A match with a particular flavor
A match with a particular flavor
RC Celta visit San Mamés, which inaugurated in 2013, and where they will meet again the two teams’ supporters connected on and off the field. Up to 17 players have worn both shirts.
This Sunday (6.30pm), Athletic Club will welcome at the Cathedral the RC Celta de Vigo, the team that inaugurated the new San Mamés in the fourth matchday of LaLiga 2013-2014. The match ended with the victory of the lions by 3 goals to 2, thanks to the goals scored by Mikel San José, Beñat Etxebarria and Andoni Iraola.
Throughout the history of La Liga, there have been 53 confrontations between Athletic Club and RC Celta in the red-and-white stadium. The statistic is clearly positive for the locals: among the 53 Athletic-Celta matches played at The Cathedral, 40 have ended with a victory for Athletic, ten with a draw and only three with a victory for Celta. Furthermore, since the team form Vigo returned to the top of the competition in the 2012-13 season, Athletic Club has not lost against Celta (5 wins and 2 draws).
In addition, 17 players have worn the shirts of both teams over the years. Since Francisco Eguia in the 20s, Antonio Ortíz (in the 40s); José María Igartua(between 1968 and 1975); José María Bengoetxea and Fernando Arteaga in the 80s, before the 90s, when up to eight lions played in Vigo, among them (both in the photos) Patxi Salinas (now coach of CD Basconia, who spent his last four years there as a professional) and Joseba Aguirre, the current head of Athletic ladies’ team. Andoni Lakabeg, José Ángel Urribarrena, Ismael Urzaiz, Javi González and Óscar Vales were also there in the 1990s. At the turn of the century, Txomin Nagore, Mario Bermejo, Ander Murillo and the last of them, Jon Aurtenetxe, who played on loan with Celta in the 2013-14 season.
The common factors between the two teams are also reflected in the commitment to the home players that is evident in this year’s squads. Athletic and Celta are the two LaLiga teams with the most minutes played by players from their respective provinces in First Division. The players from Vizcaya Herrerín, Núñez, Yeray, Lekue, Capa, Beñat, Williams, Córdoba, Larra, Ibai and Villalibre and the players from Pontevedra Aspas, Sergio Álvarez, Hugo Mallo, David Costas, Denis Suárez, Rubén Blanco, Brais Mendes, Santi Mina, Iker Losada and Kevin Vázquez make each of the two teams more than 8.000 minutes played so far in the League between their players born in Bizkaia and Pontevedra.
Affection among the supporters
Athletic Club and RC Celta supporters have a special affection for each other that is reflected in the many trips that both clubs make to San Mamés and Balaídos. The good harmony between both fans, both on and off the field, is palpable whenever there is football involved, and proof of this is this video that shows the atmosphere experienced in this season’s first leg in Balaídos last October.
Fotos: La Voz de Galicia