LEGENDS: The Home of Football, presented by LALIGA, will add a valuable item to its collection: the jersey worn by Kirian Rodríguez in the first match he played after recovering, for the first time, from his illness. This took place on April 30, 2023, in the match between Real Zaragoza and UD Las Palmas at La Romareda stadium. The Canarian player, who continues to battle the illness, is donating this symbolic jersey, which served as a source of motivation during his recovery and healing process.
The handover took place at the Barranco Seco Sports City in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where the player expressed gratitude for being able to connect with football fans through his jersey: “For me, this jersey means being fully healed. No matter that I had been medically cleared—until the day I stepped back onto the pitch, I didn’t feel like I had fully regained my life,” he said.
Laura Valdeolivas, CEO of LEGENDS, highlighted the significance of Kirian Rodríguez’s jersey: “His story represents the values that LEGENDS aims to showcase: effort, perseverance, and resilience. It is an honor for us to preserve such a meaningful moment and share it with everyone who visits the museum.”
For Kirian, and also for LEGENDS, this piece will serve as an inspiration not only to football fans who come to see it at the LEGENDS space, but also to all those who are going through the same journey that the Las Palmas captain is still overcoming: “I believe life is too beautiful to stop fighting for it, to stop believing in living every day with your family and teammates,” he added.
The LEGENDS: The Home of Football collection is a project that brings together the most important football heritage in history, with more than 5,000 items. The collection includes memorabilia from all international competitions over the past 100 years, including those of UEFA, FIFA, CONMEBOL, and the Olympic Games, as well as national competitions like LALIGA.