Michigan State basketball receives amazing gift during Madrid visit

Michigan State basketball may have just arrived in Spain, but they are already making the most of their trip.

Upon their arrival in Madrid on Wednesday, the team toured the city and got to see all the hot spots that Madrid has to offer. That tour continued ahead of their first game on Thursday morning when the team visited Metropolitano Stadium, home of one of the biggest European soccer clubs in Atlético Madrid.

This organization isn’t to be confused with Real Madrid, which I’m sure more of you have heard of before. But even though Atlético may be the “smaller” Madrid club, they are still regarded as one of the top clubs in Spain and Europe as a whole.

While visiting the stadium Michigan State got to tour Atlético’s locker room, and upon entering they were surprised with one of the coolest gifts I have ever seen.

As if MSU was gearing up to play a soccer game today, they all walked into their locker room to see each player having their own Atlético jersey hanging in the lockers. Each player had their name on the back of their jersey in what is a very special and cool gift that they’ll be able to hang in their homes forever.

But Tom Izzo easily had the best jersey of all as Atlético gave him the only green and white goalie jersey with Izzo on the back of it.

As a big soccer nerd, I’m very jealous that I don’t get one of these jerseys with my name on it. I may not be a fan of Atlético myself (and I’d be surprised if many Michigan State fans were), but I think there’s a high chance we all become fans of their club after this.

Who knows, maybe someday Michigan State can return the gesture and host them in East Lansing and give their team some basketball jerseys.