Football News: Hugo Duro’s debut at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia was heartbreaking for the young attacker. However, in just a few years, the 22-year-old has become a hero among Valencia fans. Duro is now Los Che’s third top scorer in all competitions this season, with six goals in LaLiga Santander and two in the Copa del Rey. His journey to the team’s starting lineup was unusual, but he is now the team’s third top scorer across all competitions.
Duro first offered Valencia fans something to cheer about during the 2018/19 Copa del Rey, albeit unintentionally. Getafe, the striker’s boyhood club, was in the competition’s quarter-finals at the time, and the Azulones were ready to advance on away goals at Mestalla. As Jorge Molina took a shot that may have ended the tie, his own teammate Duro was in the way and accidentally blocked it, allowing Valencia to score and advance. Valencia went on to win the title that season. Miguel angel Román’s “Tocó en Hugo Duro” – “It Hit Hugo Duro” – comments became famous, and his name was inadvertently inscribed in Valencia history.
Duro took the loss in the Copa del Rey worse than others. He was only 19 years old at the time, and it was his ninth appearance for Getafe, the club he grew up supporting and whose academy he joined when he was five years old. Some young players may never have fully recovered from such a setback. He is, nevertheless, as tough as they come; in fact, his surname means “rough.”
He maintained working hard, mixing training with his mechanical engineering studies, and he helped Getafe qualify for the 2019/20 Europa League, bringing the club back to the continental competition Duro had previously seen from the stands of the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
Duro had established himself as one of Getafe coach José Bordalás’ favourite players before the end of the COVID-interrupted 2019/20 season. Despite this, Duro was loaned to Real Madrid’s Castilla for the 2020/21 season to play for the club’s reserve squad. Duro improved his game and became a more sophisticated attacker while working under Spanish superstar Ral, scoring 12 goals in 20 appearances for Castilla. Zinedine Zidane rewarded Duro’s efforts by giving him three starts with Real Madrid’s first squad, including a Champions League knockout encounter against Atalanta.
Duro was one of the clear rising talents of Spanish football by the summer of 2021. His rights remained with Getafe, but he was loaned out once more when Bordalás moved to Valencia. Castilla’s return to Real Madrid was considered, and it could have happened if the young forward had achieved promotion to LaLiga SmartBank, but Getafe looked at other options and discovered that their previous coach was eager to work with him again. Bordalás and Duro eventually teamed up, but not until Duro had already played for Geta against Valencia on the season’s first day.
When the transfer was confirmed, Valencia put together a creative social media campaign to announce his signing, with the commentator Miguel Ángel Román recreating his famous line to tell fans of Los Che that “Now he’s going to hit it for you.” Duro was on board with the idea, as he knows that moments like that have made him stronger.
