A Real Madrid legend called for "unity, but also reflection" on the club's future in Alicante, amid a bittersweet atmosphere following the recent European elimination.
Alicante became the capital of Madridismo. At a large gathering organized by the “Quinta del Buitre” supporters' club from Callosa del Segura (one of the oldest and most active official fan groups in the country), more than 700 Madridistas came together to pay tribute to Lorenzo Sanz and Pedja Mijatovic, heroes of the Seventh European Cup, in an atmosphere of hope, debate and reflection on the present and future of Real Madrid.
In the banquet halls, a bittersweet atmosphere prevailed. With the team's elimination in Munich still fresh, conversations revolved around what was happening to the club presided over by Florentino Perez.
The event, scheduled well in advance of the club's recent stumbles, was a kind of “Madridista summit,” in which the members of the supporters' clubs, the silent infantry of the club, shared a certain unease over “the lack of answers from the board and the poor results over the last two seasons.” The event also served to honor former president Lorenzo Sanz.
The gathering, chaired by Jose Bernabeu, head of the host supporters' club, was attended by dozens of supporters' clubs from the Valencia region and representatives from supporters' clubs from the Madrid region, Extremadura, Andalusia, and other parts of Spain, as well as hundreds of Madridistas from Alicante province itself.
Accompanying the two former football players were numerous local political figures, as well as Maria Luz Duran, widow of Lorenzo Sanz, and Alicante businessman Enrique Riquelme, president of the Cox Group and a member of the organizing supporters' club, who also drew many glances since many in the white universe point to him as one of the main potential future presidents of the club.
Mijatovic, Sanz, and Riquelme himself maintained a constructive tone at this large gathering, defending the work of Florentino Perez, appealing for stability, but at the same time showing a critical spirit. “This is a time for unity, but we must open a reflection on what the future of Real Madrid should be,” Pedja said.
Fernando Sanz, meanwhile, said that “no one feels the colors and values of Real Madrid like the youth academy. That has been lost. A clear strategy with the youth players is urgent, and they must be the heart of a new cycle at Madrid.” Just one day later, the club's youth players proved him right by winning the Youth League.
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