On fire. Literally. The bus that dropped off the players Deportivo At the gates of promotion, welcomed by an angry blue and white tide, he greeted the stadium of Riazorin a sort of cathartic ritual that sowed the afternoon with good omens by evoking the fire in a stand that exorcised the A Coruña venue with the 1991 promotion.
The spirit of the city, on fire / Sara Vázquez
The small fire was quickly put out with a hose from the vomitorium on the first floor of the stadium, amid applause and some laughter when the emergency personnel who put out the fire threatened to wet the sports fans who were watching from in front. Amongst a strong security device, the players got off the bus in front of a dedicated fan who was chanting louder and louder. The fans who returned a warm roar to each footballer who greeted them. AND Lucas Pérez He put the applause meter at rock star levels.
The spirit of the city, on fire / Sara Vázquez
The footballers touched down almost 30 minutes after the promised time, when the fans stationed in front of gate 0 of the stadium looked towards the Esclavas roundabout as if invoking the long-awaited appearance. There were still eight minutes left before 5:00 p.m. and one of the youngest sports fans who were waiting, stationed on the first line of the fence, was already looking restlessly at the clock.
A silence that exuded nerves and hope in equal parts alternated with chants, one of them, led by a pre-benjamin who made the crowd chant from an adult’s horse. From fathers and mothers to sons and daughters. Like the little girl who was happily waving a scarf, following the steps of the woman who held her in her arms. Among the advance group of those who wanted to be the first to see the footballers’ faces, with the little ones taking up the front, there was room for a small group to sing Happy Birthday.
The spirit of the city, on fire / Sara Vázquez
The players landed after walking along a promenade flooded with dedicated fans already at the top of their lungs. “Os tempos son chegados,” stated the banner that presided over the procession that made a pilgrimage from Campo da Leña to Riazor. The view from the side of the María Pita hotel, where the bus waited for the procession to lead the way, must have revealed an unprecedented mosaic of shirts from all periods and colors: the blue-and-white ones, the green ones, the white ones, the yellow ones. And flags, scarves, balloons, a Super Depor cape and children’s cheeks with hearts and warrior stripes, those always in blue and white.
In the props worn before the match, a pineapple crowned by a blue and white ribbon also appeared, which a fan wore with his arm raised at the beginning of the route, in a nod to the symbol that Lucas Pérez coined as a metaphor for the unity of a locker room that has borne fruit in the promotion.
The spirit of the city, on fire / Sara Vázquez
“Today is the day! “Today is the fucking day!” He urged, breaking his voice in front of the banner, the bearer of the megaphone. When the procession from Campo da Leña touched the promenade, the ground of Hospital Street could not be seen from the Surfers’ Fountain. And the procession was joined by countless fans who were waiting on the edges of the promenade on the way to Riazor. At the height of the Orzán, the reinforcements waiting on the sides to join the procession resembled a corridor from fans to fans. And a good batch was waiting near the stadium: right at the foot of the stage, where there was live music; either in bars and terraces, or guarding a privileged position to see the team arrive.
The spirit of the city, on fire / Sara Vázquez
“It’s the spirit of the city,” Juan asserted, somewhere between devout and resigned, as he watched the procession advance to join the way to the stadium with his wife and children, all residents of A Coruña and regulars at the matches Depor, he assured. “There have been many years of suffering and not getting it right, since the year of relegation in ’89 we have seen everything. “We don’t take anything for granted,” said this fan. “We are sufferers,” his wife stressed while she recorded the display of force presided over by the Riazor Blues heading to battle. Benches, bike parking racks and even containers served to watch and immortalize the procession, which was carried out by young people and also welcomed families with children of all ages.
Classical chants paraded through the city, crescendoing as the choir approached the stadium. “They are going to see us return,” the delegation proclaimed and reiterated with faith. “Yes, damn it, we are going to move up!” said the fans as the starting signal for the procession, with part of the lines still in the street. San Juan or up to the roundabout presided over by the sardine that connects with Calle de la Torre.
“This fan never gives up,” the lungs of the blue and white team reiterated their commitment. And they walked towards the stadium like someone who wants to spread determination. Or agree with Colotto: “This fan does not understand categories.”
2024-05-12 22:55:52
#spirit #Coruña #fire
