Late January 1957. Ripoll changes the Vallejo stadium for Atlético de Madrid's Metropolitano. The azulgrana club reaches an agreement with the leaders of the colchonero entity for the transfer of the goalkeeper. The 1956-1957 league season advances relentlessly, and the goalkeeper from Alzira takes on a new challenge in his professional career. Atlético de Madrid symbolizes the elite of national football. That operation today serves as a powerful connecting thread for the VIP Box exhibition at the Ciutat de València on the occasion of the match between Levante UD and Atlético de Madrid.

A January full of questions

January 1957 was full of questions for the goalkeeper. An undisputed starter at Levante, which had returned to the Silver category, his name crossed the borders of Vallejo to venture into other horizons. Sevilla and Atlético de Madrid compete for his services. The framework of the First Division emerges on the horizon. Ripoll is on the rise in the football market.

The stance of Levante

Levante is not unaware of this circumstance. The institution presided over by Antonio Román has its cards on the table. The departure of Ripoll could ease the strained accounts of the club from Vallejo. It is a good opportunity from an economic perspective and also a personal one due to the goalkeeper's aspirations for promotion in the football ecosystem.

The last match in Vallejo

Atlético de Madrid finalizes the signing in the last days of January. On Sunday, January 27, Ripoll steps onto the Vallejo field to defend the goal of the granota team. Opposite them is Mestalla. The match count for Ripoll in the 56-57 season with the blue and red jersey ends at the conclusion of that duel. Just a few days later, the Valencian press echoes the transfer of the goalkeeper to the capital of Spain following the announced agreement with Atlético de Madrid.

A round trip

In December 1957, with the 57-58 season underway, Ripoll returns to Levante on loan. The agreement reached between clubs states that the player will return to Atlético de Madrid at the end of the league season. However, in June 1958, Ripoll meets with Atlético's officials to extend his contractual relationship with Levante. In fact, Ripoll will remain linked to Levante until the conclusion of the 1959-1960 season.

The documentation of the exhibit

The exhibit showcases documentation of this story. There are documents with the Atlético de Madrid letterhead that seal the established alliance and the goalkeeper's loan contract from December 1957. The exhibit includes documentation related to Ripoll's stay at Levante and photos of the goalkeeper wearing the blue and red jersey.