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Hillborough anniversary quotes from xabi alonso

PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 3:04 pm
by Sabre
I think it fits this section. In normal font, the article translated, in bold font, Xabis quotes. Source Marca.

I try to translate the best I can, but this journo has horrible spanish, so it's a bit more difficult to get things right:

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This is about how Xabi Alonso lived the 20th anniversary and the tribute to the 96 victims of Hillsborough. It's quite shocking what he tells us when he answer a phone call.


Still hurting being out of the CL because of Chelsea, Xabi Alonso answered kindly our phone call. The San Sebastian (Donostiarra) midfielder couldn't suppress his emotions when he starts talking about the tragedy in which 96 supporters lost their life.

"We reached the stadium by bus and I personally didn't expect so much people. Every April the 15th a conmemoration is celebrated, and they come around 7000 or 8000 supporters, but what I witnessed yesterday was incredible and tremendously touching. They told us that there were around 30000 people in the stands. THe Kop and the Main Stand were crowded. The organisation of the event, the club, and the relatives of the victims didn't expect such an answer" Xabi said.

The ex Real Sociedad man, who occupied one of the seats reserved in The Kop for the members of the current squad, couldn't stop showing his awe for what he witnessed on Wednesday

"One of the things that caught my attention most is that they keep asking Justice for the 96. It surprises me a lot that certain details have been unvealed and known about that tragedy, and 20 years later, there are no answers to this at all" Claims the Spanish International

For Liverpool's number 14, the excellent response of the supporters -- among the crowd there was the off Everton fan, Liverpool's archenemy -- is explained knowing the British character.

"The truth is that the English take a lot of care abot those details (as in tributes, gestures). That's something to highlight, and something to respect, by the way (this by the way means clearly we should learn of them). For instance, they kept two minutes of silence instead of one to give the act more respect even"

"Kenny Dalglish, who in the game against Nottingham was a player manager, had a main role in the event. In the stands there were present legends like THompson and Hansen"

"Conmemoration acts like this tell a lot about the soul of this club and how tradition is respected anywhere in the Islands (we often reffer in Spanish to UK+Ireland as simply the Islands)" ends Xabi Alonso

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Context of the article: The conmemoration acts of Hillsborough have occupied important space in our press, both sport press and general press. Also TV. It has been quite an impact, and this call to Xabi is to try to explain the Spanish fans why is it.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:55 pm
by J*o*n*D*o*e
cheers Sabre