Deportivo sells out tickets again: “This fan never gives up!”

“This fan never gives up!” Riazor stands rumbling every fortnight, between the sounds of drums and clapping. And it’s hard to explain. But the fans are still there. With a persistent attitude bordering on masochism, despite the fact that Deportivo’s first team never tires of disappointing them. With a poor level, fourth in the table of one of the groups of the third category and four points ahead, with only twelve in the game, but with faithful monitoring, without missing the appointment with Riazor, this Saturday (5.:00 h, TVG 2), in front of Alcorcón will visit the Temple of Hercules for the third time this season, a sign that there are no tickets. 48 hours after the match, there were no more tickets on sale. Unusual. Those missing will be members who cannot attend the event. “The debt to the fans is so great that I don’t know if I and all the players who come to Deportivo will have years to solve it,” explained Lucas Pérez recently.

The Deportivo players themselves are the first to be aware that they are not up to their standards. “I don’t feel in a position to ask anything from them. They even become Unionist members to have tickets to see us, our stadium is full, many travel to León… I can’t ask them for anything, just thank them, because they don’t let us alone. We want to give them joy because they deserve it. And I’m not saying that with a rally. When we don’t win, it’s normal for them to get angry,” recalled another captain, Ian Mackay.

Riazor, in numbers

The numbers that Riazor achieves throughout the season are incredible. Of the 17 matches played in this league, only two had an attendance below 15,000 spectators. The lowest was against Talavera, the bottom team. It was a working Wednesday (September 28), at eight in the afternoon, and the team was in depression, which at that time was still led by Borja Jiménez from the bench. 12,360 fans are still registered. The other support that did not reach that symbolic figure was the match against Cultu, on Sunday 20th November, which gathered 13,970.

Since December, attendances have increased (18,191 against Córdoba and 18,452 against Racing), but after the signing of Lucas Pérez, in January, there was a definitive hatch. Before Unionista, the day after Reyes, Riazor was nothing more than hanging a “no tickets” sign. 7654 tickets were sent, and there were 23745 people in the stadium. Against Mérida, on February 4, they reached 20,000.

The situation of everything being sold out before the game, as will happen this Saturday, is not new in this case. It already happened against Castilla and Celta B, in March. A total of 26,745 spectators followed the roll call against the whites, and 25,135 against the light blues. All those who fell short of the full useful capacity of 32,000 were members who could not get close to Riazor and who, due to their membership status, have that seat reserved.

The average of 16 games is 18,557, which increases to 21,387 if only the last eight, those played in 2023, are taken as a reference.

comparative

According to data compiled by statistics site Transfermarkt, there are only 14 stadiums in all of Spanish football with an average ticket price higher than that of the Riazor. Twelve correspond to First League teams, and two to Second League (Las Palmas, with 19,855; and Málaga, with 18,876).

Riazor, on the other hand, does not have an all-time attendance record for a First Federation match, which was taken by Nueva Condomina de Murcia with 27,831.

THE DATA

HELP IN RIAZOR

1. Linense (September 3) 15,270 spectators

2. Pontevedra (September 18) 18,196

3. Talavera (September 28) 12,360

4. San Fernando (October 2) 16,749

5. Linares (October 16) 15,422

6. Sansa (October 29) 15,764

7. CyD Leones (November 20) 13,970

8. Cordoba (December 3) 18,191

9. Racing Ferrol (December 11) 18,452

10. Unionists (January 8) 23,745

11. Majadahonda (January 21) 18,837

12. Merida (February 4) 19,970

13. Badajoz (February 25) 18,143

14. Castile (March 12) 26,745

15. Celtic B (March 26) 25,135

16. Fuenlabrada (April 8) 19,610

17. Ceuta (April 23) 18,914

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE

1. Barcelona (1.) 83,348 spectators

2. Real Madrid (1st) 57,341

3. Atlético de Madrid (1st) 56,563

4. Betis (1st) 50,683

5. Athletic (1st) 44,036

6. Valencia (1st) 39,853

7. Sevilla (1st) 35,895

8. Royal Society (1.) 31,970

9. Spaniard (1st) 21,440

10. Valladolid (1st) 20,530

11. Elche (1st) 20,350

12. Las Palmas (2nd) 19,855

13. Osasuna (1st) 19,483

14, Malaga (2nd) 18,876

15. Sport (1st RFEF) 18,557

16. Zaragoza (2nd) 18,459

17. Cádiz (1st) 17,554

18. Sporting (2nd) 17,091

19. Villarreal (1st) 16,180

20. Mallorca (1st) 14,655

21. Grenada (2nd) 14,562

22. Celtic (1st) 13,880