“THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS FOOTBALL FAN”

By Mestalla stadium, I have been popping by to Manolo El Del Bombo’s legendary Bar / Museum since 1995 on football match days. ‘The Guardian’ once labelled him “The most famous football fan in the world.”  I interviewed ‘Manolo El Del Bombo’ for ‘24/7 Valencia’ magazine  where he gave us insights about the idiosyncratic way Valencianistas support their team, his football travels around the globe… and the tendency  for Real Madrid to sometimes be given the benefit of the doubt by the powers-that-be!

Manolo was born in the town of San Carlos del Valle (Ciudad Real) in 1949. At just 5 years old, he moved with his family to Huesca. Larger than life, it was here that his character that has given him his popularity was born and his powerful drumming began to sound at the end of the 1960s. Manolo’s bar is next to Mestalla, in Valencia, a city where he settled more than three decades ago and from where he has travelled around the world to support the national team and several clubs of Spanish football including Valencia CF. However, all of this travelling meant that it has not been an easy life for his immediate family.

Years back, after Manolo returned home from having  been abroad at another major football tournament, he found that his wife and four children had left him…citing his lack of not being present enough for the family as their reason for leaving for good.  In later years, Manolo was to have another son with the new woman in his life and he was based in Moncófar (Castellón, Valencia Community) in the final years of his life.

In his bar/museum by the Mestalla you can see over 200 images, a score of drums and the footballs of the La Liga teams. Ten World Cups, seven European Championships and more than 400 matches make him the undisputed number one fan of the Spanish National Side and he has earned the recognition of many Spanish fans and even the Kings Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI.

Manolo has the drums with which he supported Spain for the European titles of 2008 and 2012, and his most precious asset, the drum from 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Manolo has no regrets: “I’ve spent all my money on football and for football, but I’m very proud of everything,” recalled Manolo, who on top of all his travels recalled his odyssey to see Iker Casillas lift the 2010 World Cup title for Spain for the first time.

He remembers with nostalgia his experiences in 10 World Cup tournaments and the “15,000 kilometres I hitchhiked in the 1982 World Cup in Spain… to watch the best games. At Mexico 1986, all of us Spaniards had a great time.  South Africa 2010 was even better because, although I got sick and went back to Spain… I recovered and flew back for the semi-finals in Durban and the very memorable final in Johannesburg, which Spain won ...”

He adds that: “Huesca, Zaragoza and Valencia are the three teams I have in my heart.”

Perhaps all the stress and strain of making ends meet, running and finally selling the bar… and all of the travelling…took its toll too. Manolo had a major  heart operation in 2017 that saved his life.   There are reports that the doctors discovered he had an advanced cancer in a recent check-up. On top of that, Manolo was using 2 machines for respiratory problems (one for the day and one at night). On the day of the recent blackout in Spain, this lack of electricity would have been a very serious problem for Manolo. His relatives called him for 2 days running but Manolo was not answering his phone. Finally, his relatives went to his home and discovered his body on May 1st.  Their theory is that the blackout did for him.

‘Manolo El Del Bombo’ was last seen by the general  public at  a sensational  ‘UEFA Nations League’ match beween Spain and Holland at his beloved Mestalla in March 2025. Supporting Spain to the very end of his life with his big bass drum and oversized beret, it was a dignified and memorable match  for Manolo to bow out.  He has been a much-loved figure in Valencia, in Spain and in the world of football.  He will be missed by many and we will not see his like again. We thank Manolo for the truly great contribution he made to this city and this country and for ‘fútbol’ over the years. Goodbye, ‘Manolo El Del Bombo’. Your spirit lives on.

Report by Will McCarthy

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

More info: https://www.manoloeldelbombo.com/

Manolo ‘El Del Bombo’ (1949 -2025)

Birth 15 March 1949   San Carlos del Valle, Ciudad Real, Spain

Death 1 May 2025   Moncófar, Castellón, Spain

(76 years old)

Rest in Peace…