The two cousins (and rivals) who get along best in the League

GironaApril 4, 2023, at San Mamés. Extra time is being played in the Copa del Rey semi-final between Athletic Club and Osasuna. In the 115th minute, Pablo Ibáñez, then playing for Osasuna, scores the decisive goal that sends the Navarrese side to the final. He dedicates the goal to his cousin, the young Hugo Rincón, who was playing for Bilbao Athletic at the time and was in the stands. They created the emotional image of the day, captured by cameras embracing in a flood of tears, a moment that quickly went viral. This Monday, they will face each other for the second time in La Liga in the Alavés-Girona match at Mendizorrotza (9 p.m., Movistar LaLiga). The first time was in the Montilivi match in November. Today, they share the dream that both have fulfilled.

"My family was at the stadium. When the match ended, Hugo called me from the stands. I went over, we hugged, and we were both overcome with emotion. Seeing them all together made me break down, and Hugo knows how hard I've worked since I was a kid. A little more composed, he elaborated on his family feelings. "I have a very good relationship with him. I really enjoy being with my family; we organize lunches and dinners all the time. It was a very emotional moment; the hug we shared will stay with me forever. It did cross my mind that maybe they were recording it and saying something to him, which, because of my experience, I'll never forget." It was the midfielder's first goal for Osasuna, who couldn't lift the title and lost the final against Real Madrid (2-1).

modest football

The origins of Hugo Rincón (2003), on loan to Montilivi from Athletic Club, and Pablo Ibáñez (1998), who joined Alavés this season, lie in Valtierra, a town of 2,500 inhabitants in Navarre, where Natalia and Rebeca Lumbres, children and nephews, grew up. Interestingly, despite spending afternoons and holidays together throughout their lives, the cousins ​​have never played together at the same club: when Rincón joined Osasuna's youth academy, Ibáñez left because he didn't make the cut. Ibáñez's story is one of a survivor, having had to rebuild his career at modest clubs like Mutilvera and San Juan before reaching the top flight. Alavés manager Eduardo Coudet has given him 18 starts in the 24 league matches. He has never played with such consistency in La Liga as he has now.

Rincón is just making his debut in the top flight after standing out last year in the Segunda División as a right-back for Mirandès, who narrowly missed out on promotion. He's gaining traction with Míchel, especially in the final stretch, due to the squad changes forced by injuries, which have shifted Arnau Martínez from midfield to center-back and left-back. The gap on the right flank, therefore, is being filled by the player from Navarre, who has started five of the last six matches and even provided two assists.

His cousin has scored a goal, provided an assist, and tried to bring him to Vitoria with him in the summer. "I'm constantly pressuring him to come," he said at his introductory press conference, under the watchful eye of sporting director Sergio Fernández, who quickly grabbed the microphone to say that "it wasn't a priority." However, Rincón ended up at Montilivi, attracted by Míchel's style of play. "I didn't even hesitate. From the first call, I wanted to come to Girona and I want to make the most of it." This Monday night, Rincón, Ibáñez, and the whole family will experience a very special evening.