DEL NIDO CARRASCO ATTENDS CELEBRATORY EVENT OF SPAIN'S FIRST MATCH IN SEVILLA

On Tuesday, the centenary of the Spanish national team's first match in Sevilla was celebrated. The commemorative event also looked ahead to the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted by Spain along with Morocco and Portugal. Ever since that first game, the national side has maintained strong links to our city and our club. The game, which took place during December 1923, was played in what was our home at the time - the Estadio Reina Victoria. Spain beat Portugal 3-0 in front of approximately 16,000 spectators thanks to a Zabala hat-trick.

The event took place at the Casino de la Exposición with our club President, José María del Nido Carrasco, and Vice-President, José Castro, president. In addition, former player Pablo Blanco and our Hall of Fame manager Joaquín Caparrós were there. Our President spoke, stating how proud he was of having World Champions in the first-team squad: "It fills me with pride that we have players at the club that have respresented our country on the biggest stage. Players like Jesús Navas and Sergio Ramos have achieved so much on the international stage."

These fixtures also serve to stengthen the city of Sevilla and Andalucía's claim when it comes to hosting matches in the 2030 World Cup. In this regard, Minerva Salas, the Culture and Sports minister from Sevilla City Council, highlighted that "Sevilla is always up to the task when the national team needs it to be ready. The city has always been considered a central part of the national team set up." The links between the national team and Sevilla FC are further enhanced by the fact that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) gave the fans at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán the nickname 'Twelfth Man,' as Spain have never lost when playing there.

Spain have never lost a match when playing in front of their 'Twelfth Man' at the Sanchez-Pizjuan

Also invited to the event were representatives of other historic Andalusian football clubs: Recreativo de Huelva, Real Betis, CD Alhaurino, Cádiz CF, Algeciras CF, La Palma CF, Balompédica Linense, Real Jaén, Coria CF, Mairena, Vélez CF, CD Ronda and Ayamonte. Since two of our former players, Spencer and Herminio, made their national team debuts in 1923 and became the club's first representatives in the Spain side, the city has staged many crucial international moments. These helped lay the groundwork for the ultimate prize in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta's late goal won the World Cup for Spain in a game that Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas both played in, the latter still playing for the national side.