LaLiga Genuine is here. Real Sociedad´s team will travel to Villareal tomorrow. The football league made up of intellectual disability collective teams will start this weekend. La Real will participate in this league thanks to the cooperation of Real Sociedad Fundazioa with Atzegi (Association from Guipúzcoa who helps people with intellectual disabilities). The txuri-urdin team is sponsored by CIE AUTOMOTIVE.
This morning, the team leaders gave a press conference to explain the small details of this special competition. Andoni Iraola, director of Real Sociedad Fundazioa, Mitxel Lacunza, director of Atzegi, Egoitz Ugartemendia, coach of LaLiga Genuine team and Iñaki Chivite, player of la Real had the opportunity to express their comments.
Iraola stated: “The aim of this league is sharing before competing. We want these people to live new experiences and grow. Moreover, our fundation shares one main principle with this league: every person from Gipuzkoa must have the chance of doing sport”.
Mikel Lacunza explained that: “It is an honor for us and a great chance for the young people. A life opportunity to share, feel proud and also happy”.
This is a 8 v 8 formation league. Each game will have four halves of ten minutes and will be comprised of 6 groups of 3 teams each. As for the classification, both sporting results and sporting attitudes during the games will score. Therefore, in every match day, teams will get points that reward the behavior and fair play of the players, coaches and fans.
Egoitz Ugartemendia informed about the details of the mixed team: “They are 22 players and we have been training together for a month in Zubieta, getting to know each other. It´s being a great experience”.
Iñaki Chivite, one of the players of the Genuine squad couldn’t hide his nervousness and excitement about playing in this competition. He also had the chance to have a talk and play with the first team captain, Xabi Prieto. He gave Iñaki good advices for their debut in Villarreal.
For the 2017/2018 season, there are 18 teams competing in LaLiga Genuine: Real Sociedad, Athletic Club, RCD Espanyol, Club Atlético de Madrid, RC Deportivo de La Coruña, Valencia CF, CA Osasuna, Villarreal CF, RC Celta de Vigo, UD Las Palmas, Levante UD, CF Reus, Nàstic de Tarragona, RCD Mallorca, Girona FC, Córdoba CF, SD Huesca and Rayo Vallecano.
