The figure of Sebastián Humberto Viberti Irazoki is almost like a fairy tale. His time as a CD Málaga player continued for five seasons, but the mark he left on the city is eternal. Many Blue and White fans didn’t see him play, due to age, but his figure is well known and respected amongst Malaguistas. The voices from the time have taken charge of raising awareness, generation after generation, of the extraordinary importance of this man.
They say he looked like a giant, with a shoe size of 50, but he touched the ball with the precision of a surgeon. Thousands of anecdotes are told about him on the city’s streets, many of them are confused by urban legends, but with a little bit of investigation, you can see that most of them are true.
Beaches and restaurants bearing his name – including a type of drink – emulate his style, and even Antonio Banderas, our most international Malaguista, said in an interview that he was his childhood idol. Málaga is a city that loves and protects its legends and Viberti, without doubt, is one of them who crosses the borders of football.
This Saturday 30th November marks 50 years since his official debut. It was a Second Division match against RCD Espanyol. Málaga secured an authoritative 5-0 win, but beyond the result, the reports from that matchday reflect with astonishment the first of the ‘Viberti Effects’, with the entire stadium chanting “Viberti, Viberti, Viberti!” after just 10 minutes of play.
MCFTV wanted to pay tribute to this tremendous figure. His son Martín; his teammate Benítez; second coach, Ben Barek; his confidant, Andrés Perales; and journalist and writer, Daniel Barranquero help us to know a little more about this legend of Malaguismo.
We miss you!
