Elche CF is still alive against a Real Madrid that showed its obvious superiority when it started. But the illusion is still there, just 0-1 after two goals were canceled against madridistas when VAR detected two offsides. You can see the league champion come to Martínez Valero today. The field is full. 30,326 spectators out of 31,388 spectators. Almost full, if not full. Despite the momentary defeat, there is a luxurious, festive atmosphere.
“Debut of the brand new Ballon d’Or and playing as a start”, the two madridists congratulate each other from one of the bars surrounding the venue. “Yes, yes, but no Florentine talisman today,” answers a listening franchiver. The head of Madridista did not come. Emilio Butragueño, Real Madrid Corporate Affairs Director, and Eduardo Fernández de Blas, Second Vice-President of the club; and vocals by Manuel Torres Gómez and Enrique Pérez Rodriguez. At noon they ate at La Finca with Elche’s owner and maximum shareholder, Christian Bragarnik, and its chairman, Joaquín Buitrago.
Good relations between whites and whites, but as soon as the players start jumping onto the field, all intimacy is excluded. They go out to warm up and applause for the franjiverdes, whistles for the madridistas, but there is also a lot of cheering.
The trio of referees blow the first and high whistle just step on the grass. Elche supporters are very tired of the final and decisive -against-decisions and referee mistakes.
As always, the support of the stands for each of the franjiverdes players is impressive when the field announcer lists the top eleven. Here, the applause breaks as he begins to name the bench. And one detail. When the coach makes a noise, some clap, little, and generally quite indifferent. But no whistle. This is Jorge Almirón’s first match at Martínez Valero after his return to the team. It seems that the fans gave the coach a vote of confidence, as Bragarnik wanted.
First goal is canceled by VAR, but second goes without remission. The public freezes, and that’s what happens when the banners are supposed to go up. So the fans fulfill their timely threat from the supporters’ clubs and put up big red card banners: Three Choices, two Southern Funds, and two Northern Funds. Messages: I respect Elche CF and Enough is enough. There are also screams “Federation Solution!” and “Thebes go now”.
The party has an upscale audience, Murcian tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who came to see his team. The world’s number 1, accompanied by his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, is in public in one of the private boxes of the Martínez Valero stadium, owned by the businessman from Crevillent Enrique Ortolá. Currently, the 19-year-old tennis player, the youngest to reach number 1 worldwide in this sport, is enjoying the victory of Real Madrid, which he has declared as his favorite team, but at the same time it bothered me to see how VAR canceled two goals for the madridistas. Carlos Alcaraz trains at Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Equelite Sports AcademyHe also showed his sympathy for Villena and for Elche CF.
Shortly before halftime, services were served at the 42nd minute, DYA looks after a girl at the Northern Fund. He passed out and the public wants the game to stop. After the ball is cleared from the players, the referee stops the game. ELCHE CF medical staff rushed in to help. Everything remained in a state of fear.
The end of the first episode has come. Elche is still alive. VAR was important to this as two offsides from the cockpit were very fair. On the field, the trio of referees had not seen them. Fans keep their hopes up.
It starts a second time. And Elche attacks and attacks…