At the conclusion of the Vallecas game, Sergi Darder felt a mixture of anguish and happiness. Curled up in a towel, trembling from the tears that absorbed him, the Espanyol captain shed a few tears that correspond to a love relationship of the kind that reconciles the fan with football. The agony that the magician from Artà had experienced throughout the game, and in the last week after the defeat and subsequent pitch invasion against Barça, turned into anger and, finally, into relief and joy. He suffers like few Darder for his team, and the pain he feels on the pitch at every lost ball or every conceded goal can be seen with the naked eye.
Against Rayo he lived another difficult afternoon, he still has three more to go, although thanks to him this time he had a happy ending. He scored the first goal and the passion with which he celebrated it nearly ripped the shield off his shirt. He also starred in the play of the second. A zigzag between several rivals and a shot to the squad that ran into the post so that Melamed could score.
But all this made him absolutely physically depleted. Around the thirty minute mark, the midfielder suffered a hard challenge. Quickly, Brian Oliván made gestures to the bench to ask for the change. Darder was stiff. He limped on his right leg. Luis GarcÃa ordered Keidi Bare and Expósito to warm up. But Darder held on. Limping and sore, but he held on.
The captain (242 games and 25 goals) is the extension of the entity on the field. Crib parakeet, he has more internalized than anyone the blue and white feeling. He knows better than anyone what the failure of the descent means, that’s why he doesn’t waste an ounce of energy on anything other than avoiding it. The previous one cost him a depression from which he came out, after much grief, much stronger. He now fights bare-chested against everything and everyone to avoid that condemnation. Nothing fears personally. He has committed himself beyond football with the shirt he represents. And that is what over the years has made him an idol and almost a prophet in Cornellà .
If it weren’t for him, Espanyol would probably already be in the Second Division. He is not the top scorer (he has scored six goals), but his goals have come at essential moments. Like in Elche at the end of February, when Diego MartÃnez gave his last blows. Somewhat of his, he defeated the bottom team in the addition and gave light to the team to add three key points. Before, he had scored at the Wanda Metropolitano (1-1) and in the draw (2-2) against Valencia in Cornellà . Later he did it against Real Sociedad and Athletic, but in both games Espanyol lost.
“They are crazy. I would not have come (to Vallecas). After the host that we got the other day in the derby (2-4), today we deserved zero people hereâ€. Darder did not understand that his faith was shared. But it is precisely his dedication that still moves the blue and white fans.
