Cordiality and good atmosphere at cup finalists’ dinner
The formal presentation of commemorative gifts was presided over by the deputy vice-president of the RFEF, Mari Ángeles García Chaves.
Petronila I was Queen of Aragon and Countess of Barcelona between 1157 and 1164; and the hotel that bears her name, located in Zaragoza, was the setting for the institutional dinner in honour of the clubs that, tomorrow, aspire to reign over Spanish football. At the Reina Petronila hotel, prior to the dinner, the formal ceremony was held to present the commemorative gifts for the final of the Copa de la Reina 2023/24, which was presided over by the deputy vice-president of the RFEF, María Ángeles García Chaves.
The event also saw representatives of FC Barcelona (Xavier Puig, head of women's football and member of the Catalan club's board of directors) and Real Sociedad de Fútbol (vice-president, Ángel Oyarzun) receive the gifts commemorating their participation in the final and also proceed to give each other gifts. Both clubs opted for sculptures: FC Barcelona, a replica of their crest, represented in a beautiful simplicity; and Real Sociedad, a piece of work that mixes the figurative and the abstract and that recalls, perhaps, the styles of great Basque sculptors such as Chillida or Oteiza.
In addition to the finalist clubs, the RFEF wanted to recognise the work of the institutions involved in the celebration of this match. For this reason, the Government of Aragon, Zaragoza City Council, Real Zaragoza SAD and the Royal Aragonese Football Federation received commemorative gifts.
Tomasa Hernández, Councillor for the Presidency, Interior and Culture of the Aragonese Government; Félix Brocate Puri, Councillor for Sports of the Zaragoza City Council; Cristina Llop, Councillor of Real Zaragoza SAD; and Dolores Serrat, representing the RFAF, received gifts from María Ángeles García Chaves.
All of this was witnessed by other authorities present, such as the mayor of Donostia-San Sebastián, Eneko Goia; the president of the Catalan Football Federation, Joan Soteras; the president of the Basque Football Federation, Javier Landeta; and his counterpart in the Federation of Guipuzcoa, Manuel Díaz de Marcos, among others.
After the presentation of the gifts and the usual group photo, the guests enjoyed dinner as a prelude to tomorrow's final. Everything is now ready for La Romareda (which, as mentioned at the event, will soon begin its complete refurbishment with a view to the 2030 World Cup) to host the match that will crown FC Barcelona or Real Sociedad as winners of the Iberdrola Copa de la Reina
