Women’s Football Festival

The Women’s Football Festival, a success. Nearly 170 football players attended. Women’s Football raised its voice this past Sunday, 23 May, in Artxanda. Over 150 football players met to celebrate the Women’s Football Festival, which under the motto Women to the pitch, and balls to the head wanted to vindicate the paper of these sportswomen in society as well as to seek the support of public and private institutions to achieve a solid base through schools and training centres. Participating in this celebration were scholastic players who had been to the previous concentrations, forming 4 beginners teams and 4 children’s; the players from both Athletic teams, who made up three football 7 teams and a Biscay combined, in which 4 Biscayan players from Sabadell, Rayo and Burgos were present, in addition to players representing the Regional and National clubs. The day began at 10:00 in the morning when the children’s and beginner players made a pathway for the seniors (as much for Athletic Club, as for the Biscayan combined), which these returned with another pathway for the little ones. They wanted to demonstrate that for a day they were all equal, and they did so with a ‘family’ photo in which the 170 football players and monitors gathered. After this, the football 7 matches began. So, while on the main pitch the children’s team and the seniors disputed alternative matches, the annex pitch became the strength of the beginners who gave samples of their quality. Not only that, the exceptional atmosphere that reigned throughout the facilities could be seen on the pitches, with players infected by the excitement and the push of the numerous audiences that gathered throughout the morning. To complement the matches, the organizers had prepared a series of sport tests for the child and beginner players and in which they counted on the support of the senior players. Thus we could see red-and-white players like Tzibi, Iraia, Nerea… along with the players of the Biscayan Combined, drape the children and beginners in these games. We should point out that on this day two new red-and-white players made their public debut; goalkeeper Maite Zabala, from the U.S.A., and Amaia Olabarrieta, who has been recruited from the Bizkerre. On the other hand, Nerea Onaindia had to retire early as she suffered some discomforts. After the football 7 matches (a total of 18), a short football 11 match between Athletic Club and the Biscayan Selection was celebrated, and at the end the organizers gave all the participants a series of gifts donated by the sponsors (Regional Council of Biscay and Marcel Cluny) and collaborators of the event (Metro Bilbao, Ercoreca, Coca Cola, BBK, Mundo Deportivo and Athletic Club Foundation).