The tribes and DANA: the solidarity of amateur football in the face of floods – Spain – Floods

In Valencia on October 29 and 30, rain replaced the sun, and it was a tide that submerged the autonomous community. In just two days, the province suffered a year's worth of downpours, transforming the streets into torrents. With 238 dead or missing and massive destruction, these floods – which we will call DANA – stand out as one of the worst European natural disasters since those of 2021. In the middle of this apocalyptic picture, the amateur football clubs of the region have also paid a heavy price.

A night of wind, fear and survival

This is particularly the case of Bogarra, its 740 souls and its land below Spanish houses whitened by time on the banks of the rio of the same name. Here, on the heights of the province of Albacete, the local club is much more than a team: it is the village church. Borja, vice-president, says: “ It started to rain early in the morning. Everything was fine. Then around noon, the river began to overflow. »

A few hours later and 250 miles away, at 6:30 p.m., the scene accelerates, and, in a dance school in Paiporta, on the outskirts of Valencia: a flash flood. In the ballet room, young girls train, the water rises at breakneck speed, up to the children's knees. At the same time in the center of the village, it reached 1.70 meters. The network is cut, it is impossible to call for help. « We were cut off from the world, it was horrible, really horrible. It lasted six minutes… A terrible fear, without being able to do anything, without believing what was happening. It was very strange, it wasn't raining, it was just windy. » These words are those of Yolanda, president of Paiporta CF for 14 years and founder of the dance academy which opened only a month ago. The alarms came around 8:30 p.m. Way too late. Fortunately, the sports facilities had been closed due to the usual gusts, leaving the majority of the children at home, but this time, they had an unusual fury.

A few kilometers away, Pedro, president of Unió Benetússer Favara CF, another neighboring club, is still living with the tremor of that evening. « One of the coaches, the soul of the club, stayed hanging on a swing for six hours in the cold, all night without hearing from his family. He was convinced he had lost everything. » His wife had to stake her survival on a crazy bet. « Neighbors made a rope out of blankets to rescue her. She threw herself into the torrents. » Fortunately, she was able to hang on and be pulled up to safety.

The day football took a back seat

« The club no longer exists »Yolanda blurted, her throat tight. The one which manages 580 players and 33 football teams also takes care of basketball and tennis. « The football stadium no longer exists, nor the basketball stadium, nor the tennis courts, nor the sports complex. » Even the dance academy where the pointe girls trained… “The water swept away everything: the shutters, the doors, the windows. Not even a single brick remained of the facade. If the dance teacher had not reacted quickly, we could have lost 25 girls. »

Collective instinct took over and the teams reformed, spontaneously, on another terrain: « Those who were not directly affected were helping their neighbors or teammates. Seeing the whole village united like that is moving. It makes you proud »continues the president, as proud as he is helpless. However, Pedro will never forget the faces bruised by the waves. « When you're cleaning a house and you see someone sitting on the sidewalk, staring into space, crying because they've lost everything… It breaks your heart. » The feeling of abandonment is palpable: « The next day, no police or help. Just locals asking: “Have you seen my mother? Have you seen such a person?” Two days of total incomprehension. » The soldiers only arrived on the fourth day, Yolanda said.

Unwavering optimism

The figures are dizzying: 35 to 40 million euros in damage for Benetússer, 20 million for Paiporta, 1 million for Bogarra, and all that just for the football facilities. However, FC Bogarra only has an annual budget of 5,000 euros. « Fortunately, the Valencia federation will help us »breathes the vice-president of the club. In this blackboard, the three leaders loudly proclaim astonishing optimism. Pedro: « I dream of the day when we will reopen the field, when we will be able to invite all the people, associations and federations who helped us. Invite them all and let's have a great day of football. I am convinced that we will emerge absolutely strengthened from all of this. No member of my management nor I doubt that. We will try until we succeed, and we will succeed, of course. I have no doubt about it. »

Farmers lent their tractors and equipment. All the players, the technical staff, the coaches, even the supporters pitched in.

Yolanda attributes this energy to mutual aid. And what mutual assistance. “We did everything on our own, without public assistance. So far no help (from the government) has not arrived, neither for businesses nor for individuals. But the solidarity has been incredible. » The whole of Spain has mobilized, and everyone is invited, with the notable exception of the government, which has been severely criticized for its disastrous management. « Volunteers from all over Spain came to help. Those who lived in town returned to help. » This is the case of Club Deportivo Malilla. Founded in 1969, this institution is today the largest football school in Valencia, with 650 members. Although the club was spared from the floods, it immediately mobilized to help neighboring communities. « We managed to send 14 vans full of equipment to devastated townsconfirms its president Gabriel Salinas. Seeing our young people, often kids, with the club jersey, clearing mud and helping on the pitch, it's something that stands out. The solidarity of the Valencians was exemplary. »

Children first

In Bogarra, where the village was spared despite the destruction of the land, residents are mobilizing to help their neighbors in devastated Palmadora: « Farmers lent their tractors and equipment. All the players, the technical staff, the coaches, even the supporters pitched in. » In return, the latter invited their friends to play on their fields in order to play their first match last Tuesday since the floods. For Paiporta and Benetússer, the reconstruction is only in its infancy. Pedro only returned to his land 15 days after the floods to discover a swamp. But he doesn't waste time lamenting, he has a clear mission: the children. “ They can no longer go out because of the mud. It's unsanitary, they can get injured and infected. The priority is for them to regain some semblance of normality. Let them stop thinking about sadness and problems. Let them play football again, laugh with their friends. »

Today, adrenaline keeps everyone in action. But tomorrow? « In 15 or 20 days, when the aid stops and everyone has left, those who remain will have nothing »warns Pedro. The threat is no longer behind, but ahead. Yolanda warned the mayor: « We will not die from DANA, but we will die from hunger if we do not act. » Families depend on local commerce and, without rapid recovery, « we are doomed,” Yolanda slices. For her, civil society has done enough: « It is urgent that the authorities act now. I am reluctant to donate, it does not suit me. When clubs offer me money, I instead ask them to invite our children to tournaments or sporting events to take them out of their daily lives. This is what we need: to give them a smile and motivation again. » Because in these Spanish villages, football is not just a game. It is the lifeblood of the community.

Pep Guardiola at Manchester City until 2027, for what?