Lleida CF has registered 4,000 club members—ranking as the seventh-highest membership total in Catalan football—as the fan-owned club commenced its Group 29 Quarta Catalana campaign on a sand pitch in Sunyer following the bankruptcy and administrative relegation of its predecessor, ara.cat reported.
The Sand Pitch Preparation in Sunyer
In the small Segrià municipality of Sunyer, home to 310 residents and surrounded by peach orchards, local preparations for the historic fixture began days before kickoff. Ivan Borrell, president and team captain of the modest local club Sunyer, explained that because of dry weather conditions, the pitch’s sand surface was flattened on Saturday afternoon using bars dragged behind a tractor. On Sunday noon hours before the match, Borrell marked the field boundaries with chalk. The venue quickly sold out its internet-allocated tickets within a couple of days, drawing roughly 1,000 spectators to the ground.
Fan-Owned Structure Revives UE Lleida Heritage
Following years of mounting debts and administrative demotions that doomed the former club—which played in the fifth-tier Tercera RFEF last season—club officials built a completely fan-owned structure. Juanjo Lecumberri, vice president of Lleida CF and son of a former UE Lleida player, noted that the new entity has successfully revived the historical name, crest, anthem, heritage, and home stadium at the Camp d’Esports. Lecumberri stated that the club’s current membership milestone of over 4,000 puts it behind only FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, Girona FC, CE Sabadell, Nàstic de Tarragona, and CE Sant Andreu in total Catalan club supporters. Lecumberri described the milestone as a level of backing the club has not experienced in twenty years, dating back to its final season in the Segunda División.
Players Accepting Lower Categories for the Club
Lleida CF’s squad for its opening fourth-regional fixture featured several players dropping down divisions out of loyalty. Óscar Rubio, who made his debut with Lleida in 2003 and has accumulated more than 300 appearances, captained the side onto the pitch—which still bore visible tractor ruts—wearing the club’s traditional red and black colors. Joan Rusiñol, a local police officer who competed in Tercera RFEF last May, decided to drop five categories to play for the club without a salary. Rusiñol noted by phone that he chose to play for the team he has supported since childhood alongside his father rather than move elsewhere for 700 to 800 euros.
Matchday Atmosphere and On-Field Action
Supporters arriving at the Sunyer venue encountered traditional local food offerings, with the ground’s bar serving grilled meat, tripe, and homemade specialties ahead of kickoff. The club charged a five-euro admission fee exclusively to cover security personnel, portable restrooms, and perimeter fencing. Onofre, a volunteer assisting with venue logistics who holds memberships with both Sunyer and Lleida, noted that capacity limitations prevented additional fans from entering. No hi ha lloc per a més gent
, specified Onofre. Once play started, Sunyer took an early lead through Robert Besó, who scored from 25 meters out, before Xavi Martínez netted the first official goal for the newly structured Lleida side during the competitive fixture.
Supporters Welcome Return of Organized Football
Supporters expressed enthusiasm about the new era, with one fan wearing a retro Kappa jersey remarking, Es farà famós, que ha vingut TV3
. Soc soci del Sunyer i del Lleida
, added Onofre regarding his local ties. Juanjo Lecumberri emphasized that the club aims to achieve promotion strictly through sporting merit rather than buying divisions, stating that the project is intended to replicate the historic side that once reached La Liga. In Sunyer, the fixture marked the return of organized football to the village after an 18-year hiatus.
Worth a look
