Alejandro Irarragorri: ‘The New Mareo Guarantees the Comprehensive Training of Future Footballers’
By Space Coast Daily // July 8, 2024
Irarragorri highlighted the vision of Don Ángel Viejo Feliú, who in 1970 bet on a project that has been part of the revolution in world soccer.
Alejandro Irarragorri affirmed that the modernization and comprehensive reform of the Mareo Soccer School was “a great dream that has become a reality in 18 months”. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Real Sporting de Gijón added: “Now, we have facilities that will guarantee all the girls and boys who dream of being part of the club’s history, the highest level of comprehensive training, as well as a future with more solid foundations”. These statements were made during the inauguration ceremony of the renovated facilities of the Asturian team’s sports city.
Irarragorri highlighted the milestone of the creation of the Mareo Soccer School: “It is easy to think today of a high-performance center in the world of sport, but we would have to go back 50 years ago when Ángel Viejo Feliú did it, who was a true visionary and in 1970 bet on a project that has been part of the revolution in world soccer”.
David Guerra, Executive President of the Club, highlighted at this event the value and unity that Mareo and Sporting represent for all of Gijón and all of Asturias, principles that reaffirm the commitment to continue building in the same direction: “Mareo is training, talent, knowledge… It is the DNA of soccer and the passion of this region. It is the future”, he emphasized.
The President of LALIGA, Javier Tebas, also intervened, who pointed out that “today is a proud day for Sporting. Mareo has been a very strong name, a breeding ground for great players. And that manifests itself in a sense of belonging for fans, and also for Gijón and Asturias”. Tebas emphasized that reforms like this “will last a lifetime” and represent an opportunity for “Mareo to shine and continue to produce great players”.
After the speeches, a video was shown that narrates the history of the Mareo Soccer School over the last 46 years, with images of its first moments of life, in 1978, and a compilation of the before and after of the reform between November 2022 and April 2024.
Alejandro Irarragorri tours Mareo’s new facilities
Alejandro Irarragorri, Javier Tebas and the captains of the men’s first team -Cali Izquierdoz, Djuka, Gio Zarfino and Cote- received the guests in the first team dressing room; coaches Miguel Ángel Ramírez and Rafa Bernal welcomed them in the coaching staff’s office, and the captains of Real Sporting Femenino, Natalia, Nuria, Yaiza and Lezcano accompanied by Odin Vite, Director of Applied Sports Sciences, received them in the gymnasium.
Alejandro Irarragorri highlighted some details of the comprehensive reform of the Mareo Soccer School, which began in November 2022 and whose duration was 18 months, with an investment of 14 million euros for the complete remodeling of the building that houses the locker rooms, the Residence, the gym, the clinic, and a specific area for the Department of Applied Sports Sciences, with areas for physiotherapy, nutrition, the therapeutic tank and a hydrotherapy pool, and the gym, where special attention and care has been taken to achieve a space that is at the forefront of national and international elite clubs, with state-of-the-art machines.
During the tour, Alejandro Irarragorri pointed out that the refurbishment of Mareo is in addition to the works carried out on Field 2, also inaugurated on August 1, with the installation of a hybrid pitch, which combines natural grass and synthetic fibers, and the construction of a small grandstand. The reconstruction of the turf on Field 4 is also progressing. Subsequently, the area around the sports building and the parking lot will be urbanized.
This inauguration represents a new milestone in the history of Real Sporting de Gijón and the Mareo Soccer School. These facilities were officially inaugurated on March 28, 1978, and this April 25, 2024, they are experiencing a new inauguration with their sights set on the future.
