The signing of Gravesenby Real Madrid in the winter market of the season 2004-2005 equally surprised the specialized press and fans. An erratic Real Madrid and complexed by the push of the eternal rival, Despite the financial outlay orchestrated by Florentino Pérez from the offices, he had an urgent need to add order and forcefulness to his core, to release all offensive talent from burdens (and much more media) with which he had armed. The coaching staff looked at a player who did not fit within the label of the "galactics", but he had shown in the Everton that of forcefulness and physical commitment he knew for a while. A) Yes, and with the label of rough player and "peculiar" character in equal parts, Danish Thomas Gravessen arrived at the merengue club to add character.
It happened in the winter market, Y nor the player himself believed it. His agent contacted him to discuss the "possibility of signing for Madrid" and Gravessen thought he was referring to Atlético; ”the real Madrid?”, I ask, "impossible". After consulting with David Moyes, Everton coach at the time, and receive your approval, the player did not hesitate sign without asking questions or putting no but. One of his biggest dreams was coming true and, as I well knew, “The occasion while the sun shines”.
Madrid needs a “bregador”
Upon completion of the remaining half of that season, Barcelona won the title after a hard dispute with the meringues, and the madridistas appealed to Brazilian magic to face the 2005-2006. The bench continued to be for Vanderlei Luxembourg and Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo welcomed their compatriots with joy Julio Baptist Y Robinho. The latter came with the promise of shading Ronaldinho's magic (it never happen) although he would be remembered more for the famous "cucaracha”, but Gravesen I would remember him for a fist fight in which the Brazilian did not start precisely as a favorite. The "Real Brasil", also, said goodbye to Figo and Owen: the first came out with the hobby idol band; the second one did it bittersweet, with the frustration of not having lived up to the expectations awakened.
At Current Madrid, second favorite to reach the title of LaLiga and a regular among the favorites in Oddschecker Weekly Forecasts, Gravesen I would have had it very difficult, not impossible, to get a hole in the squad, but in season 2005-2006 the coaching staff decided that Danish rudeness was just what he needed a template considered as “mix” and began to gain a presence in the team. What nobody expected is that "the ogre” (The "Shrek”, if you prefer) was to remain in the memory of the hobby thanks to a unique dribble, great as life and that just a outsideras he could have created. Even Zidane himself could not have imagined a gesture like the one his partner devised (and better that way, because it would have been difficult for the Frenchman's left leg to come out unscathed after the bankruptcy).
Don't blink or you will miss it: the “gravesinha” is born
The 15 of January of 2006, the world would attend a stunned historical moment. Gravesen, perhaps influenced by the show that Zinedine Zidane was giving on the pitch, decided to contribute his grain of sand to the show who lived in the Bernabéu (Madrid won 4-2 in that match, with three goals of which now occupies the white bench): the Dane still faces a rival, try to change direction and what seemed like a stumbling block becomes a dribble never seen before after bouncing on his left knee and restarting the race. Where others would have said goodbye to their ligament, meniscus or patella, there was only a small bloody cut that the player was slow to notice.
The Day after found a reef in this dribble and gave us one of the funniest videos in the history of the show, a timeless classic with which it was impossible to contain the laughter. If you missed it and still believe a dribble can't have comic potential, take a look at the video below.
Goodbye, grass; Hello, Las Vegas
The season would end with Barcelona as champion and Madrid, to ten points, in second position. Gravesen would never rejoin white discipline after that campaign and landed at Celtic Glasgow. I would only stay there for a year, and then return to Everton. Finally, with only 32 years and with many difficulties to find a competitive team in which to play, decided to hang up his boots and change the course of his life. Focused on the world of investing, where he achieved a profit estimated at 110 millions of dollars and changed his residence to a mansion in Las Vegas of more than six million euros, alongside stars like Steffi Graf, André Agassi o Nicolas Cage.
Poker became one of his passions. In the book MadDogGravesen, written by Christopher Sweeney, one of the most recommended footballer biographies of how many have been written, Are detailed million dollar games (we talk about tens of millions) and a life of luxury and excess that broke in a thousand pieces that vital philosophy that had led him to look for a job at an auto parts store with the intention of finding a routine that brings stability to your life. In his own words, that work gave him the certainty that the alarm clock "would ring the next day". In Las Vegas, Gravesen changed the alarm clock for endless parties and a life of a Hollywood star uncontrolled.
He was associated with numerous models, actresses and famous television, between them Kira Eggersen Y Kamila Fuck, and the eccentricities that we were used to in the field, both in games and in training, they moved to the Sin City night, but those are stories for tabloids. We stay with that magical moment, an instant that lasted just a few seconds, but that made an entire country smile and turned this "crazy dog”In one of the most loved and remembered players by all soccer lovers.
