Forty-two years is a long time. Forty-two years of longing, of hope, of seeing elite football as a distant dream for Deportivo Alavés fans in Vitoria-Gasteiz. That was the weight the blue and white jersey carried on its shoulders when the 1997-1998 season began in the Segunda División.

But that season was unlike any other. Under the guidance of José Manuel Esnal, Mané, the team began to forge an unbreakable identity. It wasn't just talent; it was heart, grit, and the conviction that this was the year. Every match at Mendizorroza became a celebration, a communion between the team and a fan base that felt something great was brewing. The Segunda felt too small for us, and the roar from the stands was a constant echo of what was to come.

The climax arrived in the final matchdays. The tension was palpable in every corner of the city. May 3rd, 1998, that date was burned into the collective Babazorro memory. On that day, Glorioso Alavés faced SD Compostela at Mendizorroza with the possibility of mathematically sealing the longed-for promotion. It didn't matter how, only what. The final whistle merged with a thunderous roar that came from the depths of thousands of Alavés supporters' throats; a cry of relief, of ecstasy, of pure joy. We were back in La Liga!

The stands erupted in jubilation. There wasn't a pitch invasion in the traditional sense, but the joy spilled over every seat, every aisle, every corner of our beloved stadium. Players, coaching staff, and fans merged in a collective embrace that lasted for hours, then moved to the streets of Vitoria. The blue and white jersey, soaked in sweat and tears, was the banner of a people reclaiming their place in the elite of Spanish football.

This promotion was not just the end of an interminable wait; it was the spark that ignited a golden decade. It was the foundational brick upon which the European epic of subsequent years would be built, the one that would take us across the continent and to the brink of glory in the UEFA Cup. Without that memorable return to La Liga, without the conviction and effort of that group of players and the push from an tireless fan base, the recent history of Alavés would be incomprehensible.

To remember that May 3rd, 1998, is to remember where we came from, the perseverance and the unbreakable spirit that have always defined the Babazorro. It is the seed of our legend, a reminder that, with heart and grit, no dream is unattainable for Glorioso Alavés.