The relations between the two Navarros teams participating in the 1st category Room Football Championship – Osasuna Magna Xota and Aspil-Jumpers Ribera Navarre – are not the best at the moment. The player of the Irurtzundarra team tested positive on the eve in Tudela so the two teams that had to play the league game at the beginning of the Ilbeltza, while the other players of the club performed PCR tests and the club asked the Real Federación Española de Fútbol to postpone the meeting. The following day, when Osasuna Magna headed by bus to Tudela, they were given permission to postpone the match. A few days later, the Aspil-Jumpers Ribera Navarra had asked the Federation to lose the party to Osasuna Magna Xota, considering that the club of Tudela does not meet the date of the antigen tests. And the federation opened a dossier to the Irurtzundarra team to analyze the issue.

Salud Magna Xota, in a statement, explained that Ribera Navarra’s attitude “made him very sad” and stressed that as soon as a player knew he had tested positive, he did the necessary tests and tests on the other players “because they take COVID-19 very seriously”. The club led by Tatono Arrangi also noted that other league matches are also deferred by COVID-19. “We believe that the Ribera de Navarra has overcome the relationship of good faith that exists between the two groups, and not everything is worth it. The use of the pandemic for off-court sports benefits is very serious,” the green team said.

High-level meeting to reduce tension

Rebeca Esnaola, Minister of Culture and Sport of the Government of Navarra, met yesterday, Monday, with the presidents of the two clubs, Tatono Arrangi de Magna Xota and Alberto Ramírez de la Ribera Navarra to reduce the tension generated between the two Navarros teams. Also attended the meeting were the president of the Navarra Football Federation, Rafael del amo, and the director of the Navarro Institute of Sport, Miguel Pozueta.

Call for calm, respect and tolerance

Esnaola explained that he showed both presidents "their concern about the tension that had been generated between clubs and amateurs in recent weeks" and made them an "appeal to calm" so that "sports competition does not exceed unwanted borders" and improve the image of soccer in Navarre. The counselor stressed that the sports values defended by the Navarro Institute of Sport are “of respect and tolerance”, and asked the two clubs to assume those values.

Attendees underlined the need for the matches between the two teams to be “a partying of futsal, far from behaviors that do not represent the values of sport” and stressed that action will be taken to create a climate of respect between clubs and amateurs.