FAN STORY: Pablo Olivas -Rally driver and VCF aficionado

Pablo Olivas' passion for Valencia CF came to the fore in one of the proudest moments of his sporting career. The rally driver completed the famous Dakar event last month, and showed the club's Centenary shirt whilst on the podium.

On his return to Spanish soil, Olivas was invited to Mestalla, where he talked with VCF ambassador Miguel Tendillo about the experience and his longstanding support for Valencia CF.

"Me showing the shirt came about because I was packing my suitcase and decided to take it with me. On Stage 12, which is the last one, we'd been repairing the car after problems in the dunes beforehand. We were up until 6:30am, and we had to set off again just a couple of hours later. That gave me just enough time to go to the caravan and collect the shirt. I put it on the back of the car, so that I'd carry it with me for the entirety of the final stage. That's because, when Stage 12 is over, you go straight to the podium," he explained.

"My entire family are fans. My father wasn't Valencian, but he always supported Valencia CF. He instilled the passion for the club in me when I was very little. He even brought me to the stadium. The first time that I came here, we were in the Segunda División."

Tendillo and Olivas exchanged gifts in their meeting at Mestalla. The rally driver handed over the overalls that he used in the final stage of the 2021 Dakar, whilst the former Valencia CF player presented Olivas with this year's edition of the club's shirt.