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Football is a favorite spectator sport in Costa del Sol amongst a huge number of British and Spanish alike. The foreign influence has increased the popularity of football over the years and there are usually local matches, where you can s upport or even join the team. For foreigners living abroad, a football match can be a great way to meet like-minded local people in a relaxed, yet lively atmosphere. You might learn a few choice Spanish phrases that you should check out before you incorporate them into your everyday vocabulary!
Since so many British people have settled in Andalucia and especially along the Costa del Sol, over the last 20 years or so, there is now a large English speaking fraternity that follows the Premier League and especially Malaga Football Club.
The Premier Football Division in Andalucia is largely dominated by three teams:
- · Sevilla
- · Betis
- · Malaga
Sevilla and Betis are both from the City of Sevilla and the competition between them and their supporters is fierce. Despite this local challenge being a part of the two teams' history, the real rivalry is evident when Malaga and Sevilla come head to head. In this case, the heated feelings between two Andalucian cities are clearly exposed and memories of Celtic versus Rangers battles come to mind. Sevilla tend to be leaders in the game, but Chelsea's interest in buying Betis man, Joaquin Sánchez Rodríguez (Midfield 17), shows the strength in some of their competitor's players. Although Malaga certainly did not have its best year in 2003/2004, it is still in the Premier League. Most supporters agree that some serious thought and financial investment is needed to make 2005 more successful for the team. All three Football Clubs have foreign as well as top Spanish team players as well as a significant foreign supporters following.
Sevilla Fútbol Club - colours - Red & White
Avenida Eduardo Dato, 41005 Sevilla
Tel.: (+00 34) 954 53 53 53
Fax: (+00 34) 954 53 60 61
Home Ground - "Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán" Stadium (Capacity - 45.500)
Spanish Championship: (1) 1946
Spanish Cup: (3) 1935, 1939, 1948
Although the Sevilla Football Club officially kicked off on 14th October 1905 with the approval of the Club Statutes, British sailors had introduced the idea some 15-20 years earlier. These pioneers of the game in Seville, who worked on the boats, which came up the river, were considered outrageous and caused quite a scandal in the Sevilla society of the late 19th century. The idea of kicking a ball around with your feet as a sport was something completely new and treated with disdain to begin with.
Today, the local enthusiasts of the Sevilla club show their Andalucian passion for their team, but the foreign element forms part of the back bone of team support. Many British football fans regularly attend matches to cheer them on.
Real Betis Balompíe - colours - Green and white stripes
Address: Avda de Heliópolis, Sevilla
Telephone: 954 610 340
Founded: 1907
Home Ground: 'Ruiz de Lopera' Stadium (Capacity - 52,500)
Official Website: www.realbetisbalompie.es
In 1907 a group of students in Sevilla started what was to officially become in 1914 the Betis C.F. (Club de Fútbol). It was the idea of Henry Jones, a British resident in Sevilla at the time, to get the club up and running. Jones became the first president of Betis. The newly formed club struggled relentlessly against the Sevilla Football Club, which was considered to be of a much higher rank. A balance of power was struck when King Alfonso XIII of Spain awarded Betis with the title Real (Royal). Thus endorsed by the Spanish Monarch, the green and white team gained credibility in 1915.
Malaga C.F. - colours - Blue and white stripes
Paseo de los Martíricos, 29011 Malaga
Home Ground: La Rosaleda (Capacity 25,000)
Official Website: www.malagacf.es
Atlético Malagueño was founded in 1948 and it was much later, in 1994 that it became Malaga C.F. (Club de Fútbol). It was originally set up to train players for the first team and for this purpose it was affiliated with Club Deportivo Malaga. The home stadium, La Rosaleda (in Malaga City), is a favourite venue for a huge number of international supporters, who even have their own English language website and live coverage of all the games on local English Radio. Malaga fought their way from Group 9 of the third Division in 92/93, to finally achieve First Division status in 1999/2000. Unfortunately, they have not been doing too well recently and there are possibilities of relegation if things don't improve.
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