The best perfumes come in small bottles. That is, at least, what Anguiano has shown this season in Third. With barely half a thousand inhabitants, the town of La Rioja Alta has put its name on the map by classifying itself as one of … the eighteen best teams in the category at the national level. It is, and by far, the least populated municipality that has entered the play-off hype for the Second Federation, further exalting the feat of a small town that wants to make a place for itself among the big ones.
It is difficult, if not almost impossible, to form a team at the level of Anguiano with the inhabitants of the municipality. This population shortage increases even more among young people and, therefore, in the age group that plays soccer in the category. The mountain municipality has not been the birthplace of footballers, proof of this is the lack of local presence in the team at present, but it has been visionary when it comes to signing talent in recent years. These signings, such as the arrival of the experienced Emilio Lozano in the middle of this season, can explain the sweet moment that the club is going through.
Since its promotion to the Third Division during the 2003/04 campaign, Anguiano has managed to establish itself in the noble zone, becoming a fixture in the play offs to Second B and, now, to the Second Federation. In total, the mountain team has participated in eleven promotion phases, being defeated in all of them. Now, Anguiano reaches a final for the first time in its history to face an Ardoi with more experience in winning finals.
Having reached this tie is not the only milestone that Anguiano has achieved this season. It is also the smallest team to compete in the category in Spain, so it was also the least populated to enter the draw. In the hype there were clubs of the stature of Portugalete with its 45,000 inhabitants, L’Hospitalet representing a town of about 200,000 people, Salamanca bringing together 15,000 spectators at the Helmántico last year or the affiliates of clubs such as Mallorca, Murcia and Almería. Giant numbers that fit the bogeymen that Anguiano could have received in this promotion round. But luck smiled on him by pairing him with an Ardoi with less experience.
The mountain club does not want to venture to talk about possible promotion. Although the reality is that they are only two games away from making it possible. Anguiano’s team has fought to the end for twenty years to achieve a feat that has always been conceived as a utopia. The change of category to national football implies an increase in the budget as well as a considerable improvement in its facilities. Now, Isla can barely accommodate nearly a thousand spectators who must watch the game standing from the fence.
For now, the team and the entire town only have Saturday’s game on their minds, which will take place at 8:00 p.m. in El Pinar de Zizur Mayor.
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