Pedro, we are the Levant. We are fighters and we are made of a special paste. We shared that feeling every time life hit us hard, but being very clear that despite the many obstacles that appeared in our path, we always looked ahead with a smile. With that force that made us feel indestructible. This is our DNA and always will be. Because in the challenge of fighting against adversity it has been an example. I have learned so much from him that I feel indebted. Because although he told him many times and in our conversations I think he felt it, they were never enough. I will miss him very much for his humanity, for his generosity, for his ability to smile despite suffering and for being an example of love for life.
Pedro showed me that you never had to stop fighting. That you had to be positive. That we had to believe and obey those who would accompany us in our ‘Champions matches’ to end up winning. Because we were both fervent and felt enormous gratitude to our beloved Hematology Department at Hospital La Fe in Valencia. And it is curious that we found smiles on this tortuous path. It was a constant fight, without looking back, with a lot of soldiers at our side. He had me by his side fighting… and I knew I had his unconditional support. That affection that was reflected in December 2014, in the award ceremony for the journalistic awards that Levante UD gave me when they gave me a gift of life. When we remembered that moment, he told me that what filled him the most with joy was to see me radiant, strong, that this was the desire of all those who were there. I received the award as journalist of the year; that was the least of it. The value of that special night was the impulse of his words to continue looking at life squarely and without fear of anything… if life forced us, as it did, to return to battle.
Anyone who has had the privilege of sharing a few minutes, no matter how few, with Pedro Catalán, was a real treat. Like feeling at home. An injection of vitality. One of those people with a capacity for understanding that is often conspicuous by his absence in the world of football. A key figure in the growth of his lifelong club, which he will surely continue to support from heaven and celebrate their promotion to First Division. He did not like to feel like the protagonist and therein lay one of his great virtues and that made him earn the respect of all of us who have had the honor of knowing him. At every moment by his side you understood the value of savoring the small details.
Pedro is going to continue fighting, even though he is no longer with us. And we will keep it in mind. Because her life has been a constant struggle and her energy will endure. The one that I feel every time I read his contribution in my book November 13 or when I review the images of that presentation of my ‘first literary creature’ in our house, in the Ciutat de Valencia, where he once again presented me with his most precious possession: his eternal affection and that unforgettable teaching: we are Levante, we are fighters and we are made of a special paste.
