Hope is the last thing that is lost. Or so they say. While Real Madrid still regrets its elimination in the Champions League, its fans trust that this weekend, the club will be victorious from the La Cartuja stadium, in Seville. The Final of the Copa del Rey will be played on Saturday at 10 pm. However, fans who will move to the Andalusian capital in a few hours have been preparing everything for days. “From the moment Real Madrid qualified against Real Sociedad on April 1, we organized everything”says Antonio José Castaño, secretary of the peña Chelle and owner of El Rincón de Toñín, headquarters of the group since its foundation 54 years ago. He will travel to Seville by bus with another 53 people, and there they will meet the rest of meringues.
“We will take everything. A ham, cheese, a lot of sausage, 60 bars of bread and cakes. Well, beers and soft drinks too, to spend the day until the time of the game, ”he adds. Toñín 'The bullfighter', as he is known, will carry his amulet. A cape with the club's shield that has passed through the hands of Raúl González, Sergio Ramos or Nacho, who celebrated their wins next to him. “It's my biggest treasure. This year I don't know who will want to take it if we win. Maybe Ceballos or Rüdiger”he confesses. He does not know if they will win, because the last twice that have faced Barça, the results were not on their side. For now, the group will leave at 5 in the morning of the Vallecana headquarters to support Real Madrid: “There are other rocks that will go on Ave, but we will hit the beating on the road.”
'El Rincón de Toñín' is the headquarters of the Peña Chelle, which will travel to Seville by bus with provisions to spend the day. / DAVID RAW
Toñín next to the authorization of Real Madrid to park near the Cartuja stadium this Saturday in Seville. / DAVID RAW
This is the case of Efigenio Albaladejo, president of the Peña Ramón Mendoza, who will travel with 350 of his by high -speed train. “Those who stay two nights will come out on Friday and the strength, the big group, let's go on Saturday. We will leave at 8:30”he points out. Those of Alcalá de Henares know that it will be “a complicated game”, although they expect their club to “wake up.” “When you do, Barça will have a bad time,” adds its president. Like them, the rest of Peñas will arrive at the Alameda de Hercules, a wooded area and close to several bars and restaurants. “Real Madrid has already sent us the poster to park in the Cartuja. If we lose, we will return Tristones and that's it. It's just a sport“, Lits Castaño, who will go up to the bus with the Madrid clothing, as the vast majority of her teammates:” We do not wear hype, but there will be other rocks that take it. ”
Map of locations of the areas reserved for followers / EPE
From the cape to the shirt
From Toñín's cape to the effigenium shirt. Pepe gave it to him when, in 2014, Gareth Bale scored the goal of the Copa del Rey final despite Marc Bartra's attempts to prevent him. “Since then, I have not lost any end. I have only lacked one, that of the Super Cup, where we lost against Atlético de Madrid. The other finals have won them all, so I say that it is my amulet”jokes. The shirt, with the number 3 on the back, no game has been lost and, this will not be an exception: “I take it to Seville. For the rock, this final is an important game. Our illusion is to bring us the cup and more, against Barça. We are very excited.”
The Peña Chelle will travel to Seville with 60 bars of bread, sausage, a ham, cakes, beers and soft drinks to spend the day near the Cartuja stadium. / DAVID RAW
Part of the provisions with which the Peña Chelle will travel to Seville this Saturday to go to the final of the Copa del Rey. / DAVID RAW
In a world where mobile applications such as WhatsApp and Bizum facilitate the life of any human being, rocks are not far behind. “We do a group with all those who are going to go and organize in a moment. In addition, the payments make them quickly and we have everything controlled. They also come minors, so it is important,” adds. In a rock with great family tradition, the bus is also occupied by some parents with their sons and daughters: “We are one of the few left in Vallecas and we carry it with great pride.” Its founder, Luis Chelle, has 130 faithful in the list: “We are a very castiza rock, very Madrid.” Rufino García, president of the Peña Carabaña, says that more than 130 peñistas will travel in several buses, which will leave Rivas Vaciamadrid: “We will park next to the official coaches, where we will have a meal before the game”.
Rented trains
Either by train or bus, what is clear is that this weekend there will be a massive displacement in the direction of Seville. “Since both capitals are so well communicated, there is a lot of movement”Revea César Gutiérrez, president of the Madrid Federation of Travel Agencies (FEMAV), who says that the AVE frequencies for the weekend have doubled: “We even know that complete trains have been rented to make this tour”. Also by car: A large influx of cars is expected throughout the weekend. “That is something you can't do in the European Cup final because you always have to go by plane,” he defends. Companies dedicated to the organization of this type of travel cannot buy tickets. However, they are responsible for managing transport and accommodation For fans.
Some newspaper cuts on the walls of 'El Rincón de Toñín'. / DAVID RAW
From the Federation, agencies prepare numerous trips in bus and trains from the Community of Madrid. “The plane is more complicated, because Seville's airport is on the outskirts of the city and you have to have another means of transportation to the center. In addition, it is more expensive and renting a whole plane would be a great outlay,” he clarifies. As for the traveler's profile, César highlights the presence of peñistas with entrance for the party. However, there will also be a massive assistance from those who, unfortunately, have not been made with any of the tickets. “It is the most complicated. There are those who are lucky to be able to enter and those who have no pass and, still, they want to live the party and the atmosphere of a final. They accompany people with entrance and if, at the last minute, an entrance of resale comes out, they manage to enter”, He concludes. Luck may not be on his part, but it is clear that neither Toñín nor effigenium plans to turn their backs on their team.
