One of the most iconic sports photographs ever taken in Spain.
They weren’t actually priests yet. They were seminarians at the Conciliar Seminary of Madrid.
In 1959, photographer Ramón Masats was commissioned to document daily life inside the seminary. Every day after lunch, the seminarians played football in their cassocks. They had tracksuits. They just couldn’t be bothered to change.
Masats set up behind the goal and waited.
The goalkeeper, 21-year-old Lino Hernando, launched himself through the air trying to stop a shot from fellow seminarian Mariano Enamorado.
The photo ended up in MoMA. Almodóvar referenced it in one of his films.
The goalkeeper is still a priest today. The striker left the cassock after 10 years.
Photo: Ramón Masats, 1959.
