All posts by Carmen Gomaro

Carmen Gomaro - leading international news and investigative reporter. Worked at various media outlets in Spain, Argentina and Colombia, including Diario de Cádiz, CNN+, Telemadrid and EFE.
INTERNATIONAL

The power of pumpkin seeds on the immune system and for libido

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WHO. This molecular biotechnology student wins first prize in the European giant pumpkin contest that takes place every year in Ludwigsburg (Germany).

THAT. The winning specimen is usually cut and its seeds are used, which has a high economic value..

BECAUSE. They are an excellent delicacy, with properties for health and sex, and the tea made with them is said to be an aphrodisiac.

Germany has a new champion. Luca Stöckl, a molecular biotechnology student at the Technical University of Munich, has won first prize in the European giant pumpkin contest held every year in the town of Ludwigsburg. With his, a 1,052 kilo specimen has also broken the German record.

The winning pumpkin was cut, after being exposed to the ceiling for a few days, yesterday. It was made by a professional carver, with a foxtail saw, and a lot of technique, since the giant pumpkin, if it is also awarded, even the seeds are used and they are not cheap although they were several centuries ago.. The only thing a pumpkin was worth in the Middle Ages was to kill hunger and libido, to the point that its consumption in convents and monasteries was the norm to avoid the lust of its inhabitants, sin.

Now it turns out that the pumpkin, whose seeds were used to make rosaries and whose meat fed the poor after the Second World War, is a delicacy with excellent health properties.. and for sex. Pumpkin tea is said to be an aphrodisiac and naturopaths advise men to include it in their diet because they say it encourages sperm production, increases testosterone, and stimulates the immune system with its vitamins and minerals for libido.. Pumpkin seeds are rich sources of calcium, potassium, and vitamins B, E, C, D, K. I don't even want to imagine what effects the infusion of a giant pumpkin seed would have.

Those in this world say that Stöckl will be able to ask for up to 50 euros for each one and although I don't know how many seeds a pumpkin has, I imagine that the multiplication will result in several digits that would allow him to cover costs.

Cultivation is neither easy nor cheap. Stöckl has a 200-square-meter heated greenhouse, but that doesn't guarantee he'll take the pumpkin to the end.. “You need a bit of luck, understanding the soil and the growth of the pumpkin, as there is always the risk of it breaking,” he explains.

The winning pumpkin is a variety from the United States called Atlantic Giant and not genetically manipulated. From the time he planted the seed, in mid-April, until he loaded it up to take it to the contest, three months passed.. From the end of May to mid-July, during the critical phase, he dedicated up to three hours of work daily. The soil must be maintained with adequate nutrients and the fruit temperature must be regulated.. Pay attention to whether you need to turn up the heat or cool the pumpkin with water mist, as appropriate.

Starting in July you just have to keep the plant alive and that means about a thousand liters of water a day and sprays so that the shell does not crack. Otherwise, it would not be possible to make her gain weight, as he did, up to 30 kilos a day without breaking.

Transportation to Ludwigsburg was another challenge. “We secured the pumpkin with six tie-down straps and non-slip mats. The trip was like riding on raw eggs. You have to drive very slowly because a trailer with such a large pumpkin is an attraction on the highway and can quickly cause distracted accidents,” he says. Stöckl, obsessed with pumpkins since he was eight years old. It is not known if his fascination comes from a story or because a girl gave them to him. For Stöckl, what counts is going to another, even bigger pumpkin.

INTERNATIONAL

The United Kingdom reinforces its migration agreement with Rwanda

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The British Home Secretary, James Cleverly, will sign a strengthened migration treaty with Rwanda this Tuesday with the confidence of being able to solve the judicial obstacles that have frustrated his strategy to send asylum seekers to the African country.. The revised bilateral agreement, which will be signed in Kigali, is one of the essential gears of Rishi Sunak's Government's 'plan b' to relaunch refugee flights to the Rwandan capital.

The Rwanda plan stalled without taking off. Several refugees got off the plane chartered to a Spanish company before the preventive decision of the European Court of Human Rights, in spring 2022. The policy was finally declared illegal by the British Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling three weeks ago.

The new pact elevates to the legal category of an international treaty the agreement designed by London to entrust Kigali with the processing of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom through unofficial routes, in particular, by boats through the English Channel.

Cleverly will present the document in the Westminster Parliament prior to the processing in both chambers of an emergency law that will define Rwanda as a safe country in the field of migration.. It will be the second piece of Sunak's plan to protect the initiative from future legal action that prevents exporting asylum seekers to Africa. Its ministers and spokespersons also reiterate that Austria, Italy, Germany and Denmark are contemplating strategies similar to the controversial British policy.

The renewed political-commercial understanding between London and Kigali must include guarantees to resolve the issues raised by the Supreme Court judges regarding deficiencies in the Rwandan immigration system and the risk of genuine refugees being deported to their country of origin.. This would violate the so-called principle of 'non refoulement' (non-refoulement), which recognizes the right of an asylum seeker not to be returned to a country where his or her life is in danger or where he or she may suffer mistreatment and torture.

Legal experts doubt the practical effect of the legislation proposed by the Executive, the content of which has not yet been revealed.. Among them, lawyer David Allen Green explains in his blog 'The Empty City' the magnitude of the resolution of the highest British court that considers, among other legal facts, the “principle of non-refoulement” as a “customary international law.” binding and unalterable. “No legislation introduced by the government will allow this rule to cease to apply in the United Kingdom,” observes the lawyer, in line with those who anticipate new legal processes to stop the delivery of refugees to Rwanda.

This week Sunak brandishes his immigration plan B that he had promised when receiving the blow from the Supreme Court. The offensive began on Monday with the announcement of the tightening of restrictions on work visas for foreigners and monetary limitations on the right to family reunification, which will affect even the British from 2024.

The Government estimates that it will prevent the annual settlement of 300,000 foreign nationals who had entered the country legally under the post-Brexit system.. The radical right of the Conservative Party and related media have responded positively to the new measures against legal migration, which reached a net peak of 745,000 in 2022.

ECONOMY

Spaniards save up to 190 euros thanks to the help of their neighbors

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The economic crisis, exacerbated by the rising cost of living, especially underlying inflation, has led many families to explore new ways of facing financial challenges.. One of the solutions is to go to the community for help.

According to a Nextdoor study, solidarity between neighbors emerges as a beacon of hope, offering significant relief to those facing a vulnerable economic situation. 73% of the people surveyed have been affected by the rising cost of living. Meanwhile, 61% of Spanish residents claim to have received help from their community, highlighting the effectiveness of local collaboration in difficult times.

Katherine Villegas, City Manager of Nextdoor, explains that “mutual help and solidarity between neighbors are key factors for everyday savings.”

This has allowed Spaniards to avoid expensive locksmith services (20%), receive assistance with repairs (19%), or even share food (13%).

One in three Spaniards considers that having a close relationship with their neighbors has helped them save up to 190 euros in the form of chores and about 100 euros in borrowed objects.

The study highlights that, in the midst of these challenges, 50% of Spaniards consider that having neighbors has been essential to reduce the impact of the ongoing economic crisis.

Neighborhood acceptance of help is remarkably high, with 82% of Nextdoor users indicating they would be willing to accept help if they were in a vulnerable financial situation. Also in the other direction: more than half (55.5%) expressed their willingness to financially support neighbors in difficulty, offering food, work or helping them find a job.

Maribel Randon, one of the neighbors, expresses that being connected to her neighborhood has allowed her to save, “I have found a handyman who helps me with the repairs of my home.” He also highlights that not only is help received but also given to others, “it is a service that benefits the community, I can donate, sell, buy and exchange things.”

Geographic location also plays a crucial role, since Spaniards living in small towns and cities are the ones who receive the most help (68%), compared to those in medium and large cities (56%) or in large capitals ( 58%).

Although an encouraging 86% of Nextdoor residents say they are more aware of saving, 64% still face difficulties in saving as much as they would like.. Faced with this situation, 76.5% have adopted savings measures, such as buying more in local stores or purchasing second-hand products.. It is relevant to note that 88% of Nextdoor users have used digital platforms to carry out these practices, consolidating the importance of technology in building and strengthening communities.

Liliana Potes, another of the neighbors, talks about her experience as a migrant, “when you come from another country you feel very alone but thanks to the help of my community I have found people I can lean on, that's how I got a job.”

SPAIN

Reynders is happy about the "constructive dialogue" with Bolaños but reiterates that they will have questions until the final approval of the Amnesty Law

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The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, celebrated this Monday that a “constructive dialogue has been opened with the Spanish authorities” on the Amnesty Law. But he has reiterated that it is not a specific issue, a specific element such as protection for crimes against European funds or the inclusion of the so-called lawfare, but that there will be questions throughout the parliamentary process, waiting for possible amendments.. They are going to look at everything, every detail to see if it is in line with community law. And then, and only then, “will there be a formal and official opinion”.

Reynders and Minister Félix Bolaños have temporarily signed peace today in Brussels after the indirect clash last week. Aware that even if they were to appear as the current Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Commission, after a meeting of the Justice Ministers of the 27, there would be many questions on the Spanish issue (all of them, in fact) they have agreed the message, or rather the messages and the forms. There has been no correction, denials, but rather the opposite. Bolaños has forced the machine a little, as he did then. And this time it was the veteran Belgian politician who returned the strategy, answering what he wanted and partially ignoring what he was asked.. Or what the Spanish said.

“The Commission and the Government always work with full cooperation and address all issues of common interest with total loyalty and trust. Regarding last week's meeting, it is good to appear together to avoid misunderstandings. It is a continuous, fluid dialogue, transparent. This dialogue is developed with questions, with answers to all, with total normality, transparency and that is why we have a common position and we are totally aligned,” said the Spanish minister. If there were no doubts, concerns, questions, I would not have traveled a few days ago. Another thing is that these questions prejudge the final opinion.

“Constructive dialogue”

“We have a procedure that we share. This is not the first time that we examine a project before it is adopted. It is about opening a dialogue with the Member State. We have not changed our attitude since the first letter sent to the minister,” said the commissioner. , insisting that there is no additional pressure. They formally requested the text of the law, they received it, they are studying it and within the framework of that analysis they constantly have questions. And they wait for answers like until now. “We have requested the text and we are in a constructive dialogue with the authorities. It is an internal process of Spain, which will be addressed first in the Spanish Parliament. “The Commission, I repeat once again, will make its evaluation when there is a final text.”.

Both have appeared together, for the first time, after the meeting of EU Justice Ministers, which the Spaniard has led within the framework of the rotating Presidency of the EU Council. Both had been at public events, in private meetings in Madrid or Barcelona, but not in the press room answering questions.. It is no secret that they are not exactly friends, that they have had friction in the past, that Bolaños and the Government believe that the Belgian is a “right-wing” politician and that he sympathizes too much with the PP's position in the controversy over the renewal of the CGPJ. And he did not like at all the letter he sent, with a copy to former minister Pilar Llop, just on the eve of the agreement between Junts and the PSOE, just a few hundred meters from where they shared the day today.

After the bilateral meeting last week, Bolaños assured that in the European Commission “there was no concern, zero, about the rule of law in Spain or the separation of powers.”. He did not say that there was no concern about the Amnesty Law, not literally, but he responded with those words to repeated questions about the Commission's concerns, trying to show that that was in fact the feeling in the institutions.. What doubts and concerns there were and still are is obvious, political but also about the legal details, especially while the proposal is being processed in Congress and the process is open to amendments.. And for this reason, the morning after that meeting, a community spokesperson, measuring his words very carefully, came out to correct if not deny Bolaños, insisting that while it is being processed there will be no formal opinion, but that does not mean ” let there be no worries”. Whether the Spanish minister said it literally or not, everyone, in Spain but also in the Commission, interpreted him as saying that there was no concern about the amnesty.. And the Commission has not allowed him to go that far.

However, this Monday Reynders did not enter the match.. When Bolaños was asked if he maintained, face to face with the commissioner, the words spoken, that “zero concern, none”, the Minister of Justice did not hesitate.. “I reiterate my answer: of course I stand by everything I said. We have a shared position, common to the Commission and the Government of Spain, in a process of total normality, where there is fluid, loyal, transparent dialogue. That dialogue will continue and we will clarify any doubts the Commission has.. The best answer is the commissioner's words this morning, who said that the Commission and the Government have a common, aligned position.”.

With those words he has put the Belgian in a commitment, who has emerged from them with experience. Avoiding the clash, without falling into the trap about whether the words were about the rule of law and the separation of powers or the amnesty. And choosing your own shortcut. Reiterating that what they have in common is the “position on the procedure”, which consists of “dialogue with the authorities and an evaluation with our opinion at the end, not before, when it has been adapted by Parliament”. That is, they agree on the forms, but not necessarily on the substance..

Renewal of the CGPJ

Half of the questions today have been for the amnesty, but the rest for the issue of the CGPJ, since today marks five years since the renewal would have been due.. Reynders is aware and has adhered to the recommendations of the Report on the Rule of Law published in July of this year, which says that the absolute priority is the renewal of the body of judges, to immediately begin with the reform of the judicial system. choice of vowels.

Asked if this order is still the recommended one, since the PP insists on reversing it, Reynders said yes, given that it is what is included in the official report.. In the past he himself tried to do everything at once, to agree on renewal and reform at the same time, but he understood that this was impossible.. That the only way out of the quagmire is to renew first and then get into the depths of the model, “following European standards”. Today he thinks the same, but when asked what would happen if it were another way, he said, like other times in the past, that for his part there would be no problem.

For the Commission it would be a relief to settle the two problems once and for all, although it is difficult to believe, after talking for years with all parties, that this is possible. Now there is, he said, a new parliamentary balance and another Government and he hopes that this can unblock the main concern according to reports in recent years.

SPAIN

Two CNI agents arrested for passing classified information to the US intelligence services

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A little over two months ago, two agents from the National Intelligence Center (CNI) were arrested for providing classified information to US agents.. A court in Plaza de Castilla has opened proceedings declared secret in this case, according to El Confidencial.

Hardly any details of the matter have emerged, but as this newspaper has learned, it was the CNI itself that denounced its members.. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, on whom the CNI depends organically, also confirmed this during a visit she is making to the Spanish troops at the NATO base in Adazi (Latvia).. Periodically, the center run by Esperanza Casteleiro carries out controls on the use of classified information and secret documents, and it was between the end of September and the beginning of October when it was discovered that these two agents were illegally providing information to US agents.

The situation led to a complaint by the center to the Prosecutor's Office, which in turn judicialized the matter and brought it to the Investigative Courts of Plaza de Castilla, in Madrid.

Until now, it has not been revealed how much information the two agents were able to provide to the United States.. Internal controls and the subsequent investigation uncovered that part of the information was sold for money, although there have also been other reasons for this illegal transfer of intelligence that have not been revealed.

The complaint led to the arrest of the two agents by the National Police. Subsequently, when brought to justice, the two members of the intelligence services were placed in provisional prison.

Some time later, the agent who had the least involvement in this alleged revelation of secrets was released, while the other remains in prison.

While the investigation has already been left in the hands of judges and prosecutors, the CNI must now focus on evaluating the damage that the two alleged traitors have been able to do.. However, controls on secret information are common, so it is quite possible that detainees have not been leaking information for long.

The first indications are that this leak has not affected any of the CNI's ongoing operations or its relationship with other foreign intelligence services with which it maintains relations.

SPAIN

Feijóo appoints the PP spokespersons in the Congressional commissions: Floriano in Foreign Affairs and Álvarez de Toledo in Constitutional

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The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has chosen Carlos Floriano from Extremadura as spokesperson for the Popular Group in the Foreign Affairs Commission of Congress, while the deputy for Madrid and former parliamentary spokesperson for the PP, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, will be in the Constitutional Commission.

These are two key commissions and the Constitutional Commission could host the debate on the Amnesty Law that PSOE and its partners have negotiated.. In fact, Congress already plans to set this Tuesday the date of the first debate of that norm, after its qualification by the Congressional Board with the vote against the PP.

Floriano, who was president of the Senate Budget Committee in the last legislature and was part of the leadership of the PP with Mariano Rajoy, will now be the spokesperson for Foreign Affairs of the Popular Group in Congress. Precisely this Tuesday, the Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, is scheduled to appear in the Chamber, in the midst of the diplomatic crisis with Israel.

Álvarez de Toledo, who was dismissed as spokesperson by Pablo Casado in August 2020, returns to the leadership team of the Popular Group in Congress as deputy spokesperson and as spokesperson for the Constitutional Commission.

In addition, Feijóo has placed several Galicians in charge of economic spokespersons. Thus, the former Minister of Economy of the Xunta Francisco Conde will be the spokesperson for Industry while the former spokesperson for the PP in the Galician Parliament, Pedro Puy, will be spokesperson for the Treasury, at the same time as he will be president of the Economy Commission.

The PP has also reported that the Economy spokesperson in Congress will fall to another Galician, Jaime de Olano from Lugo, who was part of Pablo Casado's team.. The spokesperson for Commerce will be the representative for La Coruña Tristana Moraleja.

Another Galician, Ana Vázquez from Ourense, will continue to be the spokesperson for the PP in the Interior Commission in this 15th legislature and will therefore once again be in charge of supervising the work of Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

The Spokesperson for Justice in Congress on behalf of the PP will be for María Jesús Moro from Salamanca, who is executive secretary of Institutional Regeneration of the PP.. In the XI and XII Legislature he was already spokesperson for Justice in the Lower House when the party was chaired by Mariano Rajoy.. In the Defense Commission, Carlos Rojas from Granada, who until now was part of the leadership of the Popular Group, will serve as spokesperson.

The other spokespersons

The PP has distributed a list of spokespersons for the 28 commissions established this Monday in Congress. Apart from those mentioned, the following are also spokespersons: Pedro Múñoz (Democratic Memory), Belén Hoyo (Iberomérica), Mar González Bella (Public Service), Vicente Marí (Budgets), Héctor Palencia (Transport), Alberto Herrero (Sustainable Mobility), Óscar Clavell (Education), Beatriz Jiménez (Professional Training), Javier Merino (Sports); Miriam Guardiola (Tourism).

In addition, María Isabel Prieto will be spokesperson for Labor; Irene Garrido of Inclusion and Social Security; Alma Elvira Alfonso of Social Economy; and Sofía Acedo from Migrations. Bella Verano will serve as spokesperson for Social Rights; of Consumer Affairs Silverio Argüelles; of Agriculture Pedro Gallardo; of Rosa Quintana Fishing; and Food, Milagros Marcos.

The spokesperson for Territorial Policy will be Antonio Román; that of Energy Juan Diego Requena; Joaquín Melgarejo of the Environment; that of Climate Change César Sánchez; and in Demographic Challenge Raquel Clemente will exercise. For her part, Joan Mesquida will be spokesperson for Housing, Cristina Agüera for Urban Agenda, and Sol Cruz-Guzmán for Culture.

Likewise, spokespersons will be Juan Luis Pedreño (Artificial Intelligence), Mario Cortés (Digital Transformation), María Luisa Moral (Health), Pablo Pérez (Science and Innovation), Pedro Navarro (Universities), Esperanza Reynal (Development Cooperation) and Miguel Ángel Paniagua (Pact of Toledo).

Finally, the PP has chosen the former Madrid councilor Jaime de Los Santos as spokesperson for Equality, while the spokesperson for Youth will be Miguel Ángel Sastre. The spokesperson for Children will be Cristina Abades; the spokesperson for the Gender Violence Pact will be Bea Fanjul; and that of Disability Policies, Violante Tomás.

SPORTS

Sevilla's Falcon Crest or the flight forward of a club broken inside

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Kick forward from the Board of Directors of Sevilla Fútbol Club. Pepe Castro president, José María del Nido Carrasco vice president, Diego Alonso as coach and the promise of a new stadium as candy for less exquisite palates. The threat of José María del Nido Benavente, the lightning that does not stop, is still there; but it is still early to consummate his revenge plan. Time moves slowly. The club continues its flight into the unknown. Ripped inside. With disappointing football. Embraced by credits and the reduction in salary costs. Crisis. What a crisis.

“You never know what's going to happen in Falcon Crest,” says Angela Channing with a glass of champagne in her hand in one of her episodes. From California's Napa Valley to Seville's Nervión neighborhood is a 20-hour flight, but the tension between families unites what seems distant. José María del Nido Benavente wants to recover what was once his. His son objects. Pepe Castro takes advantage of their differences to extend his power. Traditional surnames, tension around the stadium and lawyers. Many lawyers. The Sevilla Fútbol Club is a series where only those in charge win and the fan always loses.

«My return is irreversible; If it's not tomorrow, it's the day after,” said José María del Nido two years ago. But it won't be this fall either.. The “no” of the head of Commercial Court number 2 diluted his hope. Del Nido wanted to have a voice and vote at the General Shareholders' Meeting held yesterday, but an agreement signed in 2019 with the rest of the families has prevented it again.. The rejection of the precautionary measures requested by the former president forces him to continue waiting. The Castro, Guijarro, Alés and Carrión breathe a sigh of relief. Del Nido ships in X.

parricidal war

«Sevilla FC cannot wait. The squatters' pockets hurt, Sevilla hurts me,” he wrote in a statement.. In that pact, which has frozen his options to return to command the club, it was agreed “the annual remuneration of the directors” which “will be 1% of the income for the fiscal year, computing for these purposes both the ordinary income and the extraordinary». Amounts that can be around 750,000 euros per year, in the case of President José Castro, and more than 500,000 euros for the first vice president, José María del Nido Carrasco..

The relationship between father and son is broken. Del Nido Benavente spent more than three and a half years in prison. Since his release, all his vital enthusiasm has been focused on returning to the presidency of the club of his heart.. He feels betrayed by Junior, his son. He speaks of sentimental and heroic reasons for the institutional and sporting deterioration of the entity, but from his hand also come some American investors, 777 partners, who already own shares in clubs such as Genoa, Vasco de Gama, Standard de Liege, Estrella Roja and Hertha Berlin. The son becomes strong. The father is frustrated and tired of trying.

Instability, interests and football drift make Sevillismo begin to position itself in a parricidal and endless war. In the matches, whistles are given to the current board and, since the return of Del Nido does not generate confidence, they subscribe to a third way, that of supporting the team until the families find a consensus solution that implies a succession that does not pass through the arrival of foreign capital. A dream that does not seem to come true. Yesterday, the Biris Norte entertainment group gathered around the door of the Meliá Lebreros Hotel, where the shareholders debated and audited the accounts.. «Club adrift. “Out of Sevilla,” was the motto that read on their banner..

The General Meeting of Shareholders of Sevilla, met on Monday. Gogo Lobato

José María del Nido Carrasco, sooner or later, will be the next president of Sevilla FC. He has been preparing for it, with psychological support, coaching and even public speaking classes.. His presence in the media, his “desire to be seen as in charge”, in the words of a club worker, broke one of the pillars of the entity and its successes: Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, Monchi. The Caesarism of Junior, who came to make sporting decisions against Monchi's opinion, ended the love affair between the former goalkeeper born in San Fernando and the Board of Directors..

«I need to be a reference on a day-to-day basis, for everything, it is my way of understanding this. “I could have stayed, but maybe the club model is different,” he said in his farewell.. Víctor Orta, his replacement, is already pointed out by fans for erratic staff planning, the dismissal of José Luis Mendilibar and the whim of a Diego Alonso who is hardly a tightrope walker.. The club arrived at the Shareholders' Meeting after a tie, another one, for Sevilla in the League. It was against Villarreal, in another terrible clash. Diego Alonso has only won one game, against CD Quintanar, preferably, in the Copa del Rey. The Uruguayan has played ten games. That distant victory, four defeats and five draws. A disaster.

“Lies as arguments”

Institutionally, chaos. The businesses of President José Castro, Vice President José María del Nido Carrasco and Counselor Carolina Alés woke up last week with graffitied threats. Furthermore, the counselor experienced a kind of shock after the Champions League match against PSV. A match that, by the way, was the team's farewell in the Champions League. The tension in the club's surroundings, in the run-up to the ordinary Sevilla shareholders meeting, ended with a redouble of police checks and complaints from the three directors against Del Nido Benavente for threats, coercion, insults and incitement to hatred. Football does not flourish in a parched land.

Del Nido Benavente, upon arrival at the General Shareholders' Meeting. EFE

At the Meeting, Junior announced the construction of a new stadium and salary relief for the first team. «It is difficult to work when you are constantly being tripped up, when lies are used as arguments, when you are made a target, but that cannot serve as an excuse to give up, but rather the opposite.. We have something that is there, which are the achievements, and that no one can argue with us even if some insist on ignoring them,” said Pepe Castro.. He was heading to Del Nido Benavente, who tried to dynamite the assembly in vain..

With the accounts and management down in the vote, the club continues to cling to the curb to avoid drowning. The battle for the actions, the stubbornness of Del Nido and the inconsistency of Castro, condemn Sevilla to pilgrimage for one more season in the highest category of Spanish football. Without a future plan, without a competitive squad, without institutional stability, without leadership or strategy, the Sevillian club clings to chance and manhood.. The grass sometimes serves to disguise what happens in the offices. Although it doesn't seem like it in this troubled football course and transparent coaches. Life goes on the same in Nervión. Wash underfoot. Unfathomable egos. And money. Money like a shadow that darkens everything.

SPORTS

Virginia Martínez, president of Arandina: "It was not fair that we were associated with the convicted"

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Virginia Martínez (Madrid, 1988) barely sleeps five hours a day, but these weeks she is still busier than usual. To her work as a lawyer and as leader of the opposition in the Aranda City Council, she now has to add all the logistics of the Cup match against Cádiz. “People stop me on the street to tell me that family members are coming to cross the bridge and to ask me if there are any tickets left,” he said, in a telephone conversation with EL MUNDO, about Thursday's tie.

Lay Hoon Chan, at Valencia, Sophia Yang, at Granada and Marián Mouriño, at Celta, are the only three presidents in First Division clubs. Have any of these cases inspired you? La Arandina is a modest club that is becoming more professional around the first team, but in practice we are a group of people who collaborate in any field. As president, I dedicate myself to representative work and a lot of management work, so I always base my work on day-to-day work.. As for what you are asking me, I have not had a specific reference, but I have dedicated myself to working and moving the club forward.. We arrived in August 2020, in the middle of the pandemic and since then we have focused on a sincere work of daily work, although also having a medium and long-term project. You are a recognized fan of Real Madrid. Do you think that Spanish football is ready for a woman to be president of the white club? Right now, Florentino Pérez is the president that Madrid needs, but why not? If a person is prepared in terms of management and in terms of everything that comes with presiding over a club of that magnitude, of course they could be, regardless of their gender. Is football still a stronghold for sexist behavior? I think that sexist people They are in all areas of their life.. Soccer is not a sexist sport, but the one that attracts the most fans. So among all those people, just for mere statistics, there are surely sexists. What did you think of Luis Rubiales' kiss to Jenni Hermoso? I would describe it as misguided. As president, your first term involves maintaining the institutional framework that the position implies, in this case that of the national team within a World Cup.. At a time like this you don't have to get carried away by emotions.. Have you understood the demands of the Spanish internationals? You always have to bet on equality, but of course, equality has to be both in the good and in what remains to be achieved. Women's football is something that, of course, must be promoted by the administration and federative institutions.. I think we are on the right track in terms of the support and professionalization that is required.. Only seven months have passed since he ran for municipal elections in Aranda. How did your political vocation come about? I have always been attracted to politics, because of the role it plays within society.. Only if you take the step and get involved can you do something for others. The Popular Party offered me that opportunity and I feel very proud, because at the municipal level I can see up close the concerns of citizens and do things for them.. Although I have to tell you that I also like high politics.

I am very proud of my work in the City Council, but I also like high politics

Who are your references in the political sphere? In the PP we have great figures. Now, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, as leader of the party, is a reference for all militants. And then, our regional presidents, like Alfonso Fernández Mañueco and, of course, Isabel Díaz Ayuso or Juanma Moreno. In Burgos we have a PP with a lot of experience and a lot of empathy with whom we collaborate, as demonstrated by Borja Suárez, the provincial president.. I also don't want to forget Raquel González, who was mayor of Aranda for 12 years and who is now a senator in Madrid, from where she does magnificent work for our province. We live in a climate of extreme polarization, with too much noise at all levels. In a city of 33,000 inhabitants, where the majority knows each other on the street, have you suffered any episodes resulting from tension? In Aranda, football has been completely left out of any political issue. When our members and subscribers go to the Juan Carlos Higuero Stadium to enjoy the matches, they do so only paying attention to what is happening on the pitch.. Last April 26, the former football players of Arandina were arrested and convicted of sexual assault.. Has the club contacted them? It is an issue settled for the club from the moment those players stopped belonging to their discipline, so there has been no link with them. I think that at the time it hurt us to be associated with that case, because in any company there can be someone who jumps a traffic light or commits a crime.. This does not mean that this case should be associated with the name of a non-profit club like ours.. We believe that it was not fair, but hey, we also understand the relevance and repercussion of acts that were of considerable seriousness and that were finally condemned by the Supreme Court. In 2019, one of the convicted persons assured in an interview with EL MUNDO that they had been simple “scapegoats”. Was there any interest in this case serving as a lesson? It is a question that should only be assessed judicially. I do not know the substance of the matter to express myself in one sense or another.. I cannot give an answer because it has been an issue outside the club..

Virginia Martínez, at the Juan Carlos Higuero Stadium. PAULINO ORIBE A month ago, the Arandina footballers gave up playing the first minute of their Cup match in protest against non-payments. How do you plan to solve this problem? The most substantial part of our income comes from subsidies. We are lucky that the City Council helps us, but the federal subsidies never arrive in bulk, since each one requires a process. And that has created liquidity problems for us.. It is not a question that the money is not going to arrive or that we have committed ourselves beyond our means, but of time.. We understand the economic needs of our players, like those of any other worker. And of course we support any action to enforce your rights.. However, in this case it is a temporary problem. There is a part of the fans, linked to some managers who left Arandina, who consider that their partner, Paco Galán, is the one who really has the upper hand in the club.. Right now, in Arandina we work with a group of about 30 people.. Every Monday we meet at eight in the afternoon, for two or even three hours, in which we talk and debate about the situation of the club.. Paco has been the spokesperson and has carried out a very complicated job, which I think should be recognized, for the sacrifice he has been able to entail. Of the three activities that he combines, which is the one that satisfies him the most? Each one has its moments, but in the end what keeps you going is seeing the children playing the games.. After these seven months I am very satisfied with what is happening at the City Council, because the party's issues interest me very much.. It's the day to day that makes me happy. And, above all, share it with the people who, as I told you at the beginning, help me coordinate everything. The collaborators and colleagues, within my profession, of the Popular Party and Arandina, who for me are essential pillars. What is a day in the life of Virginia Martínez like? I usually wake up around six in the morning. First thing in the morning is when I have the most work capacity and when I make the most of my time. In the office I dedicate myself to my specific work as a lawyer, while I alternate the administration and management issues of the club, the paperwork of important issues, such as subsidies or some contracts. That work, let's say, in the office, is carried out based on my agenda throughout the day. I continue in the afternoon and evening, so I must admit that I get little rest.