The football team that is forbidden to run

BarcelonaThe Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu (UESA) is a century-old sports entity that is experiencing a sweet moment. The number of members, which was less than a thousand in 2020, has grown exponentially in the last five years and there are now more than 5,000 subscribers. The closeness between the club, players, and fans is one of the reasons that attract fans of Barça or Espanyol to adopt Sant Andreu as a second team or even as their first. Initiatives such as Avisgol, a team of older people who practice so-called walking football, further strengthen the bond between the entity and its members, especially the older ones.

Walking football or foot football is a new variant that attempts to reduce the risk of injuries by dispensing with physical contact. To prevent anyone from getting hurt, it is not allowed to run, make more than three touches of the ball, or play it above head height. The rest of the rules are still in the experimental phase, but all of them are based on the principle of taking the utmost care of the players' bodies. The objective is to adapt the classic rules of the sport of foot and ball to a safe practice for older people, who cannot be subjected to collisions, divided balls, tackles or other actions of traditional football, because they compromise their physical integrity.

The general director of UESA, José Manuel Pérez, is aware of the importance of supporting initiatives like this, even if the first team moves up divisions. “For us, this is a social issue. Many people who participate are acquaintances from our town”, says Pérez. The idea is to grow without having to give up the distinctive traits that have attracted the attention of new partners, and even Taito Suzuki, the majority shareholder since November of last year. While negotiating the purchase of the club, at the end of one of the meetings in the Narcís Sala offices, he came across a training session of the walking football team. The Japanese businessman noticed that the grandfathers were lacking water and he himself went to the supermarket to buy it, explains Pérez. “We believe that social work is one of the key issues of our project, and the truth is that we are delighted from the club”, he adds.

How to get back to the schoolyard

They are also delighted with the club, as they do not have to pay any fees to meet to practice sports outdoors, as explained by one of the founders, Martín, 69 years old. Furthermore, they receive equipment and all the facilities to ensure continuity of the weekly meeting. Every Tuesday morning, Avisgol members have an appointment at the Camp Municipal Narcís Sala, the stadium located in the heart of the neighborhood, where professionals also train and play their official matches. “This is like going back to the schoolyard”, says Ignasi, 71 years old, “those of us who know, we take advantage a bit of those who don’t know”. One of the main challenges of walking football, explains goalkeeper Antonio, who is 77 years old, is learning to moderate the winning spirit. “People like to play to win, I don’t believe those who say they only play to have fun”, confesses Antonio. His teammate Eusebi listens attentively and replies: “I think there are too many competitive people”. Both agree on the key to the matter: finding the balance between the competitive drive and physical health, without having to inhibit the former or harm the latter.

The training begins with a warm-up, led by retired physical trainer Juan Carlos, 82 years old, of particular importance given the muscular fragility of the athletes; followed by a pre-match talk, lasting one hour. Two teams face each other: on one hand, the more regular players, who have been attending the training routine for a long time and have already consolidated their place in the starting lineup; and on the other hand, the team formed by aspirants to make a place for themselves in the squad and the newcomers. For the latter, the initial difficulty is getting used to containing the bursts of speed. Beginners are often cautioned by the referee at first, because they fall into the temptation of gaining an advantage with a short run, which they try to disguise with a couple of strides. You have to go through an adaptation process, understand this new modality of the game and learn to enjoy it with the guarantees it offers.

On weekends, the Avisgol starting lineup travels to test their mettle against other walking football teams that are proliferating across the country. Not all teams emerging in Catalonia and the rest of the State are for older people: Moms, a women's team participating in these tournaments, is entirely made up of mothers who also feel more secure with this innovative modality. Herein lies one of the particularities of walking football: it is a mixed sport. In fact, Avisgol Sant Andreu has launched a call to recruit women over fifty years old, as well as new sponsors who want to associate their brand with social work and help the economic sustainability of the project.

Walking football is a very recent phenomenon, but it is spreading rapidly. UESA already had a veterans' team, formed mainly by retired players who play football with the lifelong rules. Walking football, thanks to the innovations it introduces, offers the opportunity to engage in a sporting activity in an idyllic location, for older people or for others who, for one reason or another, cannot risk their physical well-being. The Avisgol team invites people who would never have imagined reaching this age playing on the Narcís Sala pitch in shorts to adapt to football.

One of the players who makes up the Avisgol squad is Manel Martí, a former footballer for Barça, Las Palmas, and Zaragoza, among other elite teams. About to turn eighty, the very veteran says he finishes training sweating and is willing to give declarations on the field with the same disposition as fifty years ago. "You can't ask me to run. Sweat, whatever you want. Running and shooting, not much." To the question of what it brings him, he replies: "The primary foundation of walking football is the union of friends who don't look at age, people who have played, people who haven't played; but the important thing is the union and once it's over, going for a drink or eating all together."

The current life expectancy in Catalonia is 83 years. The population pyramid, completely inverted, tends to become thinner at the base and thicker at the top. But a long life is of little use if one cannot enjoy physical and mental health until the last days. The current paradigm presents a new scenario in which it is no longer about living longer, but about learning to live better. Initiatives like the Avisgol team of UESA offer the opportunity for the elderly in the neighborhood to practice sports on the same grass as the first team players. A feeling of inclusion and proximity that, beyond age and physical health, should also contribute to mental health. Be that as it may, the phenomenon of popular football is booming, and the great challenge for clubs like UESA or its eternal rival, Europa, will be to continue growing while maintaining the particular elements that foster this good moment.