The Challenges of Hosting the Copa del Rey’s Real Madrid Visit: A Look Behind the Scenes at Arandina CF

Las christmas celebrationswith its family dinners and reunions, They are always special moments which can even become a kind of ‘risk sport’ depending on the topics to be discussed. For such a special occasion the house is decorated appropriately, unfolding a plastic fir tree that your mother forces you to put in the family. The dinner table is another art. You put out the good tablecloth, the good dishes, one that is never used because it is only for big occasions.…and a culinary feast unfolds with the sole objective of surprising the family.

We have not used the field since we went through the first tie against Murcia

Alex Izquierdo, Arandina coach

An evening, the most beautiful of the year, to which everyone had to sign up. Arandina CF after the Copa del Rey draw. To the Juan Carlos Higuero stadiumbetter known as The Montecilloit wasn’t his turn to prepare Christmas dinner… rather it was Fatty’s turn to receive the Real Madrid when their financial situation was crying out for a Christmas miracle. A visit that has caused some days of tension between the club Duero Cranberry and the City Council due to various discrepancies between interested parties when managing the event largest in its history.

Workers tearing down one of the stadium walls to comply with the security protocol.

A dispute that reached its highest point when The mayor of Aranda even stated that he was going to report the secretary of Arandina if he did not apologize after supposedly insulting him.. Calm the waters, Virginia Martinezpresident of the club, spoke to MARCA to talk about the great help she has received so that everything goes well on January 6 and about the changes they have had to make in the stadium: “The City Council is contributing to many improvements for the facility. It is a union of all the agents involved here and teamwork to make the facility as good as possible,” she says.

We have had to increase the capacity. Also more technical issues of lighting or having the grass a little more cared for and reserved so that that day is as good as possible.

Virginia Martínez, president of Arandina

Expansion of capacity, press booths and lighting

“We have had to increase the capacity, that is why we have had to install extra seats. Also more technical issues of lighting or having the grass a little more cared for and reserved so that that day is as good as possible,” he tells BRAND the president of Arandina. The stadium will go from having 4,000 seats to more than 10,000 thanks to the investment of the City Council (If Cádiz’s visit involved an investment of 50,000 euros… Real Madrid’s visit could reach 150,000 euros) which has also improved the press area, lighting or grass.

Goal by Jorge Pesca (2-1) in Arandina 2-1 Cádiz

They have been installed four more press booths than the one already there due to the high demand for media who will cover the event. Regarding lighting, another important issue, during these days it is being carried out a complete cleaning of the fixed lights of the stadium… and Cranes with extra light will be added again so that the game can be followed well on television. In addition, there will be a self-protection, security and evacuation plan that has forced the club to even tear down two stone walls to comply with RFEF requirementswhich ask for 4 emergency exits to comply with the protocol. Security must be guaranteed both in the football stadium and in the surrounding area.

Maybe if another team comes we won’t play

Sergio González, coach of Cádiz

Grass condition

“Maybe if another team comes, we won’t play.”he assured Sergio Gonzalez after Cádiz was eliminated against Arandina in a match conditioned by puddles on the green of El Montecillo Stadium. Images of the state of the grass went viral on social media after a major waterspout hit, leaving the field in impassable conditions. Especially in one of the bands, where There were dozens of puddles through which the ball could not roll in the way required on a playing field. in which there is a ticket at stake for the sixteenth of the Copa del Rey.

So that this image is not repeated, which was in no way the fault of the Arandino club since the fall of water was considerable, The instructions from the City Council were clear…with a ban that has prevented its players from enjoying their field: “We have not used the field since we passed the first round against Murcia, which we knew we were going to play in the First Division, the indications from the City Council and the technicians are that we could not use it except in the competition. Obviously it does not reach the level of those first and second professional football fields, but I think it’s in good condition“he explains to us Alex IzquierdoArandina coach.

Image of the match between Arandina and Cádiz in El Montecillo.

Additionally, he contacted a company specializing in grass to try to ensure that the pitch arrives in the best possible conditions for the visit of the white club: “A treatment has been done, which is the only one that can be done on these dates, we also know that it is a cold date“, Virginia assures us. The work on the green has been greater than in the two previous qualifying roundsbut if the rainstorm repeats (they don’t give rain for the day of the game) Lack of adequate drainage could repeat the pattern.

A single bench and the organization of the seats

Los Arandina CF benches They breathe football from all sides. From the luxurious seats found on the benches at the Santiago Bernabéu… to the modest wooden seats at El Montecillo. The evolution of football and the money that each club has could often be measured with a simple look at its bench. The one from Arandina, that has been dressed to the nines with a new coat of paintwill receive the stars of Real Madrid, perfectly complying with the definition distributed by the Royal Academy of Language: Place where substitute players and coaches wait, outside the field of play.

Away bench (the venue is the same) at the El Montecillo stadium.

In addition, the seats in the stands, the extra seats and those that were already fixed, They will be numbered and the stands will be divided into sectors with differentiated access for each area to facilitate access of the fans on a night that seeks to continue with the dream of the blessed madness of the Copa del Rey.

2024-01-06 10:00:34
#walls #torn #ban #grass..