It's hard to read news articles with a straight face that come out and say that the economy is recovering and that 2010 will be alot better than 2009. Oh yeah? Then why does my sales pipeline look like crap? But enough about me. I'm lucky. I have a job that pays me, unlike the poor guys at AD Parla who have been playing since August and have only gotten paid for one month.
AD Parla is a team in the Tercera Division, Spain's fourth level of futbol where they play in Group VII and are faring pretty damn well.Parla is yet another suburb of Madrid with an ever-increasing population, mostly due to recent immigrant arrivals from northern Africa. Parla has over 150,000 people but its fulbol stadium sits a cozy 5,000. Unfortunately for the players, they are not seeing a single euro of what is being taken in at the gate.
I'm not here to make you feel sorry for these guys as there are alot of people in this world who are far worse off. But instead give these 'chavales' some credit that they are still going out there and doing what they love to do. Some of them play futbol full-time, some of them are students and some have other jobs to help pay the bills. Regardless, the team is going out there every weekend and winning.
Currently Parla is in the playoff promotion zone to gain entry to the Segunda B, a huge step up and a place where these players could attract the attention of larger teams. Just think, the way Murcia is going in El Infierno, it's conceivable to think that Parla and Murcia could be playing at the same level of futbol just three years after Murcia was in the Primera playing in the magical stadiums of the Nou Camp and Bernabeu.
The players from Parla took their cause to the street recently where in order to raise some modest funds and inform the locals of their financial strife, they washed the car windows of people going by the stadium. It was well received by the 'Parlenos' and who knows, maybe enough people will make it out to the games and spend money on merchandise so these guys could get a check. Contrast that to several years ago when Levante, then playing in the Primera division, was able to have a charity game of Spain's biggest stars arranged where all the proceeds went to paying the players who were owed paychecks. Notice the difference?
Some of the players have been contacted by other clubs who could pay them, but those who were offered deals politely refused citing their allegiance to their teammates. Now that's the sign of a 'campeon'.
Happy New Year to everyone and let's hope 2010 brings us plenty of good futbol and drama in El Infierno.
Big props goes to Recreativo who absolutely demolished Atletico Madrid 3-0 this week in the Copa del Rey.
Here's this week Quiniela.
Jornada 19
Recreativo - Albacete 1
Hércules - Cartagena 1
Levante - Real Unión X
Salamanca - Castellón X
Numancia - Betis X
Huesca - Villarreal B 2
R. Sociedad - Cádiz 1
Gimnástic - Celta X
Murcia - Elche X
Girona - Las Palmas 2
Córdoba - Rayo 1
Clasificacion:
1. Hércules - 36
2. R. Sociedad - 36
3. Cartagena - 30
4. Numancia - 29
5. Rayo - 28
6. Gimnástic - 28
7. Betis - 27
8. Salamanca - 27
9. Córdoba - 24
10. Villarreal B - 24
11. Las Palmas - 23
12. Levante - 23
13. Elche - 23
14. Huesca - 22
15. Recreativo - 22
16. Albacete - 22
17. Girona - 21
18. Celta - 20
19. Cádiz - 19
20. Real Unión - 17
21. Murcia - 15
22. Castellón - 11
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