Basti is one the idols of Malaguismo. Malagueño, born and bred in El Palo, he won the admiration of fans with his goals and good humour over many years of our history. A hero who transcends the field of play, an intergenerational benchmark.
Súper Basti, Van Basti or Basti gol – he had numerous nicknames – is also a religious man. Faithful to his roots, he is deeply devoted to the ‘Virgen del Carmen’ from his neighbourhood and the ‘Cristo de los Gitanos’.
The image of Jesus belongs to the ‘Cofradía de la Columna’, known colloquially as that of the Gypsies, and is one of the most popular in the city. On Easter Monday, ‘El Moreno’ as he is known, travels the streets of Málaga with a special halo. A crowd follows him, singing and dancing in his honour within an explosion of music, passion and colour.
Basti and his family have accompanied him for several years, and continue to do so. Even when he was a professional footballer and had to leave Málaga. He fondly recalls the time when he carried the Moreno throne on his shoulder, in a short section of the final part of the journey. “I arrived from Albacete, we had a day off and I went specially to see it. I got to Plaza de Merced, where the thrones of ‘Cristo’ and the ‘Virgen’ were. I saw my friend Fernando Palma there (current steward and dresser of Christ) and he allowed me to get involved. It was very emotional for me, incredible”, said Basti.
The aforementioned Fernando Palma, who is also deputy to the Elder Brother, confirmed: “Basti has always had a lot of faith in Moreno and it’s an honour for the Brotherhood to have him with us, he’s a great ambassador. We’ve known him for several years, he’s always been on our side, even when he was playing outside Málaga. One year I saw him in Plaza de la Merced, nearly at the end of the route, and he carried the throne for a short while. It was very emotional, his face said it all”.
Basti, like all Malagueño brothers will live a very different Easter this year, but with the same passion as always, looking forward to the next Easter Monday.
