For anyone unfamiliar with futsal, news of the recent retirement of Spanish veteran Kike may well have gone unnoticed. Yet, the former player’s career stats, while never of great importance to the man himself, would be the envy of any sportsman: in 19 seasons as a professional, he played 170 times for his country and graced the finals of four FIFA Futsal World Cups, winning two of them. Then there are his five European crowns, not to mention a host of titles at club level.
Known as el Eterno Capitán, (the Eternal Captain), Kike Boned was already his country’s most capped player when he called time on his international career after Spain’s defeat to Brazil in the final of the Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012. Now, at 36, he has finally hung up his boots, bowing out as one of the sport’s all-time greats - a reputation earned not just because of his achievements as a defender for club and country, but also for his contribution to the development of the game.
For all that, the man from Valencia never lost his humility. Asked whether he would rather see the words ‘legend’ or ‘legacy’ applied to his career, he did not hesitate for a second. “I appreciate both of them but I prefer ‘legacy’ more,” he told FIFA.com with typical cordiality. “It means that you leave something behind, that you look more at the game as a whole than just yourself. I respect our sport so much that I’ve always thought about what was good for futsal ahead of what was good for me,” he said.
An example of this selflessness is the story behind Kike Boned: el ídolo inteligente, the book published in early 2014 about his 13 years with ElPozo Murcia, his third and final club. “When the project was suggested to me, my first response was no, as I didn’t feel it would be right to be the subject of a book and put myself out there, having always tried to be discreet.
"But then a team-mate said to me: ‘Every sport has books about it, except futsal.’ In terms of what it could mean for the game, I looked at it as another way of opening up the sport and so agreed to it – even to the title. That said, I’ve never seen myself as an ‘intelligent idol’; I’ve always done things normally in my career, and that’s how I’d like it remembered,” he insisted.
Recognition and comparisons Among the various tributes that followed his retirement was the announcement that he would become an Ambassador for the Spanish National Futsal League (LNFS). Kike was presented with the title by Javier Lozano, the esteemed coach who handed him his national team debut in 1998 and under whom he won the 2000 and 2004 World Cups in Guatemala and Chinese Taipei.
The role will see Kike collaborate in upcoming futsal projects, where his image can only help broaden the game’s appeal and practice. “It’s a long-term challenge and will act as a role model. He can show us how to keep growing by applying his personal values to the sport,” enthused Lozano, currently president of the LNSF.
For its part, FIFA presented Kike with a miniature replica of the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy in honour of his distinguished career. That same career is also a central theme of a documentary on futsal currently in production. Indeed his own sister is part of the production team, which is seeking financial backing to get the project aired. However, outside of the futsal community, the impact of his retirement has been much less noticeable.
As you might expect, the man himself is not making a big thing of the coverage, or lack of it, in the mainstream media. “Within futsal we overcame our sense of inferiority and constant need to vindicate ourselves some time ago. The key is to analyse what my retirement means for futsal, not to the world of sport, which is vast and not always fair in every respect. In that sense, my career has been very justly recognised,” said Kike, who believes that “records are there to be broken”.
Asked by FIFA.com to assess his retirement in the context of that of Xavi and Xabi Alonso, two former icons of the Spanish national football team, Kike said: “While they deserved to bow out with a better World Cup, it’s also true that we should all try to ensure that the achievements of an entire career are valued, and not just look at results. A career is much more than that, and those guys deserve every recognition.”
Fresh priorities As for his future plans, will he be trying to pass on his wealth of experience from the bench? “Coaching does not appeal to me right now. It’s been 20 years and I need to put a little distance between myself and the pitch, and look at some other aspects of my life. My family has now become my priority,” said Kike, who divides his time between his three children and managing sporting facilities in Murcia.
Yet the 36-year-old, who wrote a blog during Thailand 2012 to have a record of the World Cup and who is known to use Facebook only to publicise the most dramatic moments of his career, knows that futsal will always play a part in his life. “Being made ambassador has formalised a role which I will try to carry out with humility, although it will be weird doing it in a suit and tie rather than shorts and a sweatshirt. However, I’ll never stop supporting this sport, even if sometimes I’ll have to do it from the stands,” he concluded.