A unique Madrid-Atleti family

Update: Jun 21st, 2019 07:49 EDT

The first time I saw Marcos' father, Paco Llorente Gento, play he was dressed in red and white. He was in the Atlético youth team and he was all the rage at the Calderón. He was their great attraction. No less a nephew of Gento showing off his skills at Atlético with his unstoppable speed. By that point, Decree 1006 was in place, whereby any transfer to another club involved the court assessing the compensation due. But Llorente, guided by the company Dorna, inserted a 'termination clause' into his contract, one that said he could leave for 50 million pesetas. Mendoza paid that and took the boy to Madrid.

A red and white dynasty

Marcos Llorente joins dad and grandfather in playing for both Real and Atlético Madrid

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Llorente-Grosso: like grandfather, like father...

Years later, Paco Llorente married the daughter of Ramón Moreno Grosso, a prominent member of Madrid's famous ye-yé... The first time I saw Grosso play was also when he wore the stripes, against Murcia in 63-64. Top scorer at Madrid's youth team, he had half a season in the Plus Ultra, but Atlético were going through such a lean patch that they requested his loan to them for the second half of the season. In that debut game, which was televised, he scored the winning goal with a bicycle kick and Atleti began to emerge from their depression. At the end of the season he would return to Madrid, to play a long and exemplary career. Sadly, he died at a young age.

Llorente: ...like son

So his grandfather and father played for Atlético, as well as for Madrid. Now, the young Marcos Llorente, a player Zidane does not rate highly enough, is going to cross that road but in reverse to create a rare family trio. Three generations having a presence in the two capital teams. His arrival had been very much requested by Simeone some time ago and he comes in to compensate for the departure of Rodrigo, who will join Guardiola at City, a club with deep pockets. Atlético are pleased to have him, and he is happy to be there, because even though he was a Madridista from birth, something stayed with him having seen in the family album his father and grandfather in rojiblanco stripes.