The small football miracle of a group of angry parents

Sant Just DesvernIn 2010, a group of parents of children who played in the youth team of FC Sant Just and who disagreed with the club's way of doing things decided to leave their town's football team to create another one from scratch. Thus was born Atlético San Justo, which last season was on the verge of promotion to the Third Division of the RFEF and which now, with the children of its founders on the pitch, is making history in the Copa del Rey: last Saturday it won 3-0 against Atlético Calatayud in the first leg of the qualifying round, and if it maintains its lead this weekend will receive a First Division team at the Sant Just Desvern municipal stadium.

"Going onto the pitch with the Copa del Rey patch or watching our parents on television during the draw the other day is a huge experience. 15 years ago, we couldn't even imagine what's happening to us," captain Álex Palacios, brother of Palacios' former president of Barça basketball in the 1980s, explains to ARA. Pep was accompanied at Las Rozas by Carlos Cebrián, another of the project's instigators, current sporting director and father of Álex Cebrián, who hung up his boots last June after a decade and a half uninterruptedly with the club. There's no doubt that Atlético Sant Just is a very family-oriented club.

From Catalan Fourth to Elite League

"There is one club man, but I don't know if there's a name to define those of us who have played for a club since its foundation," says Jan González, Atlético Sant Just's all-time top scorer – he has scored more than 100 goals in the last five years – and one of those responsible for the first team's rise from the Cuarta Catalana to the Liga Élite in such a short time. Rōnin FC or Inter Barcelona, ​​​​in their case, the formula for success isn't money. "We're a completely amateur club that doesn't pay players a salary, even though it's common in the division. We only started paying something based on objectives last year," says Carlos Cebrián, who played in the Third Division as a youth.

"The other day, a friend asked me: what amount would you change teams for? I told him I'd never forgive myself for leaving here for money. And I don't have much of it, do I?" the captain declares with a laugh. There's been no shortage of offers. In fact, Jan, who was recently called up by the Catalan national team, amateurHe's even been called up by a team in the First Division of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), three divisions above him. "My son always tells me that the beauty of football is being able to play at a high competitive level with your friends. And they're a great group of friends," Cebrián adds, revealing one of the secrets of this modest club that has become a benchmark in the province of Barcelona—it has 47 teams and more than 700 players—due to the sporting results that have helped it rise.

Cruyffist spirit

"Our goal is to educate and compete at the same time. One must always go hand in hand with the other," explains Cebrián, who is a psychopedagogue at a secondary school. That's why Atlético San Justo has a values and education officer within its structure: Tonyo González, a teacher, former professional handball player, and father of Jan González, who scored a goal last Saturday. Like other of his teammates on the first team, Jan, who is also a teacher, collaborates with the youth football team—he is currently the coordinator—instilling in the youngest children the football ideals outlined by the founders and which govern the club: "We have a methodological foundation with a wealth of content that focuses on being proactive with the ball and proposing more to a game and more than the opponent. It's our idiosyncrasy."

This Cruyffist spirit isn't just theoretical, as Atlético Calatayud found out last week, surprised from the start by their rival's energy and strong play. "In the Catalan Second and Third Divisions, they told us 'if they start moving up, they'll have to give up their style to be more competitive.' Well, look, we were on the verge of moving up to the Third RFEF," reaffirms Palacios, who works as a data analyst in Espanyol's technical office and doesn't want to see Atlético Sant Just secure their qualification in Aragón next Monday. But for now, this is a taboo subject in the locker room.

"We're only thinking about beating Atlético Calatayud. Since we don't know how to defend low or speculate with the scoreboard, we'll go out to win and play our way, because that's what has brought us here," Jan González proudly concludes on the eve of a historic match for the group who dream of seeing their children face a First Division team.