Koke Resurrección's mother dies: minute of silence before Atlético vs Manchester United

Atlético de Madrid woke up to painful news on Tuesday. Ana Merodio Borja, mother of first-team captain Koke Resurrección and of Borja Resurrección, assistant coach of the Juvenil A side, passed away in Madrid during the morning. The club confirmed the loss through official channels and announced that her memory will be honoured before the European fixture tonight.

• Ana Merodio Borja, mother of Koke and Borja Resurrección, died on Tuesday in Madrid.
• Atlético de Madrid will hold a minute of silence before the match against Manchester United.
• The club sent its condolences to the Resurrección Merodio family on social media.
• Ana Merodio played a key role in the Atlético upbringing of both sons from their academy days.

Atlético de Madrid pay tribute to Ana Merodio with a minute of silence at the Metropolitano

The club posted a message on its official platforms to confirm the death and outline the planned tribute. Before kick-off against Manchester United, in the Champions League group stage, a minute of silence will be observed in memory of doña Ana Merodio Borja.

Tonight, before the start of the match against Manchester United, a minute of silence will be held in memory of doña Ana Merodio Borja, mother of our captain, Koke, and of Borja Resurrección, assistant coach of the Juvenil A team, who passed away this morning in Madrid. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends. Rest in peace.

The role of Koke's mother in his career as an Atlético academy player

Ana Merodio was far more than a spectator in her sons' Atlético de Madrid journey. Alongside Eugenio, father of Koke and Borja, she took on the daily sacrifices that football development demands. The family took turns driving the boys to training and matches on the dirt pitches of Orcasitas and Cotorruelo during the current captain's earliest steps.

That commitment also showed in everyday details. Koke himself has recalled how his mother, a devoted Atlético fan, laid out cutlery in the club's colours and with its badge for ordinary family meals. A gesture that captured the red-and-white passion at home and shaped the path both brothers followed through the academy.

Koke and Borja Resurrección, two generations tied to Atlético de Madrid

The Resurrección surname is synonymous with Atlético. Koke, born in 1992, progressed through the club's academy from childhood, made his first-team debut in 2009 and took over the captain's armband after Gabi left in 2018. His brother Borja, meanwhile, stayed connected to the club from the dugout and now works as assistant coach of the Juvenil A side, one of the key teams in the development structure.

Atlético rally around their captain and his family

The minute of silence before the match against Manchester United will be the public display of affection from the red-and-white crowd towards their captain and his brother. The Wanda Metropolitano, used to big European nights, will now also become the place where the Atlético family honours Ana Merodio's memory.