Burnt, not by the sun, fans like those of Elche CF set out to support their team despite the late afternoon hour and the stifling heat, which hovered around 31 degrees.
Franjiverdes followers began the day buzzing with optimism, convinced their club would take the needed step forward and claim its first win of the season. Yet the opposite happened. The result left fans in a mood of deep disappointment, and the performance on the pitch fed a growing sense of pessimism among the supporters of Elche.
Martínez Valero stadium recorded the season’s best attendance so far, with 24,176 spectators on hand. Among them, more than 2,000 were Athletic Bilbao supporters who traveled in large numbers to the Alicante venue, as is customary when the Basque side visits.
The red-and-white fans, concentrated mainly at the northern end of the upper tier, sang, cheered, and enjoyed their team’s success in the moment.
The opposite for the franchiverdes, who soon faced the reality of a difficult afternoon. After twenty minutes Elche trailed 0-3. At halftime a chorus of whistles rang out, echoing the frustration over the dismal first half coached by Francisco. The crowd’s anger grew louder, with voices shouting for the players to leave the pitch and even calling for the dressing rooms to be left early. Accusations weren’t spared for the players warming up on the sidelines, and the atmosphere felt charged with a heat that had nothing to do with the weather.
Enzo Rocohad a poor first half, one of the main talking points of the opening period.
In the second half, there was a shift in intensity as loyalty and youth came into play, with John Chetauya providing some applause-worthy moments. The team’s improved approach found its way to the stands, changing some of the whistles into claps. Ponce’s goal, fed by a pass from Boyé, kept the hope of a miraculous comeback alive, even if such a turnaround felt more utopian than likely.
By the end of the match, the whistle didn’t carry the same strength, as pride began to resurface in the late stages. Still, the prevailing sentiment remained one of resignation, with anger and disappointment lingering among Franjiverdes supporters.
Caps and water for 50 cents a bottle were among the quick fixes offered to spectators who endured more than thirty degrees under the sun. There were also criticisms aimed at La Liga, and particularly its president, Javier Tebas, in many conversations. The Patronal Clubs Association had previously sponsored 10,000 hats bearing the club logo, distributed at the stadium entrance.
The price of water bottles was reduced to 50 cents, though such measures did little to soften the broader critique.
Burnt, not from the sun, a reminder of the day’s heat and the patience tested by a late afternoon kickoff. Fans of Elche CF gathered with the resolve to support their team, even as the scoreboard told a tougher story than expected. Early optimism gave way to a stark reality as the match unfolded, and attendance figures stood as a testament to the local following, both in support of Elche and the guests from Bilbao. The atmosphere reflected a city’s commitment to football, even when the results on the field were not kind. The afternoon’s events would be remembered not only for the scoreline but for the reactions, the conversations, and the enduring passion that defines Liga crowds. In attendance, there were those who stayed, those who left early, and those who simply soaked in the moment, a mosaic of fans united by a shared love of the game, ready to return for the next test. This is the kind of day that fans recount in stories that endure beyond the final whistle, highlighting the human side of football in a league where every match is a chapter to be remembered.