Alazne Bárcena will take the ceremonial kick-off against Barça
Alazne Bárcena will take the ceremonial kick-off against Barça
Alazne’s story pays tribute to her father, who died during the pandemic. She will be accompanied on the pitch by Juan Bonilla, 97, and Ekain Begoña, 16 months old
The Board of Trustees of the Athletic Club Foundation has decided who will take the ceremonial kick-off for the match against FC Barcelona on behalf of the fans.
Her name is Alazne Bárcena, she is 27 years old, and her story is a tribute to her father, who died during the pandemic.
The Board of Trustees would like to acknowledge the difficulty of choosing a single story. It was a thankless task, as it meant that many other stories that also deserved the ceremonial kick-off were not awarded.
Therefore, in response to her request, Athletic Club has decided that the protagonists of two other stories will accompany Alazne in this tribute to all Athletic Club supporters. These will be Juan Bonilla, 97, and Ekain Begoña, 16 months old.
This will mean that different generations will be represented on the San Mamés pitch, links in a single chain, a chain that has shaped this unique club since its creation in the 19th century.
Videos
From Tuesday August 17 until Friday August 20, the day before the match, Athletic Club will publish a series of four videos on its website and its usual channels based on four of the stories received.
The first of these videos will feature member Alex Axpe, a student in Madrid, who represents all those members who live outside the Basque Country but maintain their ties to Athletic despite the distance. It will be broadcast on Tuesday 17.
The protagonists of the second video are Luis Del Portillo, Irantzu Del Portillo and Ekain Begoña, three generations of club members who represent all the red and white families. This video will be broadcast on Wednesday 18.
The subject of the third video is Iker Garay, an A&E doctor in Bilbao. The video is dedicated to all those members who asked for someone else to take the ceremonial kick-off. It will be broadcast on Thursday 19.
Finally, the fourth video is the winning story, featuring Alazne Bárcena. It is dedicated to all members who have lost loved ones during the pandemic and have asked to take the kick-off in memory of the deceased.
we would like to sincerely thank everyone who took part by sending in their story.