It is four thirty in the afternoon on a Sunday in early September. The heat is intense, with a forecast of 34 degrees. Yet the fans of Elche CF will not abandon their team in a crucial match against Athletic Bilbao this Sunday.
Supporters and the blue-and-white crowd are already on the move, ready to stand with the team and its players during this tough moment in Elche’s season. The atmosphere around the stadium is charged with energy as fans prepare to back their team.
The crowd is urged to arrive an hour and a half before kickoff and to share messages of support via social networks. A warm reception awaits the team as they arrive at Martínez Valero stadium.
One enthusiastic supporter from the green-and-white group wrote on social media: No surrender here. A big welcome to the players before the game so they feel we are there and if they need to leave everything on the field.”
At the same time, the message from the supporters is clear: the players will benefit from the encouragement of every fan. Everyone is welcome. This season, more than ever, they want to be the twelfth player. Fans will gather in their usual spot on the square in front of the stadium, starting at two o’clock in the afternoon.
Christian Araez expressed it personally through a private account: to be number twelve at Martínez Valero, one must organize a warm reception that lets Athletic Bilbao know exactly where the game is taking place.
Elche fans recognize that Francisco and his teammates need strong support to secure three points, offering a more hopeful outlook for the rest of the campaign.
Caps and water discounts
The Elche club awaits its decision from the league to see if it will match the previous game against Real Sociedad, with the club arranging hats to help fans beat the heat. In the last match, 10,000 white hats bearing the La Liga logo were distributed among the crowd. This practice is common in other stadiums for noon or early afternoon games, such as Mallorca vs Girona, which took place at two in the afternoon last weekend.
Security rules limit drinking in the stadiums. Only water bottles under 50 centiliters and without caps are allowed inside the venue.
In the match against Real Sociedad, Elche reduced the price of small water bottles to just 50 cents. A similar move occurred at the Palma stadium, while the Majorca home ground is known for higher prices on hydration options elsewhere in the league.
Requests for schedule changes
Many fans and clubs from warmer regions have voiced concerns about La Liga not scheduling games during the hottest hours. The league authority noted that reorganizing 200 matches would be challenging. As a result, no changes to the usual kickoff times are planned for now. Elche played against Real Sociedad at half past five in the afternoon and will kick off at a quarter past four this Sunday against Athletic Bilbao.