Spain-Belgium match on 16 July in A Coruña presented by stakeholders
When the Spanish women's national football team began to make headway in our country, A Coruña was one of the most important centres for our players. Karbo, a team founded in a school in the Os Mallos neighbourhood, became a yardstick for success among those pioneers, winning four national titles, equivalent to the Queen's Cup, between 1981 and 1985. Many years later, with a World Cup and a Nations League in the Spanish National Team's trophy cabinet, A Coruña wants to remember those trailblazing women with the Spain-Belgium match that will be played on 16 July (19:00) at the ABANCA-RIAZOR stadium and whose official presentation took place this Friday at the same venue.
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña, represented by its director, Michelle Clemente, acted as host at the event. The RFEF was represented by its vice-president and president of the Galician Football Federation, Rafael Louzán, who was accompanied by the highest authorities of the institutions involved in this meeting. On behalf of the City Council of A Coruña, the mayoress of the city, Inés Rey, also attended by the councillors of Sports, Manuel Vázquez, and Culture and Tourism, Gonzalo Castro. Antonio Leira, Sports Deputy of the Provincial Council of A Coruña, and José Ramón Lete, Secretary General for Sport of the Xunta de Galicia, also took the floor during the presentation.
All the institutions agreed on the excitement with which the city of A Coruña will welcome the world champions, heirs of the path that, for the reasons already mentioned, connects the city with the star achieved in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Statements at the event
In that mythical Karbo CF, which later became Karbo Deportivo and was introduced into the structure of RC Deportivo, played someone who later had the honour of being the first official captain of the Spanish National Team: Inma Castañón, who also spoke during the event. Castaño thanked the RFEF for the invitation and recalled that, when she was captain, "the only thing I was waiting for was to put on my boots and go out onto the pitch; it was an enormous emotion". "I hope that on the 16th we have a great party atmosphere in this stadium," she said.
Michelle Clemente, on behalf of RC Deportivo, welcomed the Spanish team and recalled that, in 2019, Riazor beat the then record attendance record for an official national team match. From the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Antonio Leira has set the national team as an example that "dreams, when they are pursued with humility, are achieved; and this is a lesson and a reference for our Provincial Council in sporting matters". He described 16 July as "a celebration of sport": "it is a match to enjoy".
For his part, the Secretary General for Sport of the Xunta de Galicia, José Ramón Lete, highlighted the vital role played by the Galician international, Tere Abelleira; and Rafael Louzán, president of the RFGF and vice-president of the RFEF, expressed his "pride that the national team, after having already qualified, will play its last match in Spain before the Games in a city like A Coruña". "It has been a very important year for women's sport here, with the return to the top flight of the followers on from the legendary Karbo Deportivo," recalled Louzán.
Closing the event, the mayoress of A Coruña, Inés Rey, highlighted the profound relationship that the city has with sport and, especially, with women's sport, the promotion of which "is also a necessity in order to truly fight for real equality". "A Coruña is a pioneering city in women's football, with figures of the stature of Irene González Basanta and clubs of great importance such as Karbo or our beloved Dépor ABANCA", she said, before adding: "I can't think of a better time to welcome the second visit of the women's national team to the city, which is a privilege for all of us, than this 2024, in which Riazor has given us two promotions".
During the event, it was announced that tickets went on sale this very afternoon, at very affordable prices ranging from 10 to 15 euros, with discounts for advance sales of up to 20% for those who buy their tickets between this Friday and next Tuesday, 9th July. Tickets can only be purchased through the RFEF's official sales channel, the tickets.rfef.es website.
As usual in the Spanish National Team matches, as well as in the rest of the matches organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, tickets are available for people with reduced mobility, at a price of 10 euros including a ticket for a companion.
This is not the only initiative related to inclusion and attention to diversity. The RFEF will once again implement the special narration system for blind people, which has already become essential in the matches played in our country by the senior national teams.
This Spain-Belgium match corresponds to the last round of matches in the qualifying phase for Euro 2025, and comes after the team coached by Montse Tomé has already secured their ticket for the continental competition, and just a few days before their debut in the Olympic Games.
