Among the passionate adventures that are sometimes saved from oblivion because of how extraordinary or heroic they proved to be in their time, but whose true value is often rewarded years later, after their death, Nita, the first Spanish football player in history to be considered a heretic for the idyll that he kept a secret with football, the great love of his life.
Anita Carmona Ruiz was born on May 16, 1908, in the trendy Capuchinos neighborhood of Málaga. She was the youngest daughter of a dockworker and a housewife. She waited for her father to leave work, watching the beautiful sunset, which can be seen on the shores of the Mediterranean with her brothers most afternoons. While everyone was staring at this gorgeous sight, Nita turned her attention to some burly foreigners from the UK who had been hitting a leather ball at the end of their workday while playing a sport called football.
He was so intrigued by that shocking game that as the days passed, he settled in there. brave girl who wants to be a part of the game. He did little favor on his father, who punished him daily for participating in this vulgar male entertainment.
But he was growing under the ball’s spell and in youth it was very common to see her play On the promenade near the artillery barracks, he eventually joined the newly formed Sporting de Málaga at the hands of his great supporter, the parish priest Francisco Míguez Fernández. As his closest friends say, Don Francisco – he would eventually be blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 – was a true fan of this sport.
nita I would start as a masseuse’s assistant Juanito Marteache from the club, even from doing the laundry, winning the love of the team and getting him to attend the matches, yes, those who are away from home so as not to arouse suspicion.
His tricks were supposed to go unnoticed and Nita could play football. cut your hair to the maximum, dress like a man and put tight bandages on your chest To hide her feminine physiognomy, she also had to adopt the male nickname ‘Veleta’ to carry out her plan to play ‘anti-gender’ football. What things!
This method was not entirely effective, because envious of most of his rivals to see him play face to faceThey ratted him out. Added to all these inconveniences was the fact that her uncle was a family doctor and constantly claimed that what he was doing was damaging her body structure, so when Nita refused to follow this advice, they sent her to some people’s homes for a while. Relatives from Vélez-Málaga so she can forget that “unhealthy vice”.
This temporary exile would only benefit more freedom and enroll in the ranks of the Veleño team, moving forward with his dream of becoming a football player, a place where he could have some quiet fun for a while. his biggest passion.
However, a new obstacle would soon appear before him. And with the establishment of the Southern Football Association and the Local Referee Board, that dream would be shattered again, as its statutes were radically forbidden for any women to play in men’s competition. In fact, especially in games played on Segalerva, with the definite intent that Nita would no longer step onto a playing field, some city guards were ordered to be on guard should Nita show up. terrible situation but never satisfied with hitting the ball.
With the help of her biggest supporters, the priests, Nita continued to play until the start of the Civil War, when everything turned to hell. He died in 1940, barely over thirty, a victim of a fever caused by a bacterium also known as “tick typhus.” On his deathbed, Sporting de Málaga was in his shirt. thus fulfilling his last will, he was buried in the San Rafael cemetery, surrounded by some of his relatives, friends, and colleagues who praised him over and over. bravery for elevating him to the level of a legend for his heroism, as he was able to challenge the system that prevailed at that time.
“He managed to take pictures with the Sporting jersey, the club of his life.” “Photos were a luxury back then. They were worth money and very valuable. But Anita, to avoid arousing suspicion, The photo was taken at carnivals. He said he dressed like a football player.“, says the journalist from Veleño Jesús Hurtado, who made this incredible idyll story between a woman and football be forgotten to be forgotten.