How the Mexico City Sporting and Oviedo supporters’ clubs will watch the Asturias Derby

The Mexican fans of both Sporting and Oviedo are getting ready to enjoy a new round of the Asturian derby once again. To find out how the two sides are going to experience the game, AS has spoken with the presidents of the supporters clubs of both teams in Mexico City: José Antonio Palacio, president of the Peña Azul Isidro Lángara of Mexico and Diego Álvarez, president of the Sporting Peña “La Villa de Quini” of Mexico City.

In previous derbies, up to 200 people have come together, 100 from Sporting and 100 from Oviedo to enjoy the rivalry that always lends itself to a friendly atmosphere. However, on this occasion, the timing of the game is not the most favourable to see from the other side of the Atlantic. In Spain, the fans will be watching the game kick off at 4:15 p.m., but in Mexico City it will be 8:15 a.m.

This is how José Antonio Palacio, the head of the Oviedo Peña, explains it: “We won’t be able to have the same experience like on other occasions, where for us it is like a day in Asturias, but as a soccer fan. The schedule is very bad for us, the Peña venue opens at nine and the game here is at eight in the morning. This time we will watch the game at home and we will follow it together in a chat that the Peña has and we will comment on the moments of the game. This time we will watch it from bed,” he jokes.

Precisely, Diego Álvarez, the head of the Sporting Peña, explains that this time it will be experienced in a similar way to those that took place during the pandemic. “On that occasion we all watched it from home and shared comments through chats,” he says. Although for Álvarez, on this occasion, he is not going to have to watch it on a screen: this Sporting-Oviedo will be experienced from El Molinón. To do this, he has taken five flights and travelled many hours to be at the game. It will be his ninth live derby and he will not be alone: two members of the Mexican supporters club will accompany him in the El Molinón-Quini stands.

‘The team that makes the fewest mistakes will be the one that wins it’

The presidents of the Mexican supporters clubs have analysed how both teams look going into the game. Diego Álvarez is clear that both sides “have been at a very even level throughout this season, but now Oviedo arrive in good form; if the competition lasted another month or two, they could even make the playoffs, but streaks in derbies don’t mean anything and the team that makes the fewest mistakes will be the one that wins it”. Álvarez then reveals Sporting’s secret weapon: “In this derby, Sporting have a lucky charm: the president Alejandro Irarragorri has not lost any game in which he has watched the team live,” he explains.

For his part, José Antonio Palacio also sees Oviedo in a good vein of form. “The team are on a good run with five games won and are just seven points from the playoffs. Derbies are not played, they are won and the last few times we have won them. You have to be lucky, but this derby is very special. We hope it will be a good game”, he says. Both fans are clear that the result will be tight, but both fans back their own side: José Antonio gave a 1-2 result for Oviedo while Diego went for a 1-0 or 2-1 victory for Sporting.

“I don’t rule out that in the future they will play an Asturian derby here”

Beyond the sporting rivalry, both sides regret that the kick-off time does not allow the two groups of Asturians to enjoy this game together. “They have taken away the opportunity to get together, when we do we usually make a fabada, have some cachopos, we combine it all with good cider. All Asturian products!”, explain José Antonio Palacio, president of the Peña Azul Isidro Lángara of Mexico and Diego Álvarez, president of the Sporting Peña “La Villa de Quini” of Mexico City.

Sporting de Gijón have announced that next summer they will go on a three-match tour of Mexico, as well as beginning a partnership with Club América, something that Diego Álvarez values very positively: “We are very excited to see them in Mexico, for the first time we don’t have to go to Asturias to see them. There will be three games in Torreón, Guadalajara and La Paz”. For his part, Palacio was convinced that Oviedo will also play on Mexican soil shortly. “An initiative that was already planned before the pandemic is being taken up again. We are ready to welcome them. I don’t rule out that in the future they will play an Asturian derby here one day”, he explains.