roja” wrote a golden page in the history of Spanish football. Spain finally won the World Cup. In the 116th minute, Iniesta scored the goal against the Netherlands that secured victory for the national team. Spain roared in unison, and in South Africa, the classic “ES-PA-ÑA” echoed along with the three consecutive beats of Manolo’s drum, which even drowned out the deafening vuvuzelas.

This particular drum, which he lovingly kept at home and which has accompanied him for over fifteen years, has paraded through stadiums around the world, witnessing great victories such as the first World Cup in 2010 and the Euro 2012—historical moments in football—now reaches its final stop: Burriana. Manuel Cáceres Artesero, known to all as Manolo “El del Bombo,” has donated it to Satine, sponsor of C.D. Burriana, so that the team can experience up close an icon that represents so many values of the sport and inspire them towards their longed-for promotion to the third division.

Manolo’s generosity is evident in this act. He received substantial offers for his most treasured possession, the drum with which Spain won the World Cup, some very tempting offers that came during a time of need for him, as the pandemic forced Manolo to transfer his bar near Mestalla, in Valencia, where this Manchego from San Carlos del Valle settled over three decades ago. But, as fate would have it, he did not need to sell or auction it. “I give it away with all my heart,” he said. “I’m parting with something that has accompanied me through a very important part of my life, that has traveled with me a lot, and I am very proud that it is in good hands. And if needed, I will come to cheer for C.D. Burriana in the promotion matches and help them win,” Manolo adds. So enthusiastic was he that when handing over his “better half,” he did not hesitate to wear the blue jersey of the Burriana football team and his inseparable, unmistakable hat in the colors of the Spanish flag.

During his visit to Burriana, he recounted numerous anecdotes about the drum, with which he has never been parted, even sleeping next to it in hotels. The 2018 incident, where it was stolen from his car trunk during a Spain-Colombia match in Murcia, was a major blow for this adopted Valencian. The news spread widely, and ultimately a member of the Navy recovered it in Madrid and returned it to the police, who then returned it to its owner.

So after so many victories with the national team and some setbacks, Manolo’s drum will stop its global travels to stay in Burriana. It deserves rest in this percussion instrument, manufactured in Manises, as it should be, near home, at the Valencian workshop Luthiers NP Drums. A special drum, crafted to emit a specific sound and be heard well in a football stadium where acoustics are poor and there is a lot of noise. Additionally, it features a custom design and bears the legend: “Sport yes, violence no.”