It was one of those beautiful football stories – when the directors got too smart and led the club into bankruptcy so that the fans would gather around the club they love and raise it from the ashes. True, under a completely different name, but also with a completely different management system, with hope, with enthusiasm, even with good results that brought Unionistas Salamanca from the sixth to the third league…Somewhere, however, they had to hit the ceiling, and that somewhere this time was Barcelona. The Reina Sofia city stadium had those 14 minutes to celebrate Alvaro Gomez’s goal – he was once a kid of Valencia in that generation with Rafa Mir, Carlos Soler, Toni Lata, Gonzalo Villar and others – but in the end they had to shake the hand of the better team. Barca won 3-1 and went to the quarterfinals of Copa del Rey.
When the guests saw that the Salamanca fans started fantasizing too much, and went completely crazy after that leading goal, they decided to kill all their hopes as soon as possible. Ferran Torres scored in the 45th minute, just before halftime, so the hosts didn’t devise a plan to defend the goal, followed by goals from Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. The home team experienced all of Barça’s might in less than half an hour of play.
And it’s nice that the fans gathered to at least show dignity, if not the name of old Salamanca, it’s nice that they have the support of their fellow citizens Vicente Del Bosque or the famous actor Dani Rovira, but modern football is a business for the rich and powerful. And, Barca currently are in debt as much as Unionistas Salamanca, with a history of only 10 years, probably won’t see until the end of the 21st century.After all, miracles don’t happen every day.
COPA DEL REY – 1/8 FINALSThursdayUnionistas – Barcelona 1-3 (1-1)/Gomez 31 – Torres 4, Kounde 67, Balde 73/23.30: (2.95) Atl.Madrid (3.45) Real Madrid (2.35)***odds are subject to change***