Hércules Centenary Celebration: Legends Match and Centennial Events

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Everything is prepared for the centennial celebration of Hercules with one of the season’s most anticipated events: a legends match between Hercules and the Spanish national team at Rico Pérez. The game is scheduled for next Thursday at 20:00, the very day Alicante marks its hundredth anniversary. Subscribed holders of the centennial card can enter for free; general admission costs 5 euros and supports a social project.

The event will be attended by Vicente del Bosque, former national team coach, and Ángel María Villar, former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

At the presentation of the tournament, the Centennial Commission President Manuel Palomar, Hércules President Carlos Parodi, and the president of the Spanish International Footballers Association, along with Hércules captain Raúl Ruiz, were present, joined by Francisco Fresno, president of the Costablanca Sports Tourism Association.

In the schedule, a round table at 5:30 pm in San Nicolás titled “Hércules CF in the historical context of Spanish football” will feature Vicente del Bosque, Ángel María Villar, former players Juan Antonio Carcelén and Miodrag Kustodic, with journalists Raúl Ruiz and Toni Cabot moderating the discussion.

The highlight of the day remains the long-awaited match between the legends of Hércules and the Spanish national team, set for Rico Pérez at 20:00. Before kickoff, the club will reveal esteemed figures from its history.

Giner, a former Hércules player who spent a season in the late 1990s, encouraged fans to attend and celebrate “a hundred years of history.”

“Even though I was there for just one season, I feel connected to this centennial. It is an honor to defend the colors and the emotions of a city and its club,” the former Valencian footballer said. He announced that the national team of Spanish legends will be led by Vicente del Bosque and will feature players such as the former goalkeeper Ricardo López, Xatanha, Amavisca, Romero, Engonga, Raúl Bravo, Juan Sánchez, Luque, Marchena, Munitis, Setién, Víctor Sánchez, De la Red, Sergi Barjuán, Ignacio Camacho, Ito and Josico.

Legends of La Roja invited to Hercules centennial party

Hércules will announce captain Paquito Escudero and Paco Pena on Monday, with a broad roster that Palomar describes as mostly ready. The list includes Portillo, Palomino, Latorre, Espejo, Varela, Pellicer, Sigüenza, Raúl Ivars, Cámara, Baroja and several others who will be revealed at Monday’s event.

Highlighting the historical significance of the moment, the centennial celebration is poised to shine a light on a century of Hércules’ football and community impact.

Hercules centennial volume

In the lead up to the anniversary, discussions and events have underscored the club’s enduring legacy and its ties to the region’s football culture.

Athletic-Hercules?

Carlos Parodi, president of Hércules, expressed interest in sawing a possible friendly with Athletic Club de Bilbao during the centennial celebrations. He confirmed conversations with officials from the Biscayan side to bring Hércules to Alicante for a commemorative match that would cap the World Cup break. Other team contacts were explored as part of the celebratory program.

Parodi admitted that the club would have welcomed a first division opponent to face Hércules during this milestone year. He noted that Athletic could have traveled to Rico Pérez to revisit classic clashes from the past era. The discussions included the possibility of engaging the Bilbao club academy manager Dani Barroso, a former Athletic Club player, or former Hércules player and Basque team delegate Sendoa Agirre.

Parodi emphasized that the centennial match would not only excite Hércules fans but also highlight the large Athletic fan community in the Valencian region, creating a vibrant cross-town football moment.

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