Santander, where football never ends and has been celebrated twice

It has been a tumultuous few months for football in Santander, the city in northern Spain overlooking a bay on the Bay of Biscay. There have been two historic occasions to take to the streets in celebration: first, the euphoria over Racing’s promotion to La Liga after fourteen years, and then the joy of Spain’s World Cup victory.

Racing de Santander, founded in 1913, is a pioneering club in Spain: it took part in the very first edition of La Liga in 1929, alongside, amongst others, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Espanyol and the two Madrid sides (Atleti was then known as Athletic Club de Madrid). That first league title was won by Barcelona, whilst the best goalkeeper was Ricardo Zamora, who played for Espanyol. Racing were managed by the Irishman Patrick O’Connell, were already playing their home matches at El Sardinero and somehow managed to avoid relegation. Racing’s return to the top flight, after seasons of struggle and wandering between the Third and Second Divisions, has the feel of a historic moment.

Over the course of last season, it had become clear that this could be the year, but the supporters – having been let down several times recently – only realised what was happening on 16 May, following the victory over Valladolid and Almería’s defeat on the same day. In the league, against the top-of-the-table sides, Racing have always shown their worth, though they have dropped points in matches where one would not have expected them to.

The city came to a standstill for the celebrations: a bus carrying the footballers, bearing the slogan “El Racing es de Primera”, toured the city centre all night long. Compared with celebrations of the past, now a distant memory, female supporters also took centre stage. At the Sardinero, the presence of women is increasingly noticeable, many of whom are also members of the club.

A match against Real Valladolid is always a special occasion. It isn’t a derby in the strict sense of the word, but the rivalry runs deep, partly due to the proximity of the two cities (just a couple of hours apart). In fact, during the summer, huge numbers of people from Valladolid head down to Cantabria to enjoy the seaside: Santander is effectively regarded as the ‘beach of Castile and León’.

Racing is, to all intents and purposes, the team for the whole of the Cantabrian region: on match days, countless coaches full of supporters arrive from various towns in the area. There are no local rivals in the city; there is only Racing. The only real regional derby is against Gimnástica de Torrelavega: when the two teams meet in the same division, the rivalry flares up, but when they play in different leagues, sportsmanship prevails.

The celebrations for Spain’s World Cup victory were also deeply felt. Of course, there was no bus parade by the players (who traditionally parade around the Cibeles fountain in Madrid), but the days leading up to the final were splendid in Santander, with the giant screens set up around the city attracting large crowds – particularly the one at the Centro Botín, the art and culture complex overlooking the sea and designed by Renzo Piano. Santander, the capital of Cantabria, lies some 80 kilometres from the border with the Basque Country (Bilbao is just over an hour’s drive away), but there are no pro-independence tensions here and the Spanish national team has historically been very warmly supported.

Decades ago, residents of Santander were known to support Real Madrid more than their local club, Racing. Today, local identity has reasserted itself, although a historical proximity still endures between the two sides: in this region, when pressed to choose a major club, fans generally lean toward the Merengues rather than Barcelona. This special bond with the Casa Blanca has grown stronger over the years, thanks in part to the many champions who have shaped the history of both clubs: left-winger José Emilio Amavisca came through the ranks at Racing before making his mark in the white shirt, not to mention absolute legends such as Gento, Santillana and Marquitos – Real Madrid champions who have kept the bond between Cantabria and the capital incredibly strong.

Santander is also the city where a beach football tournament has been held for decades. It takes place outside the peak tourist season, on the city’s main beach (El Sardinero), from where you can also catch a glimpse of the stadium of the same name. Eight football pitches are marked out on the sand on Sunday mornings, at times when the tide allows: the ‘Fútbol Playa Veteranos Santander’ is in fact played in accordance with the tidal cycle. Many young players destined for professional careers have honed their skills on these pitches, playing on a hard surface that produces particularly robust athletes. Numerous former Racing players also participate: the most recent edition was won by the team led by Quique Setién and Pablo Casar.

Traditional football and beach football: Santander is, therefore, a city deeply steeped in football. Few other sports have really caught on amongst the Cantabrians, although there was once a handball club (now defunct) called Teka – named after the famous brand that also sponsored Real Madrid’s shirts. Speaking of the sponsor Teka, Racing was a pioneer: it went down in history as the first club in Spain to have a sponsored shirt. This happened in 1981, and the first sponsor was none other than Teka, a household appliance company based in Cantabria. At the time, federal regulations did not govern advertising on match kits, but the club applied for and was granted special permission by the Real Federación Española de Fútbol. Today, Racing is regarded as one of the most forward-thinking clubs due to its close relationship with new technologies.

In a squad that this year also includes the Italian Matteo Prati (a midfielder born in 2003 who has been a regular in the youth national teams for years), the key players are the Colombian Gustavo Puerta (fresh from the latest North American World Cup) and, above all, the attacking midfielder Sergio Canales, who was born in Santander and came through the club’s youth system. Canales, having spent time in Spain (including a spell at Real Madrid) and Mexico, has returned after a fourteen-year absence to bolster the team he supports. Hampered by numerous injuries throughout his career, ‘El Mago Cántabro’ hopes to become a permanent fixture at the club. In the meantime, the main objective remains avoiding relegation.

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