The Vitoria team that always plays away from home for “safety”

Imagine paying rent for a home that you can’t live in when the weekend comes. He packs his bags and moves. And so on, continually. It is the situation in which San Ignacio of the Third Division coexists and competes. They are, after Alavés, the best positioned team in the territory. They just turned sixty years old. And for the first time in their history they play their games on another field. Not on a whim, but for “security.” The state of deterioration of Adurtzabal, under municipal management, is “critical”: “The lines are raised, there are holes, patches, sinkholes…”, Abraham Riezu, president of the entity, shows EL CORREO, during a session of training.

Their new home where only the matches are played is Los Astrónomos, also in the public domain. From Adurza to Santa Lucía. Two kilometers separate one from the other. 30 minutes walk. “In the end you have that feeling of always playing as a visitor, with the difficulties that this entails,” he denounces. It does not refer to sports. In this section the team remains solid and, despite Saturday’s defeat against Basconia, they have now had two games at home. It alludes to issues such as “neighborhood identity, logistics and being the last to be able to choose the day of the match.”

Because there are lifelong partners who now no longer give color and warmth to the stands. A detachment from his childhood club. From the neighborhood. From his family. The one in which Ernesto Valverde or Abde Rebbach once served. «It seems like it is next door, but in the end you have to move. “We also have to carry all the material and we play on Sunday afternoons because it is the only time that is free.” They are the exception. The City Council does not contemplate evening football on the last day of the week.

Let’s go to the origin. It was two years ago when they had to make this drastic decision: change fields. «It does not meet the minimum conditions for sports practice. “It’s really dangerous.” They anticipated the more than likely rejection by the RFEF to play Third Division matches in Adurtzabal. The federation establishes that playing fields cannot be older than eight years. This one is 17. In that case they are subjected to a strict examination. «Do you think I would get over it? There was little room for maneuver. The renovated field above was not an option because it is already built and does not have stands. For our fans and for the visitor it could not be considered,” the club censures.

Sources from the FAF (Alavesa Football Federation) convey Adurtzabal’s “criticism” to this newspaper. On Monday, City Hall maintenance workers worked on the ground. «They have teased us. The only thing they have done is place four patches,” reproaches Riezu. Band-aids that seem unable to heal the wound. The corner is sunken, as is a 4-meter section on one of the wings. The crescent reveals the different actions, like those lines that indicate the age of the trees. And a crack, in which a boot fits perfectly, crosses the field from side to side. “Here your leg gets caught and you destroy it.”

Escape of homegrown players

Riezu is not only the authoritative voice of San Ignacio. Speak with knowledge of the facts. «Playing on this field I broke my knee. I had to undergo surgery and the doctor told me that I would not be able to play football again. I had to retire. Imagine what it would mean to carry another similar case on our backs,” he argues. Hence, they feel uneasiness when they travel to other fields. “Portugalete, Beasain, Leioa… You see those facilities and you die of envy.”

Luck is not the same for the lower categories. The San Ignacio youth football team is the only one that maintains activity in Adurtzabal. Fitting their matches into other fields is really impossible. A puzzle. «Not to be alarmist, but one of these days I’m going to have to meet with the parents to inform them that the camp is closing. And I do it thinking about the kids. Although the consequences are already being noticed. «We are suffering a flight of players. At Benjamines we have had to eliminate a team after nine players left. “We are sure that it is because parents fear for the integrity of their children.”

And it’s not just because of the state of the grass. “Look, come, let’s go see the locker rooms.” The space is narrow for around twenty football players to dress inside. And the facilities reveal their age. «They have not been renovated since their inauguration 40 years ago. “We have photos from the time and everything is still the same.” It refers to the four showers and . «Last year we had to suspend some training because the tiles were broken. What if someone cuts themselves? “It’s worse than jail,” he compares, with a serious face.