Spain's drumbeat falls silent as superfan Manolo 'el del Bombo' dies at 76

Manuel Caceres Artesero, better known as Manolo 'El del Bombo' (The drum of Spain), one of Spain's national soccer team's supporters, plays his drum at a hotel in Puerto La Cruz June 6, 2011. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Manuel Caceres, the drum-pounding Spanish football superfan known worldwide as "Manolo el del Bombo", died on Thursday at the age of 76, silencing the rhythmic heartbeat that had accompanied Spanish football for over four decades.

With his trademark oversized Basque beret and red number 12 shirt, Caceres became as much a fixture at Spanish matches as the players themselves - a percussive national treasure whose relentless drumming provided La Roja's unofficial soundtrack.

"My aim is to retire after 12 World Cups, which will make me 77, if Spain qualify for all of them. I'll be there even if I have to go with a walking stick," the Spanish fan told Reuters at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

His love affair with the team began when he first travelled abroad to watch Spain play in Cyprus in 1979. The 1982 World Cup on home soil transformed him from a passionate supporter into a cultural phenomenon, with his drum becoming inextricably linked to the Spanish footballing identity.

Caceres ultimately fell two tournaments short of his ambitious goal, attending a total of 10 World Cups but missing the 2022 showpiece in Qatar. His final appearance came at Valencia's Mestalla stadium during the Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands in March.

"I've given up everything for football - my businesses and everything - but I'm still alive. I'm happy, I can follow Spain wherever I go. What more could I ask for?" he told Reuters at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Such was his fame that the Spanish federation covered his travel and accommodation during the showpiece in Russia, recognising a man whose celebrity often rivalled the players' themselves.

"One of our most loyal fans has passed away, someone who was always with us through thick and thin. We know you'll keep rocking our hearts. Rest in peace, Manolo," the Spanish team wrote on X.

Caceres, who ran a bar opposite the Mestalla stadium for more than 30 years, made big personal and financial sacrifices in service to what he called the great passion of his life: his national team.