Players and coaches are not silent.
Spain is in mourning after the terrible flood that happened on October 30th. More than 200 dead and enormous destruction paralyzed the country, but not football – despite the tragedy, most matches of the La Liga and Segunda tour were not rescheduled. Only games of local teams.
And no one liked it.
“Human lives come before football.” The league believes the best answer is to keep going.
Fans are protesting: in a Mundo Deportivo poll, 75% of users voted that the tour should have been postponed.
The coaches are not silent either. Here are some of the loudest statements.
Hans-Dieter Flick, Barcelona: “For me this is a tragedy. We in Germany experienced something similar three years ago. We need to think about the victims and support their relatives. If I had made the decision, perhaps I would have canceled all the matches on the tour. This is a tragedy for Valencia and all of Spain.”
Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid: “There is no point in holding matches. A complete nightmare. It’s good to see people taking to the streets to help with a shovel or something else. It’s very difficult for many people, everyone is sad, but we are told to play and we obey.”
Manolo Gonzalez, Espanyol: “The situation is very difficult, human lives come before football. I don’t want to say anything else so that no one considers this an excuse.”
Pepe Bordalas, Getafe: “It was impossible to play, the tour had to be postponed, there is no point in it. The biggest disaster in recent decades has occurred. I understand that the fans want football, but we are focused on the tragedy.”
Maybe the tour was canceled due to a busy calendar? Apparently not: according to Mundo Deportivo’s source, the tour was held because the league, clubs and players function in the same way as other large companies in various industries, without being interrupted by tragedies. The League, for its part, is launching initiatives aimed at helping those affected by the consequences of the flood.
La Liga head Javier Tebas explained on social media: “We believe that in the terrible situation we are in, the best answer is not to stop, except in the affected regions. Staying employed like workers in other fields, earning money, showing the world that we should all be willing to always move forward.”
“What can you celebrate in a stadium at a time of such misfortune?” Everyone united – they dedicate goals to the victims, help on the streets
All matches of the 12th round of La Liga started with a minute of silence in memory of the flood victims.
The players did not stand aside. Pablo Maffeo from Mallorca spoke out after the match with Alaves (0:1): “I think matches should not be played in such situations. Many of us have relatives and friends there, and we know that they are not well.”
In all matches, the players dedicated goals to the victims of the tragedy. Ante Budimir from Osasuna, after scoring the winning goal against Valladolid, raised a T-shirt with the inscription Fuerza Valencia – “Hold on, Valencia” above him. They did the same in other matches.
Girona lateral Miguel Gutierrez has a personal tragedy: his friend’s mother was carried away by the current. Gutierrez accompanied his goal against Leganes with a message on his T-shirt: “This is for you, Henry. Hold on.”
Others are right now on the city streets helping the victims: collecting food, clearing away rubble and simply providing all kinds of support. All clubs organized charity fundraisers.
Back on October 31, the Real Madrid Foundation, together with the Red Cross, launched a fundraiser for the victims, the club donated a million euros to them. Those interested will be able to make donations through the website. La Liga also announced on cooperation with an international organization.
Valencia defender Jose Luis Gaya helps.
Along with him were the rest: ex-Valencians Tino Costa and Roberto Soldado, Vicente Iborra and Jose Luis Morales (Levante), Gaya’s teammates Jaume Domenech, Pepelu, Hugo Duro, Dimitri Foulquier, Thierry Correia, Luis Rioja and Dani Gomez.
Vicente Iborra attacked the country’s football authorities: “The situation is catastrophic, the least we can do is help people who need it.
My girlfriend and I were unsure whether to take our children with us, but decided that this could be a good life lesson for them. So that they can see what can happen in life. Instead of just playing at home. Those who decide on the matches should be asked why everything was not stopped. It’s hard to come to the stadium, celebrate goals and be happy when there are people a few meters away who need help and who are having a hard time right now. What can you celebrate in a stadium at a time of such misfortune?
This shows that we are just a commodity in the world of sports. We could teach a lesson about humanity, but we don’t.”
