O
nmatchdaysat theEstadioCarlos
Tartiere, therearesome fanswho
walk through thestadiumgates for
free. Inside thearena–homeofReal
Oviedo football club–giantbanners
areraised in thosesupporters’
honour,whilearound thecity,
residentsoffer themguided toursandrestaurant
recommendations for thebest regional
fabada
(beanstew).
Atnight, locals inbarsply themwith
sidra
(cider),which,
inkeepingwithAsturian tradition, isdramaticallypoured
into theirglasses fromagreatheightbywaiterswith
outstretchedarms.
Thesearenot, asyoumight imagine,visiting
dignitariesnor local celebrities.Were JustinBieber to
suddenlydevelopapenchant for thisAsturian team, it’s
unlikelyhewouldget thiskindofattention. In fact, these
visitorsaresomeof the thousandsof international football
fanswho, in2012,helped torescueRealOviedo from
financialdisaster inwhat ispossibly
themost improbableyet romantic
football storyever.
The talebegins inMay2001.Real
OviedohaddefeatedSpanishgiants
Barcelona1-0at theCampNou.They
wereplaying inLaLiga,Spain’s top
division, and itwas their38thseason
at this level since theclub’s foundation in1926.But,despite
theheroicresult, sixweeks later, the teamwasrelegated.
“Oviedo isaclassicstoryofownerschasingadream,
wastingmoney–somemaliciously, some foolishly–and
it justwasn’tworking,”saysSidLowe, a football journalist
for
TheGuardian
andanOviedo fansincehis timeat
university in thecity.
Yearsoffinancialmismanagementhad left the team
weakenedbycrushingdebts, and thiswas thepoint the
levybroke.Oviedowasrelegatedoncemore in2003, this
timesufferinganadditional administrativerelegation for
CLOCKWISEFROMTOP
LEFT
Shareholders
MalcolmHopkins from the
UKandJamesGallatinJr
(USA) prepare for the
game; thewalk toEstadio
CarlosTarteire; ahappy
buzz;match tickets
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