Gael and Alma Piquero, six and three years old respectively, missed a few hours of school, but they did it for a good cause. They would represent the youth of a project, the new sports city of Real Oviedo, located in Latores, which wants to lay the foundations for the club of the future. And although Gael was somewhat annoyed about missing out on Physical Education, his favorite subject, the two fulfilled their mission, helped by Carlos Muñoz, the club’s ambassador, in a symbolic act with which the Pachuca Group confirms that its commitment to the youth academy it is firm.
“They,” said Jesús Martínez, pointing to the children, “represent what we want this place to become. A commitment to young people.” Together with the Mexican, his right-hand man and president of Oviedo, Martín Peláez, capital in the negotiations with Paco Rubio, owner of the farm of more than ten hectares on which the club will build its new sports city. The leading trio was completed by Alfredo Canteli, mayor of the city.
The two little ones carried a box with memories of the appointment. Inside, a piece of grass from El Requexón, an Oviedo shirt, a book about the different stadiums of the entity and two daily newspapers, one of them a copy of LA NUEVA ESPAÑA. Next to the small buried treasure, another nod with meaning: the planting of an apple tree.
Overcoming the mud accumulated in the area, Jesús Martínez explained visibly satisfied what that plot of Latores would mean for the future of Oviedo. “These are not just sports facilities, it goes further, to the social and educational.”
All levels of the entity were represented in the symbolic appointment. The councilors Paredes and Corral, the general director Agustín Lleida, the sports director Roberto Suárez, the person in charge of institutional relations César Martín… The Mayor was also accompanied by the councilors Nacho Cuesta, Mario Arias and Conchita Méndez.
Martínez drew the master lines of his most exciting project in Oviedo. “Real Oviedo had to be in Oviedo. And we, in the Group, not only prepare them for sports, we also educate them. It is a responsibility but thanks to this philosophy, many players, graduates, doctors, physios will benefit… And also us because we will implement the model that we have had for 27 years and hopefully tomorrow we will have it in the First Division”, explained the Mexican.
Martínez explained that “economically it was the most difficult place that we looked at because here you have to invest. But he had a commitment to the Mayor. We had the patience and we found Paco (Rubio). And this is a beautiful place, a beauty. We do not hesitate to sign”. For the first phase, after which the first team, Vetusta and the women’s team will move to El Requexón, the owner of Pachuca calculates about “15 or 16 months” if the procedures are not very heavy and will include at least: “a very modern building, with technology, with two and a half courts, changing rooms, the physiotherapy area, gyms, general offices, press room, cinema…” The mirror, said Martínez, is the center of La Esmeralda, from the León club, a complex that has been described as the most modern sports venue in the world.”There, 80% of what the players and students eat is from their own garden,” exemplifies the Mexican.
Martínez’s performance on the ground has been decisive in closing an operation in which Martín Peláez and Agustín Lleida had been working discreetly in recent months. Gone are the proposal of the Siero City Council on its land in Siero, which was liked due to the economic conditions and its size, but which were discarded due to its location and the risk of excessively humid soil. The same one that exists in El Requexón, where an expansion of the land was not clear.
One of the direct consequences of the change of home is that El Requexón, at least in this first phase, will once again host the quarry. Later, when Latores is complete, we will have to see. Among many other objectives, is to reunite the different levels of the club: for this reason the offices will be located in the new sports city.
“A luxury”, for the Mayor
The choice of Latores also leaves a trace of satisfaction in the City Council, which was wary of the offer to move to Siero. “It is an operation looking to the future and it demonstrates the involvement of Pachuca and Jesús (Martínez) with Oviedo and with Real Oviedo. I am sure that not long after they will take the team to the First Division and they will be a model club in all aspects” , said the Mayor, who described the location as “a luxury”.
Martinez visits Zubieta
Jesús Martínez was excited about the presentation of some land that for him means a solid base on which to build the project that he intends to develop in Oviedo over the next few years. After the presentation, and solving some problems with the muddy ground, the maximum shareholder of Oviedo had in mind to visit the facilities of Zubieta, sports city of the Royal Society, before his return to Mexico. Martínez is a confessed lover of work in the lower categories and considers the San Sebastian team as one of the ones that best treats his youth academy. Another club that he admires for his consideration with the lower categories is Celta de Vigo, chaired by his friend Carlos Mouriño. Precisely, the maximum representative of the club from Vigo always cites Martínez and his model in Pachuca as inspiring the way of working that has prevailed in Celta in recent years.
An operation revealed by LA NUEVA ESPAÑA
Oviedo has closed in just one week all the pending details of an operation that for two months was carried out in the most rigorous of secrets. Even inside the club. Only Martín Peláez and Agustín Lleida knew in Oviedo of the negotiations that had been taking place since January with Paco Rubio and the Herce Group. Last Friday, LA NUEVA ESPAÑA reported exclusively on an operation that was in its final stretch, although the endorsement of Jesús Martínez, owner of Grupo Pachuca, remained. The news in this newspaper had an impact even within the club and Martínez closed the negotiation in a week.
