Valencia CF welcome visit from the descendants of Octavio Augusto Milego in Mexico

Valencia CF have met up with the descendants of the Club's co-founder and first president, Octavio Augusto Milego, ahead of the match against the Mexican National Team to be played at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium in Puebla (Mexico).

The Club's Corporate Director -Javier Solís-, accompanied by Valencia CF coach -Rubén Baraja- and Valencia CF legend and ambassador -Vicente Rodríguez-, presented them with a commemorative poster of the match, inspired by a painting by Joaquín Sorolla.

Octavio Augusto Milego, co-founder and first president of the club

Milego, born in Toledo, but from the age of five in Valencia, was a great football fan. He fell in love with the sport at a major tournament held in Valencia in 1909. It was a time when the sport was at its peak. Octavio founded and played in the Club Deportivo Español. Clubs such as Rat Penat, Fraternitario, España, Racing de Patraix, Bancario and River Turia also emerged in Valencia.

In 1919, a tragic incident involving one of his teammates caused him to take a break from football. He went to Madrid to sit the competitive examinations for the Literature chair at the School of Commerce and there he regained his passion for the sport. He returned to Valencia and called together six friends and colleagues from Español, Sagunto and Rat Penat. In the Bar Torino, he started a series of meetings with Gonzalo Medina, Pascual Gascó, Julio Gascó, Fernando Marzal, Salvador Aliaga and Pepe Llorca. Meetings in which the birth of Valencia CF -Valencia Football Club at the time- was conceived and forged.

Photo: Ciberche

On 1 March 1919, both the minutes' book Constitution Act and the statutes of the new club were drawn up, which were submitted to the Civil Government and the Registrar of Societies on 5 March 1919.  On the 18th of March 1919, the Civil Government passed the statutes and the club was officially recognised as a recreational society. Now, the question remained as to who would be the first president of the club, and a coin was tossed. Between the two candidates, Milego and Gonzalo Medina, Octavio finally emerged as the first president of Valencia CF at the age of 26.

Milego and Medina were also important in the leasing of plots of land in Algirós for the team to play on. Both sacrificed their free time, work, family dedication and personal money. In 1922, together and with the collaboration of Ramón Leonarte, they created the Valencian Referees Association, of which he was president and later referee.

Finally, between 1973 and 1975, he formed part of Francisco Ros Casares' board of directors as vice-president. Milego's family has lived in Mexico for many years.