Miguel "Miki" Roqué Farrero (8 July 1988 – 24 June 2012) was a Spanish professional
footballer who played as a
central defender.
He signed with
Liverpool before his 18th birthday, going on to be loaned to several teams in England and Spain for the duration of his contract. In 2009 he joined
Betis, playing in
Segunda División with the club.
Roqué died in June 2012 at the age of 23, due to cancer.[2]
Roqué started appearing with the main squad in
2010–11, making his debut on 9 October after replacing
Rovérsio late into the first half of a 2–2 draw at
UD Las Palmas.[18] He totalled 12 games (ten starts) and two goals,[19][20] as the
Andalusians returned to
La Liga after a two-year absence.[21]
Health and death
A person never dies completely when they are remembered by those who knew them. And every 26th minute at the
Estadio Benito Villamarín, we feel that Miki is together with us
On 5 March 2011, after undergoing a routine check-up due to
back problems, Roqué was diagnosed with
pelvic cancer,[23] undergoing surgery to excise a malignant tumor the following day. Betis' supporters raised funds for his treatment,[24] while
Carles Puyol, of the same province, financed €30,000 for specialist private treatment.[25]
On 24 June 2012, after just over a year of illness, Roqué lost his battle against cancer and died, at age 23.[26][2] His death prompted a series of tributes on
Twitter, including from several international players competing in
UEFA Euro 2012,[27] and on 1 July, after
the final of the continental competition, Spain
goalkeeperPepe Reina (his former Liverpool teammate) wore a Betis shirt featuring Roqué's name during the players' victory lap of the
Olympic Stadium in
Kyiv;[28] also,
Cesc Fàbregas wore a shirt with the names of Roqué,
Dani Jarque,
Manuel Preciado and
Antonio Puerta.[29]
Roqué became known as "The Eternal 26" to Betis fans, in reference to his kit number during his spell at the
Estadio Benito Villamarín, and they chanted his name in the 26th minute of each half of a match.[30] In 2013, a monolith dedicated to him was unveiled in his hometown, with a plaque endowed with the crests of the clubs that he represented.[22]
During his illness, Roqué worked with writer Juan Manuel López: to have a book on himself published was one of his two wishes, the other being to return to football. La Luz de Miki Roqué (The Light of Miki Roqué) was released in March 2015, featuring contributions from his family and Betis staff.[31]
^Liaño, Jorge (23 September 2009).
"El filial se impone al Ceuta" [The reserves impose themselves on Ceuta] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
^Ramírez, Álvaro (24 January 2010).
"Valioso punto del Betis B en Écija" [Valuable point from Betis B in Écija] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
^
abCejudo, José María (7 May 2013).
"Miki Roqué homenajeado en su pueblo" [Miki Roqué honoured in his hometown] (in Spanish). Beticismo. Archived from
the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2015.