There are moments of Alberto Zapater’s life that feel worthy of film.
The obvious hook, like the red muleta of a bullfighter, is to begin with the tale of a local boy joining Real Zaragoza, a football club wreathed in past glories. There’d be a nod to his first professional match against Valencia at 19 years old and a frame of him winning the Spanish Supercopa — his only trophy to date — three days later. The camera would surely capture his trials in La Liga, his battles versus greats like Ronaldinho and his gummy smile. And the director wouldn't miss his time at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, a tournament where the young midfielder played alongside future World Cup winners such as David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas and challenged an Argentinian prodigy by the name of Lionel Messi in the quarter-finals. Zapater’s play in that tournament impressed one Diego Maradona so much that he nicknamed him “El Toro,” a nod to the midfielder’s bullish drive.
There's a reason, adressing members of the media 48 hours before the CPL Final, that Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía speaks of Zapater like a cinephile might of their favourite film: he has that something special that deserves respect, a true toro with horns to match.
"We have the privilege to share with him and learn about him," Mejía said Friday. "I think that we have the privilege to share (the final) with the most important player in the history of this league, the career that he's had is incredible."
But there are 20 years that separate Zapater’s beginnings from his present, moments to be further squeezed for colour across a career that’s spanned Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia and now Canada. There’s Real Zaragoza’s bid for the Copa del Rey in 2006 — a run that saw Los Blanquillos trample Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid before falling in the final. Zapater also experienced the bitterness of relegation and the joys of promotion and had his name sung by thousands of supporters, their blue and white scarves held aloft, as he bid farewell to his home stadium of La Romareda, having been sold to Genoa. He donned shirts for Sporting Lisbon and Lokomotiv Moscow as his career continued to evolve but returned to his first love in 2016 to great fanfare, with Real Zaragoza supporters flocking to greet their returning captain.
It’s that same fanfare, and devotion for his boyhood club, that caused Zapater to cross the Atlantic Ocean in search of his next adventure. He had options in Spain but couldn’t bear the thought of playing for another club at home other than Real Zaragoza, who honoured him as “eternal captain” when he departed in 2023.
His arrival to the Canadian Premier League began as a whisper, with reports overseas hinting at a move to Atlético Ottawa. It’s a fitting jump, in hindsight, given the club’s Spanish influence and ambitions, led first by general manager Fernando López and now by Manuel Vega, to build a strong culture that's blossomed since the veteran midfielder’s arrival. Somehow, Zapater has already made 72 appearances for Atlético Ottawa, playing a pivotal part on and off the pitch well past his 40th birthday. He had planned to stay for six months but stayed for three years.
So, when the club announced Zapater’s intentions to retire in early October, he noted his feelings of thanks for a memorable end to a footballing career that began 6,000 kilometres away but found new meaning in Ottawa.
“To see how Atlético and soccer have grown fills me with pride,” he said. “I only wish I could’ve come sooner and given even more.”
But Zapater’s story isn’t over.
Nearly 20 years after he hoisted the Spanish Supercopa as a teenager, he has the chance to lift another trophy on Sunday with Atlético Ottawa as they battle for the North Star Cup versus Cavalry FC. It’s fitting, too, that his career will end at TD Place, surrounded by fans and family, playing the game that’s consumed his life since he was a boy in Ejea de los Caballeros, an hour’s drive from the stadium where he’d become a Los Blanquillos legend. He's always been a player for the people.
And the "eternal captain" is as hungry as he's ever been.
"Today, Zapa trained for as a kid. He want to play. He want to win," said Mejía.
His impact, of course, has already been felt by the nation’s capital; it’s just a matter of turning on the camera one last time to catch Zapater and his teammates competing for a championship. It remains to be seen if he’ll have the storybook ending, filled with champagne and celebration. But there’s no doubt he will leave as the most storied player in CPL history.
Sunday at TD Place, win or lose, will be the last dance of “El Toro.”
