When the term “Rojiblanco” (Red and Whites) is used in Spain, most think about Athletic Bilbao or Atletico de Madrid. But, the first team to wear the famous colours was Sporting de Gijón.
Based in the north of Spain the club sell scarves with the song ‘You’ll never walk alone’ printed on them, albeit in the local dialect, Bable. They are famous across Spain for their loyal supporters and so for most of Spain it would be a disaster if they were to go down.
Their main rivals are Real Oviedo but lately Oviedo have fallen on hard times leaving Sporting to fly the flag for the principality of Asturías. And if Asturías sounds familiar to you it’s because it has given the world such famous characters like Fernando Alonso, David Villa and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos.
Sporting has had their fair share of great footballers and strikers seem to be their specialty with no bigger than Enrique Castro González or Quini as he was also known coming through the club. For some he is regarded as one of the best strikers in Spanish history and won the Pichichi (the Spanish version of the golden boot) seven times.
The club is also responsible for bringing through players like David Villa and Luis Enrique to name a few.
Sporting de Gijón also has an Irish connection. Kevin Moran played there for two years and shared a room with Luis Enrique who would go to play for Real and Barça.
In 2008 Sporting returned to ‘La Primera’ after ten years in the wilderness of the Second Division. When they won promotion it is estimated that 300,000 people according to Marca went out to celebrate on the streets. A feat more impressive considering that the population of the city is just over 250,000.
But, that sums up Sporting and their fans perfectly. If there is one club that truly is ‘More than a club’ it is Sporting.
Away games generally see little if no away fans in Spain. Sporting is different and famously brings hundreds of fans up and down the country. Their attendance at home is estimated to be around 85%, the fifth best in La Liga.
El El Molinón, Sporting’s ground, is considered one of the best grounds for atmosphere in La Liga. It was here in the 80’s that the famous chant ‘Así, Así, Así Gana Madrid’ (This, This, This is how Madrid win) was started when the fans felt Real had cheated. The song is now common across Spain when Real win a foul that looks dubious.
Sporting also hold another record. Their manager Manuel Preciado is currently the longest serving manager in La Liga. He has seen over 200 games in charge. Quite impressive considering that only a few months ago he was being hotly tipped to join the dole queue. Defeat at home to Malaga was seen to be the final straw.
But, Preciado had been there before. He fought Mourinho and depending on who you read, won. He remained defiant and something happened that stunned Spain. Manuel Vega-Arango, the club chairman backed him.
The team bounced back and has only lost twice. They have drawn against Barça and Valencia and last night they managed to draw with nine men against Villarreal away from home with a penalty in injury time. Those results and the fact they beat Atletico de Madrid and beat Mallorca 4-0 in Mallorca goes to show the determination of the team.
While they currently sit just four points off the drop zone they do have some potential six pointers against other relegation candidates. Should they go down, it won’t be from lack of effort but it would be a very sad day as the Spanish league would lose a great team.
Around the grounds
Does anyone want the last two Champions League spots? Saturday night saw Valencia get a mauling from relegation candidates Real Zaragoza. Goals from Jarosik, Ander Herrera and two penalties from Gabi pushed Zaragoza a little further from the drop zone. Manager Javier Aguirre who took over with the club in 20th position is exercising caution and says there is still a lot of football to be played.
Karim Benzema proves the point that French strikers need a little longer to adapt. Examples such as Henry and Anelka were ignored last season by most Real fans who wanted him out. The one man that did believe was Mourinho and Benzema is rewarding his manager’s faith. A brace against Hercules will help settle nerves with the upcoming Champions League match with Lyon. Real have failed to pass this stage for the last six seasons running. Failure to do so again will really put Mourinho under pressure.
Meanwhile, where else but in Spain can a draw be classed as a defeat. Barça played Sevilla away and got a point. For some it is 2 points dropped but Sevilla at home is always a tough one. Dubious refereeing sees the Madrid based media in a frenzy with Marca claiming ‘Claro que hay Liga’ (Of Course we have a league) which boasts that Real are only five points behind. But haven’t we been here before?
The battle at the bottom is really getting interesting. Levante drew against Mallorca but the big result came for Malaga. Pellegrini’s men got some much needed points but time is not on their side and they need to win and win now. A two nil away win against Real Sociedad should help team moral and put them on the right path.
Not a good week for Racing Santander owner Ali Syed. News of blackmail and corruption saw him face the Spanish press this week. Couple that with defeats to Real last week and this week to Osasuna, some would think that the Indian tycoon got a little ahead of himself with his now famous goal celebration against Sevilla.
Garreth Nunn is the co-founder of the website www.madridatleticos.com and is on Twitter under @madridatleticos. Contact him for any questions you may have on La Liga or Spanish football in general.
