The North American actor became a worldwide preacher of the holy culture. He takes the azulgrana colors wherever he goes; that´s why it´s so common to see him wearing cuervo emblems on film sets, promotional tours and even at galas for the most important awards. A living example that the passion for San Lorenzo has no limits.

It is not caprice or coincidence that the fans of El Ciclón consider him the most genuine example of love and devotion to the Club. Viggo was born in Manhattan 51 years ago, and "as far back as he can recall" he has been a San Lorenzo fan. He never misses an opportunity to spread his Cuervo feelings across the world, whether it's with t-shirts, flags, bracelets, pins, or logo stickers. In spite of having a very successful career as an actor (he's acted in 46 movies), being a writer, photographer, and musician, publishing a dozen books and CD's and having ventured into painting, "Guido" - as Bambino Veira christened him - enjoys looking like "just another Cuervo." Unaffected and generous, he did not hesitate to donate to San Lorenzo a property on Calle Las Casas in Boedo and collaborated on the purchase of another on Calle José Mámol, designing and donating t-shirts for the centennial of El Ciclón and gifting the club that he loves with the Padre Lorenzo Massa Chapel, whose opening ceremony on the 102nd birthday of CASLA Viggo did not want to miss, in spite of his work commitments.

-How did you experience the inauguration of the chapel?
-As a San Lorenzo supporter, it was an honor and a pleasure for me. The presence of champions from different periods gave something very special to the occasion. I´m specially grateful to the representatives of the current team for coming - Rivero, Romeo, Bottinelly - because it is not at all easy to stay for so long among the supporters when things are so complicated in the tournament. They were brave and clearly demonstrated their loyalty and their San Lorenzo passion. I hope that the people who have said anything about the building of the chapel - that the club was stealing the money, that it would never be finished, that I and others were angry, all kinds of lies - can recognize that it is a nice place for the supporters and the sportsmen. I hope it is appreciated and properly used.

-What does it mean to you to be part of San Lorenzo, to be another enthusiast, to see them, to help them progress and see that they are known worldwide?
- It is a luxury to be able to "spread the gospel" of San Lorenzo throughout the world, to be able to return to Boedo and the field to see the team play. On the one hand I feel like any other supporter, suffering and celebrating the same as the rest depending on how the games go, but I recognize that I've had very special opportunities - more than most fans who care so much about the team colors they love have had - because I've been able to meet up close all of my Matador idols, several of the Carasucias, such as Beto Acosta, Pipo Gorosito, the captain Michelini and a lot of the champions of 2001, 2001, 1959, 1968, 1982, 1974, 1982, 2007 and 1995, such as Bambino Veira, "Nene" Sanfilippo, Héctor Facundo, "Mono" Irusta... so many of the Ciclón greats thanks to the luck I've had in my work as an actor. That's no small thing for a gringo Cuervo!

-Why did you choose to be for San Lorenzo instead of another team?
-There was never any doubt. It was not a question of choosing; there was no other option. For me, as child in Buenos Aires, beginning during the time of the Carasucias, the courage of our team was the most obvious. To me, San Lorenzo fans were always the bravest, the most handsome, and our fans were by far the most passionate supporters.

-How would you define San Lorenzo fans?
-Brothers, sisters - forever.

-What is the craziest thing you've done for San Lorenzo?
-There have been so many dumb things of mine - and I'm sure there will be a lot more! Publicly, I suppose the stuff in television interviews: giving the t-shirt and the socks to Maradona, in the field... eating the turf, playing toreador with the cuervo, the party for the Centennial and I don't know what else.... Every day, like any dedicated Cuervo, I do and say everything to support El Ciclón without caring what people who do not understand our passion think. I like the ingenious, gutsy fans. I don't like violence, the lack of respect for our players and coaches, for other teams and their supporters, but apart from that, any act of reverence and madness for San Lorenzo suits me; every token of love is appreciated.

-What do your friends say, your family, show biz people, who probably don't understand the Argentine passion for soccer?
-They laugh and it's possible that sometimes they get tired or bored. But what they think is not important to me. If they do not join in the experience of this love for San Lorenzo I sincerely believe that they have lost something very beautiful in life.

-Why do you identify so much with the Matadores?
-It was the first championship I experienced. And that 1968 undefeated team achieved something very difficult to match, that can never be surpassed. They were and are to me extraordinary characters, a well managed team, united and very courageous.

-What do you remember of the first time you saw San Lorenzo play live in a stadium ?
That we lost... but that the passion, the unconditional support of the fans, the non-stop singing, were exactly what I had always imagined and felt. Every time I go to a match I get excited and enjoy myself just as much, no matter what happens soccerwise. As the song says "... it´s a feeling you carry deep inside.."

-Where were you in 1995 when San Lorenzo was champion after 21 years ?
-In California. But then it was the year that I came back to Argentina after 25 years and the first thing I did was buy myself a jersey of the new champions and show it off around Boedo.

-How do you experience the fan's nostalgia for returning to Boedo? The memories and the romanticism that the old Gasómetro generates among people?
-That will never go away, the thing about Boedo. It will never go away for San Lorenzo and for Boedo. I have tangible memories, the two boards from the old Gasómetro that were given to me, but what's important is not the physical stuff but the emotional thing, the mentality.

-What is your message for the Cuervos?
-It can't be anything else:

Hang in There, Ciclón!

In commemoration of its 102nd anniversary, San Lorenzo presented a new building in the Ciudad Deportiva. In an emotional ceremony, Viggo Mortensen appeared to be very happy about the inauguration of the Padre Lorenzo Massa Chapel, donated entirely by him. "And I'm proud to be be here presenting," the actor said during the event.

Viggo, who wore a Matadores t-shirt under his black jacket, was undoubtedly the star of the day for San Lorenzo. "I am one of those who constantly seek to return to Boedo, which is our place, but the championships and the cups that were won here also count.

"And I'm proud to be able to present this chapel, which has so much to do with our history," Mortensen said in the presence of officials, players, former stars and members of San Lorenzo. At one point in his gripping speech, the star of "The Lord of the Rings" presented a very original gift brought from the United States: a raven designed by a sculptor. "I know that some may not like it, that it can sound like a heresy, but there has to be a little humor, too," he declared.

Present at the ceremony, and acting as one of the speakers, was the president of the institution, Rafael Savino, who together with board member Horacio Arreceygor, unveiled the plaque that adorns this brand new chapel and handed a small plaque to Viggo in gratitude for his tireless love for San Lorenzo.

Among those present, the soccer players of the professional team, Bernardo Romeo, Diego Rivero and Johnathan Bottinelli stood out, as did former players for San Lorenzo like José Sanfilippo, Agustín Irusta, Roberto Telch, Sergio Villar, Héctor Veira, Antonio Rosl, Alberto Acosta, Ángel Bernuncio, Alberto Rendo, Rafael Albretch, Carlos Buticce and Juan Carlos Carotti, among others. At the end of the opening ceremony, Viggo presented dozens of T-shirts that he himself created for the centennial of the club. The first of April, on the 102nd anniversary of San Lorenzo, Viggo Mortensen gave the chapel to all supporters of San Lorenzo in order to reuniting us with our origins.

At the end of the 2007 Clausura Tournament closing ceremonies, Viggo found himself filming in Hungary, although that did not stop him from celebrating as if he were in San Juan and Boedo, and he even wrote a poem. "I enjoyed the unforgettable excitement and total relief of seeing the victory against Arsenal in a bar in Budapest. Miriam Segal, the producer of the film (Good) which we were filming helped the eleven people in the cast that wanted to see San Lorenzo against La Gloriosa that historic afternoon. She looked for and found the only TV in the city that was showing the game live. We went to the bar after the day's filming, and arrived just before the start of the first half. Among others present were our director, Vicente Amorim, a fan of Flamengo, the actress Jodie Whittaker (Huddersfield), Mark Strong ( England's Arsenal), Miriam and other Brits (Liverpool), Hungarians and New Zealanders who did our camera work. There was no Bostero [fan of the Boca Juniors] but if there had been, we would have offered him a welcome, and a wine or a maté for their enjoyment, that's for sure. Despite the distance and that we were watching on an Italian channel (that by the way did not show the victory lap or the presentation of the cup), we saw the whole match. With proud tears, our corner of the bar decorated with Cuervo banners and friends and I dressed in the jerseys of the Matadores and Carasucias.

Chained Down in Budapest
I'm serving time with a borrowed name,
caressed by fine rains and nostalgia,
seeing a fugitive moon disappear,
closer than I to the new dawn.

Last star illuminates the ancient bank
of the Danube, sand life's washed away,
while I dream leaning against my window
Sunday after Sunday, the day to watch.

I'm living dead without your home and path - dead,
that I know. You'll see me as you've seen me, a foreigner
tomorrow, far from the gasómetro and zanjón,
tossing bed and pillow in my cuervo jersey

Rolled up in my holy banner, the whole sky
blooming in goodbye, I pace prisoner circles
longing to embrace you with two wings as black
as the night of exile that already existed.

Viggo Mortensen (translated by Zooey)

Anchored in Budapest
I serve time with a borrowed name
caressed by fine rains and nostalgias,
seeing a fugitive moon disappear,
nearer than I to the new dawn.

Illuminates last star the old bank
of the Danube, sand that life carried away,
while I dream reclined on my stained-glass window
of Sunday and Sunday, the day that can be watched.

I live dead without your home and your pavement - dead,
I know. You'll see me as you saw me, foreign
morning, away from the gasómetro and the zanjón,
bed and pillow fluttering of cuervo jersey.

Rolled up in holy banner, all the sky
flowering in the farewell, I go round in imprisoned circles,
longing to embrace you with two wings black as
the night of the exile that already was.

Viggo Mortensen (translated by Ollie)

"Simplemente San Lorenzo", no se olvida de aquellos que a su manera hacen cosas buenas por San Lorenzo.

Puede ser en lo deportivo como en lo social.

En octubre de 2007, en un restaurante de Barrio Norte, "Simplemente San Lorenzo", - ante 120 comensales- homenajeó a Rubén Darío Insúa y al recordado Héctor Facundo.

Es así que allá por el 2008, cuando se cumplían los 40 años de un equipo que marcó un antes y después en el fútbol argentino, como "Los Matadores", "Simplemente San Lorenzo" organizó un homenaje en la sede de Av La Plata, y reunió en el recinto a Telch, Villar, Rendo, Rosl y Albretch....

Mas acá en el tiempo, en octubre de 2009, y ante mas de 250 personas, en una mega fiesta organizada por "Simplemente San Lorenzo" en Puerto Madero -por cumplirse las bodas de oro-, los homenajeados fueron los campeones del 59'.....

También se homenajeó a los campeones de 1995 ( el "Pampa" Biaggio y Passet ) y no nos olvidamos de ídolos actuales, como el actual técnico del primer equipo, el "Gallego" Méndez y un ídolo de todos como Bernardo Romeo.

En esta oportunidad, "Simplemente San Lorenzo", homenajeó a alguien que no tiene que ver con el deporte "Cuervo", pero que sin dudas desparrama sanlorencismo por el mundo. Estamos hablando del actor Viggo Mortensen, quién en los últimos días estuvo por Buenos Aires, con motivo de la inauguración de la Capilla que el mismo solventó.

En el entretiempo de San Lorenzo-Gimnasia, "nos mandamos a la zona VIP", y ahí cumplimos con nuestra costumbre de homenajear a la gente que le hace bien a San Lorenzo.

"Simplemente San Lorenzo", seguirá con esta postura que ya es una norma dentro de nuestros objetivos.

Simplemente porque asi lo sentimos, y por el simple hecho de ser cuervos como cada uno de los homenajeados.

El día de su cumpleaños número 102, San Lorenzo de Almagro inauguró la Capilla Padre Lorenzo Massa en la Ciudad Deportiva. El evento contó con la presencia del actor fanático y socio del club de Boedo, Viggo Mortensen, que fue quien donó los recursos para la realización de la obra.

En un ambiente de alegría y de pasión por el Ciclón, el famoso actor, obsequió un cuervo negro hecho íntegramente en los Estados Unidos y regaló remeras que incluían el logo del centenario confeccionado por él. Más allá del mal momento deportivo que atraviesa la institución, quedó demostrado una vez más, que la pasión de Viggo por el ciclón se mantiene inalterable.

Este 1º de abril, cuando cumple 102 años el Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, vamos a inaugurar la nueva capilla en la Ciudad Deportiva. La primera misa se celebrará el 10 de abril, en memoria de Mirko Saric. A los que vengan a disfrutar del lugar, rogamos que traten al parquecito, al que todavía le falta césped, y a la capilla con el respeto que merecen.

Sean todos bienvenidos.
¡Aguante Ciclón!
Viggo Mortensen.