04.02.2008 14:15

Basque Barça fans meet up in Durango

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Barça supporters’ clubs in the Basque Country met up on 26th January for a big fiesta which showed just how active they are.

The Indarra Barça Supporters’ Club organised the III Basque Country Supporters’ Club Meeting to coincide with the match between Athletic Club de Bilbao and FC Barcelona.

Barça dignitaries

FC Barcelona was represented at the event by club director Jacint Borràs, accompanied by Social Commission directors Manel Soldevilla and Patrick Auset and by ex-player Julio Alberto Moreno. Also present was the delegate from the Basque Country Consultative Council, Patxi Martínez. The five of them got to see first hand how important Barça is in the Basque Country.

Lots of events

The FC Barcelona representatives stopped off first at the local Town Hall where the Mayor of Durango, Juan José Ziarrusta, accompanied by fellow councillors welcomed them. This was followed by an exchange of gifts between the Council and the club.

Afterwards an informal talk was held in the Gran Hotel Durango, where local fans got to ask the FC Barcelona directors about what is going on at the club and its supporters clubs.

A long day was rounded off with the traditional gala dinner attended by 120 supporters’ club members from all over the Basque Country. The president of the Indarra Barça SC, Javier Decimavila, thanked everyone for attending and wished the club enormous success this season.

Jacint Borràs, who has strong ties with the Basque Country, closed his speech in Basque and on behalf of club chairman Joan Laporta and the entire board thanked the Indarra Barça SC and all the other supporters’ clubs for the work they are doing to make FC Barcelona into “more than a club in the world”.

The baritone Luis Mari Uriarte then gave a moving rendition of the Barça anthem ‘El Cant del Barça' in Basque.