After a year of forced virtual version due to the covid-19 pandemic, the gala of the best Asturian football of LA NUEVA ESPAÑA recovered its face-to-face appointment in an atmosphere of optimism. Oviedo’s vice-president, Manuel Paredes, proclaimed it, convinced that the team can contest the play-off for promotion to the First Division. Also the representatives of the Second RFEF teams, despite the difficulties of three of them to maintain the category. And it was signed by the president of the Asturian Federation, José Ramón Cuetos Lobo, accompanied by those responsible for the coaching committee, Juan José Corujo, and referees, Marco Santurio.
The director of LA NUEVA ESPAÑA, Gonzalo Martínez Peón, opened the event by sending his condolences to the family of José Fernández, the former president of Sporting who died on Sunday, which is why the club from Gijón was not represented at the gala. Martínez Peón pointed out that it was a day of celebration for Asturian football, “an occasion for us all to come together after two hard years of the pandemic.” He hoped that Oviedo and Sporting “return to the First Division soon” and that the Asturian teams of the Second RFEF achieve their goals. He also had a memory for Ukrainian football and for Ukrainian athletes who live in Asturias.
The president of the Asturian Committee of Referees, Marco Santurio, congratulated himself on the good moment of his position, with representatives in all categories, while at the same time thanking LA NUEVA ESPAÑA “for remembering the referees as just another athlete”. José Ramón Cuetos Lobo, who attended the gala for the first time as president of the Asturian Federation, highlighted the importance of the awards “because they serve as an incentive for all the protagonists of football to improve”.
After the award ceremony for the 2020-21 season, which included an applause for the absent Sporting players, the presenter of the event, Francisco Costales, expressed his gratitude to the attendees and the sponsors of the gala, who were represented by Nuria Meana (Caja Rural de Asturias), Miguel González (Nissan Cyasa) and Jesús Abad, Councilor for Sports of the Siero City Council.
