Cornellà guards one of the greatest treasures in Spain

Couldn’t be rounder inauguration of Cornellà-El Praton August 2, 2009, before the Liverpool by Rafa Benitez, Gerrard or Kuytand Spanish internationals Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina. Premonition in a way of what will happen this Saturday: the first time that the stadium hosts a match of a Spanish National Team that, in fact, he has not played in Barcelona since he did it in Montjuïc in 2004, also at that time parakeet territory. Behind Spain-Albania, however, appears a sacred and unbreakable bond between Espanyol, its facilities and La Rojafor all that it meant.

Precisely that inaugural match was the first and the last as blue and white captain of Daniel Jarque, who died only six days later, which turned Cornellà into a huge and desolate burning chapel through which the entire football planet and fans of countless teams paraded. and gave way to many tributes. But none as universal as that of his friend Andrés Iniestawho after scoring the most important goal in the history of Spainthat of the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa against the Netherlands, He uncovered his elastic to show another one in which “Dani Jarque, always with us” was written..

Just a few months later, in November, the genius of Fuentealbilla donated that legendary shirt so that it would rest behind Gate 21 of Cornellà-El Prat, next to the statue of the eternal captain and a commemorative mural. Precisely is now in the process of being restored so that it shines again with all its splendor.

Cruyff’s farewell

On a much more mundane level, the visit of the National Team will mean a notch of prestige for a stadium that, with Espanyol, he has experienced scenes such as the 2019 European qualification against Real Sociedad (2-0), with his field invasion, among his moments more. But Cornellà has also used other teams, such as Cornellà himself at home in a Copa del Rey tie against Real Madrid (1-4), in 2014. And selections.

That same year, James Rodriguez, Bacca, Ospina or Valenciaunder the orders of Pékerman, played a friendly Ecuador-Tunisia (1-1). And a few months earlier, on January 2, 2013, it served as the setting for the Johan Cruyff’s farewell from the benchesthen coach of Catalonia, against Nigeria (1-1), with whichs Capdevila, Pique, Puyol, Sergio Garcia and the also honored Sergio Gonzalez.

Postin stage in acts such as the Gala of the 90 years of LaLigacongresses, company dinners and even weddings, footballers have not been the only stars that have set Cornellà-El Prat, the popular name of the RCDE Stadiumwhich for a time also bore the trade name Power8 Stadium and that in 2018 could be called adidas.

From Rammstein to Jehovah’s Witnesses

Since the Black Eyed Peasin 2010, to Alejandro Sanz and Rammsteinin 2019, going through Marc Anthony –which will repeat on June 17– or for the next concert by LaLiganamed as ‘Oh, My God!’with Raw Alejandro or the DJ Steve Aokihave promoted a different kind of fervor among viewers.

Even the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have rented the entire stadium on several occasions, have starred in real crowds. Its June 2015 regional congress attracted over a full weekend a transit of more than 90,000 attendees. An authentic record that neither the ball.

And so, between shooting spots or international competitions such as the world final of the Danone Nations Cupthe life of an RCDE Stadium that hosts for the first time a Selection that, thanks to that world link called Andrés Iniestait is as if he carried in his entrails all his life.