Los ultimos dias

(28th March & 1st April 2021)

Without knowing it beforehand, this was the start of the final week of my stay in southern Spain, as we left earlier than anticipated due to having some unexpected news in the family. Looking back on my time away, I have no regrets and I’m very glad that me and my dad ventured out to Estepona for the final round of matches for the first phase of the season, which took place the weekend before we returned back to the UK.

I’d been able to watch an impressive 5 games across the previous weekend before this one, after which I wanted to have a more laid back approach when it came to watching football here. There weren’t many options for local fixtures over the final weekend of March, with the majority of leagues having a week off before the second phase of promotion and relegation groups began over the Easter weekend. I’d earmarked CD Estepona’s home tie early-on, as it could’ve decided where both clubs finished in the league table, including who’d be playing in the relegation phase of the Tercera División Group 9.

They were hosting Motril CF (located between Málaga and Granada), who I witnessed beat Juventud Torremolinos in a brilliant game earlier in the season (https://adayinthelifeofafootballtherapist.sport.blog/2021/02/24/the-youth-of-torremolinos/). I knew that they would present a good challenge for my hometown club, with them typically playing open and attacking football, being especially dominant on the counter-attack.

Kick-off was set for Sunday at 12:30pm, which at least gave the weather chance to clear before the game, making for a very pleasant afternoon of spring sunshine. 800 fans were allowed into the ground for this encounter and there was a very healthy crowd present, I’d estimate in the region of 600, with many of those in attendance enjoying regular trips to the small bar at the top of the main stand. Admission was priced at €10 and, once again, the process to enter was simple, as we made the walk around the ground to the stand opposite the entrance in order to soak up the sun during the game.

The match itself began at a high tempo and with only 3 minutes played we almost saw the opening goal, when Motril’s Óscar Lozano raced through on goal after beating two defenders, but the host’s goalkeeper saved his shot well. The clearest chances of the first-half fell to the home-side on the half hour mark, which saw Julio hit the cross-bar after taking the ball around the visitor’s goalkeeper, following a neat touch after being played through on goal by a long-ball. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep his shot down, then saw the subsequent re-bound skied over. Óscar Lozano was a constant threat to the home defence and tested David Mena on another occasion, as he was forced into a save at the near-post. The final action of the first-half came on the touch-line, with the visitor’s manager being sent-off for reacting angrily to several of the referee’s decisions, which led to a flurry of bookings being given to both teams before the half-time whistle, as the score-line remained goalless.

I thought that I’d follow the locals by getting some drinks during the interval and at only €1 for a cup of draught Victoria, it would’ve been rude not to join them. I’m glad that I did, as it made a pleasant experience for me and my dad to enjoy our beers in the sun for what was to be a final time.

There’d be considerably more action after the break, starting in the 60th minute when a red card was shown to the visitor’s Paquito following a heavy challenge, which almost seemed inevitable. Estepona were able to capitalise on the man advantage almost immediately, as Cristo opened the scoring after 64 minutes, through a near-post header following an accurate cross from the right hand-side. The hosts had a quick flurry of chances with around 15 minutes to go but they weren’t able to extend their lead and shortly after, Motril were reduced to 9 men as Carmelo was ejected for a tackle next to the home dugout. The away-side produced their best chance of the second-half with only 2 minutes of regulation time to be played, when Miguel Martín headed over the bar from a corner kick. The hosts were able to counter quickly and played the ball to Saam who was in an open position, but the on-rushing Jorge Sánchez was able to deny him.

The 6 minutes of added time played were intense for both teams, who were anxiously waiting to hear Alhaurín de la Torre’s result to see where they’d finish in the table. The full-time whistle was eventually blown with a tight 1-0 victory for Estepona, meaning that they overtook Motril (due to their head-to-head results) but finished below Alhaurín (using the same measure), so were at least able to begin the relegation phase of the season in top position. When we left the ground everyone appeared to be pleased about the hard-fought win, hoping that it’d give them some confidence going forward into the final 6 games of the season. There was enough time for us to meander around the town and down towards the seafront, before enjoying the rest of the afternoon at home in the lovely sunshine.

Fast forward only 4 days and a lot had changed, I was now confirmed to return back to the UK (only two days later) and had spent a lot of my time filling in forms and understanding the regulations needed to travel in the current climate. I was fully packed and feeling ready to go at this point but, I really hoped to get out for a football match (and some drinks) in my final days, whilst I still had the chance…

Maundy Thursday is a bank holiday in Spain (they do love a bank holiday) and I noticed that the wonderfully named AD Pablo Picasso CF were hosting Málaga’s C team in a midday kick-off, so I thought that would be worth a watch. This Tercera Andaluza Málaga division matchup was a re-arranged fixture, due to a postponement earlier in the season. I’d visited Pablo Picasso earlier in the season for their 1-0 victory over Juventud Torremolinos B (https://adayinthelifeofafootballtherapist.sport.blog/2021/02/27/the-art-of-football/) and was happy to revisit them, plus I knew that Marbella resident and Málaga fan, Matt Harrison, had wanted an excuse to tick-off this particular ground.

I arrived about half an hour before kick-off and found the process of getting in to be simple, which gave me enough time to drink a couple of coffees before the start of the game. Matt joined me and, after finishing my refreshing drinks, we wandered round to the stand for the first half an hour of the match. It seemed like quite a scrappy and cagey affair, with the only real action of the first-half coming in the 23rd minute, when Málaga’s left-winger hit the post, following a passage of quick attacking play. We decided to observe the remainder of the game from beside the bar where, in truth, we were more focussed on having a catch up and sipping on our cold bottles of Cruzcampo than taking in the (lack of) action. Up to this point it could be said that both sides had drawn a blank canvas, though I had hoped to witness a goal in order to keep up my record of not seeing a goalless game this season, when in the 88th minute the hosts took the lead through Antonio Martin. I thought that I must be a lucky charm for Pablo Picasso, as I was on the brink of potentially seeing them secure both of their only home wins this season, however, those hopes were quickly broken when the visitors equalised in the final minute of the game, through Adrian Rusu.

A one-all draw seemed like a fair reflection on proceedings and it was perhaps predictable, Pablo Picasso is known for drawing after all, plus it gives me a good excuse to now proclaim that “I’ve seen Pablo Picasso draw”, which isn’t wrong. Both sides walked off the pitch happy and, even though this particular game wasn’t a work of art, it was enjoyable enough to watch.

We finished off our beers and descended into Marbella’s picturesque old town, stopping off en-route for a quick Victoria caña before heading to Matt’s regular, the Tavern. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of the place, but it’s well worth a visit for anyone in the area, particularly if you’re an Everton fan. Numerous Mahou cañas were consumed over the course of the afternoon and I even had the chance to participate in the Málaga tradition of “points mean Pacharán” (just search @MattLostBoyo on Twitter to see what that’s all about).

I said my goodbyes and hopped on the bus back to Estepona, spending the evening double-checking I had everything and preparing myself to leave.

The journey back to the U.K. was easier than anticipated, with Málaga airport being eerily quiet, landing ahead of schedule and arriving back to my family’s home for the first time in six months. It’s been an unforgettable experience and I’ve made memories to last a lifetime, but I realise that all good things must come to an end and I’m glad to have returned to my true home, to be with my family and friends. Adios España.

Documenting my journeys across southern Spain has done wonders for me personally, particularly for my mental health during tough periods of lockdown and self-isolating, so I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s read an article, given me a retweet, comment or feedback, it’s all greatly appreciated and keeps me going through this difficult time.

This won’t be my final coverage on Spain, as I’ve got ideas for several more articles to come over the coming weeks, in particular aimed at giving guidance and insights, should anyone wish to book a trip to visit the towns and football grounds of the Costa Del Sol…

Gracias a todos!

Chris Sharp

(All photos are taken by me unless stated otherwise, please can you give me credit if you wish to use my photos)