One of the most multitudinous events among the FC Barcelona supporters’ clubs movement has always been the Congress of Penyes of Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla, given the great magnitude of the collective in these territories. Its XIV edition, postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, took place last weekend in the town of Órgiva (Granada), and proved it once again with the attendance of nearly 1,200 supporters and the representation of some 90 supporters’ clubs over three days.
Visit of Joan Laporta
The XIV Congress of Penyes of Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla got underway on Friday afternoon with the official reception, at the Órgiva Town Hall, of the FC Barcelona representation, headed by president Joan Laporta and the board members Antonio Escudero and Josep Ignasi Macià. During this day, exhibitions of FC Barcelona shirts and trophies were inaugurated, and a plaque in memory of Johan Cruyff was unveiled in the Youth Area of Órgiva.
Congress and gala dinner
The main day of the congress was Saturday, which began with the official reception at the Town Hall and the subsequent parade through the town to the headquarters of the Peña Barcelonista de Órgiva, the host of the event. Here, the presence of former players Quique Estebaranz, “Boquerón” Esteban, Juanjo Almagro and Audie Norris, who later took part in a colloquium on the Wembley ’92 final, held at the Órgiva Institute, was a highlight.
In the afternoon, the working day of the XIV Congress of Penyes of Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla took place, with the presence of Antoni Guil, president of the World Confederation of Supporters’ Clubs, and all the supporters’ clubs represented. There, the main issues concerning the Federación de Peñas de Andalucía, Ceuta y Melilla, chaired by Rafael Pichardo, were reviewed, and Úbeda was designated as the venue for the next edition of the Congress.
The day ended with the gala dinner, with more than 500 guests who were also able to watch the broadcast of the Elche-Barça match. Along with Guil and the entire board of directors of the Andalusian federation, the federation presidents Miguel Ángel Cruz (Extremadura), Salvador Cerviño (Galicia), Pablo Asensio (Asturias and Cantabria), and Daniel Peinado (Castilla-La Mancha) were also present.
The Congress ended on Sunday, when the organisers offered attendees various cultural tours around the Alpujarra region. This concluded an intense weekend of blaugrana passion for supporters from Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla.
