Mariah Carey’s ‘We belong together’ dominated the charts in Europe. Hurricane Katrina attacked Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Pope John II died, Airbus 380 made it first flight, Lance Armstrong won his seventh straight Tour de France, “Me at the Zoo”, was the first movie put on a new videowebsite called “YouTube”.
It was the summer of 2005. It was the summer me and Gonzalo Garcia-Garcia met for the first time. A first squad team player from Real Madrid had the courage to play in the villageteam of AGOVV. And from the first minute there was electricity in the air. A fantastic person, a fantastic player. No wonder we had a fantastic year in AGOVV Apeldoorn. From there we both travelled the world. Both in different directions. But the ties that bound us, where always around us.
It must have been destiny that brought us together in Anorthosis. Unfortunatelly Gonzalo was in Larnaca only on loan from Maccabi Tel Aviv.
When we started to build a new Anorthosis-team for the future, the keyplayer was always Gonzalo. The whole team, all the acquisities made, where done with him in mind. El Magico was always the center of the design. He is a player with extra-ordinairy skills. He is an artist. He has style and grace. Fashion comes and goes, but style always remains.
Gonzalo was very motivated to participate in the Anorthosis-project. There was however one problem. A hudge problem. Gonzalo was still under contract with Maccabi and they where reluctant to let him go. Very reluctant. But with the help of our president mr Christos Poullaides, vice-president mr Frantzeskos Hadjimichael, and Gonzalo’s manager mr Karel van Burik we where finally able to complete the transfer. It took blood, swet and tears.
The greatest contribution however, was made by Gonzalo himself. Although I make it a policy never to speak about amounts, I think Anorthosis-fans should know, Gonzalo made a big, big financial sacrofice to play with us.
Gonzalo and his family, they love Cyprus, they love Anorthosis, they believe in our Project.
And for me, its like this reunion had to be. Call it destiny. Call it faith. I am just happy that the ties that bound us, are still around us.
As Mariah Carey sung in 2005, when we met in Holland: We belong together.
Anorthosis, Gonzalo and me.
Famagusta, Anorthosis will return
Ted van Leeuwen
Technical director
