Morning brought a heavy air for the players. Legs felt heavier than usual, the kind of heaviness that signals more than just fitness. There’s always another challenge ahead—the next one. On this day at Nuevo Pepico Amat, the plan was simple in name yet grueling in practice. There was no tunnel ritual, no scent of freshly watered grass, no heel taps echoing under the stand. Inside, the press room was packed with memories, friends, and family. The quiet moment before the first whistle belonged to Ivan Forte, the steady captain who has steered the club through three ascents with a quiet professionalism and a friendly warmth. Facing the mirror, he admitted how hard it was to say, in that moment, that he had arrived at this point—that he had earned his place here.
The midfielder has left his hometown club after living a personal dream. Deportivo, a club once shadowed by controversy and near collapse, faced a precarious future under previous leadership. Yet, the remarkable comeback of the franchise’s most passionate supporters, embodied by Forte, helped revive the team. Pascual Pérez built a project around the emotional bond Forte inspired, leaning on the reunion of personalities that had carried the club through challenging days. Now, everything seemed bright, a little glamorous, and a lot hopeful. It was time for the veteran captain to lean into the team’s renewed energy.
With an eager, restless voice and thoughts racing, Forte managed to communicate gratitude to the directive and, above all, to sporting director Manu Guill for letting him chase what his heart believed in. The moment felt sudden, overwhelming, and intensely real. “I also want to thank all my teammates and the coaching staff because without them this would not have been possible,” he said, his tone carrying both humility and resolve.
It is a farewell that resonates with the years. Forte joined Eldense in 2020, and his first words spoke of a kid’s dream—playing for a club he had long admired. “Since my parents enrolled me at six or seven years old, it’s the only team I’ve played with in every category,” he explained, highlighted by the unwavering support of his family since school days.
The 181-centimeter midfielder reflected on a bittersweet moment when discussing his departure with his daughter. When he told her he would not continue as a player at Eldense, she cried out that it could not be because she had been captain and the team needed him. The scene underscored the deep personal ties that thread through his career.
The Alicante-born player spoke honestly about endings and beginnings: “Everything has a start and an end, and my end has arrived.” He noted Eldense’s future was in capable hands, a sentiment echoed by Manu Guill, who received heartfelt applause from the room as Forte finished his speech with tears. “Aupa Deportivo!”
In his farewell remarks, Forte recalled that the club always wanted him to stay, and he explained that he felt capable of continuing to play, perhaps at a different level. His current aim is to contribute to a new project where he can make a meaningful impact. He acknowledged that joining Eldense was part of an ambitious plan, one that exceeded even his own expectations. He reflected on promotions achieved with the team, noting that three promotions stand as milestones in a career that has seen many ups and downs but never lost its childlike dream of success. He praised the leadership and the club’s ambition, even as injuries limited his presence on the pitch in the later seasons.
On Eldense’s upcoming season, anticipation grows as the club announces season-ticket sales for LaLiga Hypermotion starting Thursday. The atmosphere in the room carried a sense of forward momentum, and Forte’s memory seemed to illuminate the path ahead for the entire squad.
Speaking about pivotal moments, Forte recalled the decisive goal he scored for Sestao River in the closing stages of the Primera RFEF promotion fight. He humbly claimed that the goal was the product of collective effort rather than a solo triumph: “We all scored that goal; I was just in the right place at the right time.” He added that the dream of seeing Eldense in Episode Two kept fueling the team, and he celebrated three major milestones the club had reached in recent seasons.
He spoke of the distinct nature of each promotion. The first one carried a sense of relief with minimal resources. The second marked a more comprehensive success as the club secured promotion through the First RFEF, accompanied by a tough year that made the triumph even more meaningful. For the third achievement, his words carried modesty, yet he used it to reaffirm the lifelong dream he has cherished since childhood. The captain admitted that injuries had limited his influence in the most recent seasons, but his leadership remained a cornerstone of Eldense’s resilience as they entered a higher division after more than six decades.
Eldense begins selling season tickets for LaLiga Hypermotion on Thursday
Caesar Hernandez
When discussing the decisive goal at Sestao River a year earlier, Forte highlighted the shared effort that produced the moment. The entire squad had a hand in that victory, and he reiterated the dream of seeing Eldense advance to the next phase. The captain looked back on three major milestones, emphasizing that each one carried its own weight and meaning for the club and its supporters. He noted the sense of achievement and the emotional significance of the promotions, which have helped reshape the club’s trajectory and its standing in Spanish football.
As Forte reflected on his journey with Eldense, he acknowledged that the club had given him more than chance. It granted him a platform to grow, to lead, and to celebrate together with teammates who became family. The farewell underscored the belief that the club would continue to thrive under strong leadership and a shared sense of purpose.