There is no worse rival in the Champions League for Atlético de Madrid than their neighbor “the Cheats,” and not because they play good football, but because they resort to every possible trick (even the most devious) to advance on their path to the “Big Ears” trophy.

The draw (or who knows who) decided that there would be another derby in the Champions League to reach the round of sixteen, with the return leg taking place at the Metropolitano Stadium. We decided that this would be the perfect day for our lucky mascot Juliana to visit what is her true home for the first time and introduce herself to our crowd.

On February 1, 2014, Luis Aragonés —DON LUIS ARAGONÉS, the Wise Man of Hortaleza, our beloved “Zapatones”— left us for the third tier of the stadium, orphaning all Atlético fans and all true lovers of football.

Every year, his passing is commemorated, and this year, it coincided with the Atlético de Madrid vs. Mallorca match. The statue of the Wise Man outside the Metropolitano is always a place of pilgrimage for rojiblanco supporters, and on Saturday, even more so.In the morning, Frente Atlético placed a beautiful floral wreath in the shape of Atlético de Madrid’s crest. Throughout the day, thousands of fans visited his statue to remember him and pay their respects.

It was one of those nights you never forget. My first Copa del Rey match at the Estadio Metropolitano, and I could hardly believe I was finally here. The stadium lights cast a warm glow over the stands, and even though it wasn’t completely full, there was an electrifying tension in the air. Atlético Madrid’s red and white colors shone brightly in the night, and I felt like part of something bigger.

We only needed a draw in Salzburg to automatically qualify for the Champions League round of 16. And since we were all confident we would achieve it and no one wanted to miss the party, we packed winter clothes in our backpacks and set off for the city of Mozart.

The train was the chosen means of transportation for most of us, and from Cologne, six of us traveled together. We had booked in advance and began marking our territory on the train by decorating the tables with the flags of the supporters’ group, on which we laid out an appetizing meal that sparked envy among the other passengers.

We started the year doing what we love most: traveling with Atleti.

When it was announced that Marbella would be our next opponent in the Copa del Rey, and we saw that Marbella was doing things right by offering affordable ticket prices and confirming that the match would be played in Málaga, we barely had time to think about it. Some members of our peña requested tickets through Atlético de Madrid’s virtual office, and a few days later, we were informed that they had been granted.