Viaje

Last year, when the members of the Peña Atlético Aviación invited me to their 15th anniversary in March, I hesitated for a moment because I had a feeling the celebration could get out of hand, but I thought it over and concluded it was worth it. After all, when have I ever resisted a good party?

On March 22, early in the morning, I set off for Benavente, a town in the Zamora province, a city that Víctor, a member of the peña, had already shown to Txus and me during our short visit in October 2024. After leaving my things in the room at the La Trucha guesthouse, which Javi (president of the peña) had reserved for me, Isaac came to pick me up and take me to the epicenter of the action: the peña headquarters. I arrived there in a van, accompanied by Patricia Cazón, only to discover that the venue had become too small, so they had set up tents on the street (with permission from the town hall, I suppose), where they had prepared some appetizers to kick things off.

Reaching 57 years as an official Peña is undoubtedly a reason for celebration, and that’s exactly what the Peña Atlética de Pozoblanco in the province of Córdoba did. More than half a century cheering on our Atleti deserves a grand celebration, and we were lucky enough to be invited.

Along with Encarni, president of the Peña Atlética de Pablo Barrios and a personal friend, we set off and stayed at her sister’s house, who lives near Pozoblanco. We arrived on Friday the 14th, and the celebration was planned for Saturday, March 15. Around 11 in the morning, we met up in Pozoblanco with Juan José, president of the Peña, and he had the brilliant idea of showing us how COVAP, a dairy industry, operates. The guided tour was excellent and left all attendees amazed by the experience and the hospitality we received.

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.

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.