From Bahía to Orriols: the story of Alberto, the 'granota' from Ilhéus (Brazil)

More than 7,000 kilometers away from the Ciutat de València, the Levante spirit beats strongly in the heart of Brazil. GAMBEA and Levante UD come together to tell the exciting story of Alberto, a Brazilian whose passion for the granota team survived an injury, time, and distance.

Football has the magical ability to create unbreakable bonds. This is the premise of the new video jointly produced by GAMBEA and Levante UD, which takes us to the town of Ilhéus, in the state of Bahia (Brazil). You can watch the video at this link. 

The shattered dream of 1973

To understand this connection, we must go back to the 1973/74 season. At that time, Alberto left his native Brazil to settle in Valencia with his mother and sister. Like so many other Brazilian children, talent with the ball ran through his veins. He played so well that the echoes of his dribbles reached the offices of Levante UD, who did not hesitate to call him for a trial.

It seemed like the beginning of a success story, but fate had other plans: an untimely and serious injury prevented him from taking that trial, shattering his dream of wearing the Levante jersey on the pitch. Alberto could not become a player, but he became a lifelong granota.

A love that withstands kilometers

Over the years, life took Alberto back to Brazil, but he never forgot the club that gave him that opportunity. Proof of this love is that, since then, he has crossed the ocean twice to sit in the stands of the Ciutat de València to watch his Levante UD play live.

The anecdote in the Ilhéus store

Today, Alberto runs a construction materials store in Ilhéus, a paradisiacal corner of Brazil. There, thousands of kilometers away from the Orriols neighborhood, it is common to see him attending to his customers wearing the Levante jersey.

In fact, his passion led to one of the most curious anecdotes he recounts in the GAMBEA video: one day, a Catalan tourist visiting the store was left speechless upon seeing him proudly wearing the Valencian team's crest.

A tribute to the fans

With this video, GAMBEA and Levante UD want to pay tribute to those anonymous fans whose stories elevate football. Alberto is the perfect example that the granota spirit knows no borders, categories, or distances.

The full video of Alberto's story from Ilhéus is now available on the social media channels of Levante UD and GAMBEA.