Cup

What began as an expedition fueled by faith from the Peña Atlética de Alemania ended up being a true ordeal that we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy. We landed in Faro on Friday the 17th with suitcases full of scarves and our voices ready, but little did we know that Saturday in Seville held a survival obstacle course designed by the enemy. We parked near La Cartuja, and right there, the football ended to make way for third-world conditions.

Seeing Atlético de Madrid Femenino in a Copa de la Reina final is, luckily, no longer anything out of the ordinary. We have a women’s team that really measures up, even though they’ve been a bit lackluster this past season. And I have great memories of cup finals (remember Butarque in 2023), so of course, I didn’t hesitate for a moment to attend this one.

Buying my ticket took some effort—the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) website leaves a lot to be desired—but the link Luis (from the Atleti fan clubs) sent me made everything easier. I arranged with Inés, a good friend and president of the Las Colchoneras fan club (the only one dedicated to the women’s team), to travel as a group, since the long trip from Madrid to Huesca is better with company.

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 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.

In this fan club, we trust our players, even before qualifying for the Queen’s Cup final (by the way, I suggest changing the name of the competition because Letizia is not there nor is she expected to be, her contempt is absolute).

The first thing I did when entering the stadium was to hang our flag. Derbies raise many passions, and I saw that in the stands. The audience was mixed and committed, and when the game started, it was already drizzling.