It may seem like a mistake, but it is not: after passing through the La Magdalena fair in Castellón, Ginés Marín’s agenda only includes one new contract, on May 25 in the Mexican town of León, which means that his name does not appear on the posters of the April Fair or the San Isidro Fair.
It is the first time that this circumstance has occurred in his career since he took the alternative in 2016, with the exception of the year of the pandemic. The fact is surprising because although he has not reached the status of an indisputable figure, Marín is a bullfighter of a recognized artistic concept who has gone out twice through the Puerta Grande de Las Ventas and has the approval of the fans.
But the paradox goes further. Ginés Marín (Jerez de la Frontera, 29 years old), a shy man, with clear ideas and personality, as he defines himself, considers that “in these adverse circumstances I feel more sure of myself than ever, more alive and with more expectations.” And, furthermore, he adds that “in this complicated stage for me, I have come to a conclusion: in life, almost everything depends on oneself, and my current circumstance is my fault and no one else’s.”
Before entering into that personal responsibility, Ginés Marín says that he is not on the posters in Seville because they have not called him. “I admit that I had the illusion of fighting in La Maestranza, but I did not expect that the businessman, with whom I have not had any problems, had no intention of hiring me.”
“Despite everything that is suffered in this profession, bullfighting is what gives me life and sustains me as a person”
And in Madrid there has been no agreement with the company. “At the last Autumn Fair, when I dealt with Victorino Martín’s bullfight, we talked about some conditions that could not be met,” he explains. “I was not convinced by Plaza 1’s offer, as can happen in any negotiation, and I have decided to stay out of the fair; in life you have to know how to make important decisions, and not just in front of the bull,” the bullfighter clarifies.
Marín reflects on the reasons that have led to his personal situation and says that his shyness, on the one hand, his apparent ease with the bull’s face and his obsession with cutting ears could have harmed him.
“Yes, I am a shy person and, although over the years one learns to get along in life, that condition has created certain complexes in me that have harmed me,” he points out. “But I consider myself ambitious, which is what has allowed me to get here.”
Ask. Do you think that your character has been reflected in the arena?
Answer. It has been reflected in the form of a complex; At times, I have lacked the ease or character to show myself as I am, and I have always been very aware of what others will say, especially at times when my morale was low.
P. Do you find it difficult to connect with the public?
R. No. I think I have the ability to connect, but that quality can become a drawback. Ease can show a certain coldness or lack of ambition, and nothing could be further from the truth. I have always, I insist, been very ambitious, but it may have seemed otherwise due to my ease.
And, in his opinion, there is still one more detail: “The obsession with winning has reduced the quality of my bullfighting, and this is one of the problems that has most affected my career.” “Now I am clear that my first objective should not be victory, but to fight well,” he continues, “and the ears will come as a consequence of the above.”
P. And now how do you feel?
R. It may seem like a contradiction, but I feel completely fulfilled. I do in the square what I have always wanted to do and that due to various circumstances I have not expressed regularly. In other stages of my career in which I have been better positioned, I was empty of bullfighting. Not now.
Ginés Marín was born to be a bullfighter, although he could also have been a civil guard, like his paternal grandfather and his own father, who also works as a picador in his gang. But his father’s love of bullfighting, who wanted to be a bullfighter in his youth, pushed him towards the suit of lights rather than the tricorn hat.
“Since I was a child I have seen bulls in my house and I have maintained very frequent contact with the countryside and the tentaderos,” says Marín. “I don’t have a single memory of not wanting to be a bullfighter; despite everything that is suffered in this profession, bullfighting is what gives me life and sustains me as a person. I can’t imagine practicing another profession.”
His career has been brilliant, and triumphs have accompanied him since his time as a bullfighter. He took the alternative in Nimes on May 15, 2016; He left through the Puerta Grande de Las Ventas on the day of confirmation of his doctorate, on May 27, 2017, and repeated his victory on October 12, 2021. He has always remained at the top of the rankings, and only last season did he show a notable decrease in contracts.
“Complications get to you or make you stronger, and they are making me stronger. Castellón has been my personal San Isidro”
“That’s right. In 2025 I have bullfighted less, and perhaps the fact that I was not taken over by any company had an influence; and even though the level of my bullfighting has been good, the doors have not opened for me this year.”
P. Its current representatives (the rancher Álvaro Polo and the businessmen Joaquín and Carlos Domínguez) do not belong to the elite of the bullfighting business.
R. Good management of a bullfighter’s career, like that of any professional, is very important. But currently I don’t want to base mine on the strength of my representatives, but on feeling comfortable. Throughout my 10 years as a matador I have had independent representatives and businessmen, but what I want now is to be supported and understood.
P. He does not have contracts, but his time in Castellón has been successful…
R. After such a hard and reflective winter, the fact that the first step has been positive is highly gratifying for me, although it hasn’t given me any more runs.
P. Perhaps your current situation can be an incentive to get out of the rut.
R. Complications can kill you or make you stronger. They are making me stronger. Castellón has been my personal San Isidro, and I will try to demonstrate it in the next match.
Ginés Marín is the father of two very young boys, but he is clear that he prefers that they not choose the profession of bullfighter.
“No, because you suffer a lot. In front of the bull there are drinks that can be overcome; outside the bullring you have no control, and frustration overwhelms you when you think you should be at a fair and you aren’t.”
P. At the moment, you are not…
R. I live in the hope of a replacement, and not because anything bad happens to a teammate, but to fulfill the dream of being in Seville or Madrid. Anyway, it will be when it has to be…