Ildefons Lima is more than a footballer, he’s the beating heart of Andorra’s football story.
Twenty-six years. 137 caps. One nation. Ildefons Lima scored Andorra's first ever competitive goal and captained them to unlikely victories, giving the country moments of unexpected national pride. From sharing pitches with icons like Ronaldo and Zidane to fighting for player rights back home, Lima’s career is one of loyalty, dedication and defiance. Over the course of four decades of playing international football he amassed a quite remarkable collection. Our editor, Lee Kelleher, caught up with him recently to discuss his career and the shirts that matter to him most.
When did you actually first get into shirt collecting?
I always loved football shirts because my brother Toni was a professional footballer too, so shirts would always arrive at our home when I was a child. But my collection really started in 1997 when I played my second international game and I swapped shirts with Latvian player Mihails Zemlinskis.
What does collecting mean to you now?
Now it’s really to continue my passion. I want to try to ensure that this legacy continues and isn’t lost, especially the Andorra national team history which is told through the shirts. It gives me great pride that I have all the shirts worn during our history, until I retired.
Who were the toughest players you played against?
It was, absolutely, Ronaldo Nazário. He was the first big name I played against, too. I was so young then. It was like going to school one day and playing against Ronaldo and Brazil the next. It was really insane. Before that everything was normal. But, truly, an incredible player.
What is the secret to playing football at the top level so long?
I was so proud to play for my country; I think this is the most important thing. It motivated me to take care of myself and play until I was almost 44 years old. Continuing my shirt collection was a motivation too, for sure!
Are there players you played against whose shirts you wished you had got?
When I was young I didn’t especially think of the opponent when I was swapping shirts. As I grew older, I realised swapping with big players was important for my collection. I would have liked to swap with Zidane or Figo or Ronaldo Nazário but they were not very friendly when we played them! During the end of my career, lots of big names were friendly and very kind to me including Harry Kane, Gareth Bale, Granit Xhaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
OK, the big one. Tell us the five shirts that mean the most to you in your collection?
My shirt from Andorra vs Hungary in 2017. It’s the best memory I have of playing for my country. I know how difficult it is to win when you play for Andorra and, for me, that was our best win ever. The shirt means a lot to me.
I have a match-worn shirt from Youri Djorkaeff from France vs Andorra in 1998. It was our first game in a huge stadium full of people. Amazing memories. They beat us 2-0 on the day and Djorkaeff scored. Top player.
I have a match-worn shirt from Bruno Conti from when Italy played Yugoslavia in 1981. It’s a part of football history and world history, for me.
There’s a match-worn USA shirt from the 1994 World Cup when they played Colombia, a game I remember from my school days. I later got the shirt from the referee of that match who was an Italian from Trieste, a city where I played for five seasons.
Finally, I have a Paolo Maldini match-worn shirt from the 1993/94 season. An AC Milan shirt, not an international one. My childhood idol and one of my favourite shirts in my collection.
Thank you for sharing your story, Ildefons.
My pleasure, Showboat!
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