LaLiga decided to say “Namaste” to India by bringing in former Spanish player Aitor Ocio for an exclusive match screening and we didn’t miss the chance to attend this amazing event!
The match was a clash between two of the most captivating sides in the LaLiga Santander 2016-17 so far, Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
The match screening was special as former Sevilla player Aitor Ocio, who has amassed a total of 173 appearances for Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao as a central defender was there to interact with the fans and promote the Spanish league in India.
It was amazing to have a Copa Del Rey and 2-time UEFA Cup winner in the house with us and that made the atmosphere even better.
The screening was held at Yes Minister, Essex Farms starting from 8:30 p.m., with the event being an invite-only event for all the LaLiga fans (Yes, we’re bragging that we got invited. Haha.) and it was an amazing initiative to promote the league due to a recent surge in the fan-base of Spanish clubs in India.
The night took a rather fun turn since we were served with chilled Mahou beer and tons of food, ranging from pizza, orly fish and other snacks throughout the event and that was all on the house.
Chilled beer, amazing food and a live football match between two amazing rivals. What else does a man need to make his Sunday night better? Haha!
Coming to the match, it was Atletico Madrid who had the last laugh as they beat Sevilla by a score line of 3 -1 in the Vicente Calderon stadium and it was a good time for all the Atletico fans present at the event.
Nonetheless, Sevilla are 3rd in the LaLiga standings right now and it’ll be nice to see if they can hold off competition from Atletico in the long run who are just two points behind them in the 4th position.
Aitor Ocio, who was played for Sevilla and won 3 major titles was more than humble as he posed for selfies with all the fans and gave interviews to everyone who asked.
He mentioned about his purpose of visit and further acknowledged the support and fan following of Spanish football in India, which has seen a massive increase in the last decade and I think this screening was just another step towards a more inclusive initiative to make India a global football hub.
The event was marked by a flurry of foreign fans as well, as everybody enjoyed an electric atmosphere during the screening and chilled over great food and drinks.
India On Track and LaLiga were the masterminds behind this crazy event and it was an amazing opportunity for me as a football fan to see a culture of football growing in my country and especially with the rise of fan-following of the Premier League in England, it’s nice to see that Spanish football is gaining massive popularity in India.
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