Donostia, blaugrana capital

Miriam Nadal (enviada especial)

Club President Sandro Rosell has been attending the XXXIII Trobada Mundial de Penyes in Donostia this weekend, along with representatives from more than 200 Supporters Clubs.

Saturday was the big day at the Trobada and President Rosell arrived at the Kursaal to give his opening address at midday.

At the start of the Trobada, Sr Rosell and the other board members attending the event presented each of the Supports Clubs with commemorative berets (the typical headwear in the Basque Country)

After a traditional Basque welcoming folk dance, Manel Vich, the announcer at the Nou Camp opened the Trobada with a speech in which he asked for two ovations: “first for the people of Tolosa who have welcomed us here so generously, and secondly for Real Sociedad(who are based in Donostia) for their return to the top flight. It is an honour and a responsibility to make this speech. The Supporters Clubs are the sentimental heart of the club”. Vich also stressed the links between the cities of Donostia and Barcelona: “two cities open to the sea”.

In his speech, President Rosell began by : “giving a big welcome to all of you and express my thanks to Xanti Pablo, President of the organising Supporters Club, the delegates in this area, the local and Basque authorities, all the Supporters Clubs and members of the Commission and Council of Penyes”.

Rosell also praised the Kursaal location: what a lovely place. There have been a lot of flags and standards here, but there is one which brings us together above all others - the Barça flag! Being a Supporters Club member and a club member has a special merit”. The President also announce that the club now had a quarter of a million Supporters Club members throughout the world”.

The President of the PB Donosti, Xanti Pablo explained the difficulties in organising the event, but stressed what an enjoyable experience it had been too: “it’s taken us two years to set up, but we want to ensure we all have an unforgettable weekend. We’ve put a lot of heart into this. “Gora Donosti and Visca el Barça”.