Four decades of Ildefons Lima's solitude

Asked how she copes with loneliness due to the fact she lives alone for years if not decades, one impeccable actress said:

"Once you close the doors of your apartment, it can be solitude or liberty. It's your call what's it gonna be."

That wisdom suddenly struck us when we bumped into a curious life story of Ildefons Lima, 41, the Andorra national football team captain. No, we don't know if Lima lives alone (probably not) and, quite frankly, don't care either.

Against Ireland on Thursday (©Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

It's a different type of dilemma and choice that bother us in his case. His Macondo - Gabriel Garcia Marquez's imaginary town from a legendary bestseller 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' - is located, even caged between Spain and France. It's the 16th smallest country globally, and our guy moved from Barcelona to Andorra's capital - Andorra la Vale - when he was only two months old in 1980.

Of Andalusian father and a Catalan mother, Ildefons' choice, however, was to be an Andorran. An outsider. Low-profile superhero. The best man among the worst.

Against the same opponent 20 years ago, hair is still there (©Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

It's not like he was forced into the whole thing, that he didn't have a chance to pick sides. He had, and he did. The underdogs were his liberty and solitude at the same time.

A solitude that comes from playing for the national side that was - check this out - not even established when Lima was 17-year-old. Andorra got its membership in UEFA and FIFA months before Ildefons celebrated his 18th birthday.

Hand in hand, Ildefons and his Macondo started a journey that 24 years and 128 games later has led them straight to - nowhere.

Andorra is far from reaching any major football competition as ever, while now 41-year-old Lima captains one of the worst teams in Europe.

But he enjoys it. It's his liberty.

A chance to be Someone in his own little Macondo, instead of being just a plain dot in a hotbed of formidable, desperately professional football like Spain is today.

Against Van Persie's Netherlands eight years ago (©VI Images via Getty Images)

Ok, but what attracted us to lonesome Lima in the first place, you probably ask by now. Well, last night in a friendly tie against The Republic of Ireland - you'll never guess how it ended (4-1 for Ireland, of course) - Lima has played his 129th fixture in Andora's shirt.

It was his first in this decade. And he had more than a few in the '10s and in the '00s. And in the '90s. Yes, he has played international football across four decades, which makes him almost unique in the game's history.

Albeit a centre-back, Ildefons is top Andorran scorer ever with a very modest output of only 11 goals! Picture that.

Of course, he is also the most capped player on his national side, having the chance to compete with some of the biggest names in the business (Ildefons' pleasure, it's others business) like Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerard, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, etc.

They must have scored dozens of goals with Ildefons as the main eyewitness. Don't let that fool you, however - it was his choice all this time.

Smiling with Ronaldo four years ago (©Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Just like his team career, that reminds us of one of those Buendias from Marquez's novel that sailed seven seas before returning to Macondo. Lima sailed away in 1999, firstly to his hometown of Barcelona, and has been since to as many as 10 countries (including distant Mexico), spending five years in two spans with Triestina, Italy, which probably means he liked it there a lot.

The most prominent clubs in Ildefons' biography were modest Spanish sides Rayo Vallecano and Las Palmas, but when he featured for them, both were in the second tier.

Tackling Mbappe two years ago (©REUTERS/Albert Gea)

Today, the tall veteran spends his mature days with a rather unknown side of Inter Club d'Escaldes. He has lost a bit of speed and pace and much of his hair compared to the maiden years. But still lasts. Far away from spotlights, euphoria, accolades, silverware... It was never his ilk.

Thorough research shows us it was written in his name all the time in a way. Like destiny has chosen on his behalf.

His mother's surname is Sola. Alone.

By: BOJAN BABIĆ