The city of Oviedo has experienced a historic celebration this Sunday in which thousands of fans have celebrated the promotion to La Liga achieved by Real Oviedo. The team returns to the top category 24 years later.
Despite the celebration already lasting hours, as after the game against CD Mirandés, players and fans celebrated until the early hours of the morning, by midday, many blue jerseys could already be seen on the streets of Oviedo. The number of fans increased as the day went on.
The coaching staff, club personnel, relatives, and players boarded two buses that toured the city from the Carlos Tartiere Stadium. From the beginning, they were accompanied by fans overwhelmed by the joy of the triumph.
The vehicles were warmly welcomed on the streets of Alejandro Casona, Avenida Galicia, Hermanos Pidal, Real Oviedo, Independencia, Calle Uría, Argüelles, Mendizabal, Plaza Porlier, Plaza del Riego, and Calle Jesús.
Real Oviedo made a first stop at the City Hall, where from the municipal balcony, they addressed a square completely packed with fans.
Later, around 7:00 p.m., they moved to a large stage located on Calle Uría, at the height of Plaza de la Escandalera, where thousands of people also awaited to celebrate with their team in a big party.
The main protagonist of the club this season, the veteran Santi Cazorla, took the floor, who at 40 years old has been crucial in the team’s promotion. He is the team captain and possibly the most beloved these days.
Almost speechless and in an emotional speech, he dedicated the promotion to the fans. «We felt in debt, because in the end, the love you have given us throughout the year is something that cannot be repaid,» he said.
Cazorla emphasized that the goal goes beyond individual names and focuses on the collective project. «In the end, the goal is for this city to be where it deserves, with the greats of the Spanish League,» he said, emphasizing that they are not satisfied with just the promotion and will seek to establish themselves in the category.
The player highlighted the work of the club’s human group, highlighting its family-like nature. «It’s because the human group we have here is unbeatable, from the kitmen, doctors, physios, the communication people, we are a family,» he explained.
During his speech, Cazorla recalled the atmosphere before the decisive match, with fans fully supporting the team. «Before the game, in the reception, on the bus, we said to ourselves: today we cannot fail this people,» he recounted, describing a moment of intense emotion.
The captain of Real Oviedo concluded his speech with a message of hope for the next season, anticipating the presence of big stars at the Tartiere. «Next year we will enjoy, you will see Lamine Yamal, Mbappé, people like that,» he said, closing his speech with an emotional thank you.
On his part, the team’s coach, Veljko Paunovic, who was part of the Real Oviedo squad when they were relegated in 2001, also spoke visibly moved.
«It is a privilege to be in front of all of you, and the truth is that these three months since we arrived here, this has been my family every day,» he said.
Paunovic emphasized the fundamental role of family values in the team’s sporting achievement. «We have achieved all this thanks to the family values we all have,» he said, expressing his gratitude to the club for the opportunity to «repair» and transform sadness into joy, referring to the relegation in 2001.
The coach concluded his intervention by expressing his gratitude for being able to share «a great moment for the history of this club,» acknowledging that it is a vital moment that «we will remember forever» and in which many fans are accompanied by their families, just like him.
Finally, the president of Real Oviedo, Martín Peláez, addressed the fans and said that it is a day he had dreamed of many times. «But I never thought it would be as beautiful as it is,» he added. Peláez expressed his gratitude to Grupo Pachuca and the fans of Oviedo for their unconditional support.
The executive highlighted the fundamental role of the fans, ensuring that «they have always been there in the good times, the bad times, the regular times, they have never let us down.» Furthermore, he emphasized the team’s family spirit, stating that «we are a true family, and we don’t say it just for show, we say it because we feel it.»
Peláez concluded his intervention by thanking especially the arrival of Paunovic and his coaching staff, «who bet everything on this team regardless of anything,» and sent a message of optimism for the future: «to Oviedo and to continue working to stay in the top league.» The president expressed his pride in feeling «one more Asturian.»
RETURN TO THE TOP CATEGORY
Real Oviedo has been playing in lower categories since 2001. On June 17 of that year and after staying out of the relegation zone throughout the season, the team then led by Radomir Antic, who passed away in 2020, reached the final date depending on themselves to avoid the drop.
However, a 4-2 defeat against Mallorca, combined with Osasuna’s victory and the results of their direct rivals, condemned the club to the Second Division with 41 points, a figure that in other seasons would have been enough for salvation.
The relegation not only meant farewell to the elite after 13 consecutive seasons but also the end of an era for the Asturian club, which in the 90s had enjoyed moments of glory, including a historic participation in the UEFA Cup in 1991 in a tie against Genoa remembered by the fans.
The following season in the Second Division was disastrous, and Oviedo descended to Second B. But the hardest blow came in 2003: the lack of agreement between players and the board due to unpaid wages and the precarious economic situation led to an administrative relegation to the Third Division, the fourth tier of Spanish football.
During these years, the club was on the verge of disappearance. Even the Oviedo City Council promoted the club’s re-foundation based on Astur CF, but the fans remained loyal to the original shield, mobilizing massively to save the club through the purchase of shares and popular support campaigns.
The stay in the Third Division was longer than expected. After several failed attempts and a suffocating economy, the club managed to ascend to Second B in 2005, although they fell shortly after. It wasn’t until 2008 when Oviedo managed to stabilize in Second B, thanks to a capital increase and the support of their fans.
Finally, in 2015, the team achieved the long-awaited promotion to the Second Division after defeating Cádiz in the promotion playoff. Since then, Real Oviedo has established itself in the silver category. The Grupo Pachuca, from Mexico, currently holds the majority of the team’s shares. Last year, they also played in the promotion playoffs, but Espanyol eliminated them.
For Real Oviedo to achieve the return to the top category, they had to fight to the maximum against a CD Mirandés that won the first leg 1-0. The return leg, played in Oviedo, was very exciting.
Real Oviedo ended up winning 3-1, but they had to wait for extra time in the final LaLiga Hypermotion playoff to ascend to LaLiga EA Sports. The blues, in fact, started losing and found themselves 0-1 down on the scoreboard.
FUENTE
