Teresa Herrera: stars, great team, tortillas and empanadas

Teresa Herrera The summer tournament is the oldest in Spain and without doubt one of the most important of those are played every summer around the world. Founded in 1946 by the Local Charity of A Coruña with the intention of holding a social event that would serve to raise funds to invest in the protection of the poorest in the city. Due to the unequivocal philanthropic spirit of the tournament took the name of a famous eighteenth-century benefactor Coruña, Dona Teresa Herrera Teresa misnamed two demos ("demons") by his contemporaries, who had by meiga.

At first the bases prohibited the participation of the event's main city team, Deportivo, thus claiming club trophy and unlink, and above all, to preserve its international character. The first edition of the Athletic Club and played for Sevilla FC, winning the Seville to the Basques 3-2. From the following years and began to get major foreign teams, with the Basque Brazilian Range, the Porto lusos neighbors, Racing Paris, Lazio of Rome ... Deportivo did not debut in the tournament in your area to 55 years, debuting in victory. However, she did not participate until 62, when he was called at the last minute by the organizers after running out of rival to face Benfica Portuguese. That was the legendary first game in the Teresa Herrera Depor since so many of Montalvo, Veloso, Ruíz and White won 4-2 and against all odds, the legendary Eusebio's Benfica, the brand new European Champion.

But after his first three decades of history, Eusebio's Benfica was the first team legend Coruña compete for the trophy. In the summer of 1953 visited the city the new Real Madrid of Alfredo Di Stefano and Paco Gento. There is currently no veteran amateur Deportivo claims that he saw that day to Madrid a few years later became the hand of the White Arrow in the best team in the twentieth century. If everyone told the truth, that party must have a capacity of over 100,000 spectators in 1959 ... and those lucky enough to attended the old stadium Riazor a luxury enjoyed unparalleled in Europe: facing the Brazilians see Santos and Botafogo On the one hand, Pele, the other, Garrincha.

Getting the best teams to visit the city Herculina was the general tone of the Teresa Herrera. For example, in 1970 the legendary Ferencvárosi Hungarian Florian Albert in their ranks, and which had previously been Kubala, Czibor and Kocsis, won the final against the killers of San Lorenzo de Almagro, who scored a first team Argentine championship without losing a single match. Dynamo Kiev Oleg Blojín (or Blokhin, as is often incorrectly transliterated) participated and won consecutively in 1981 and 1982.

In 88 Cup took another European champions, PSV Eindhoven, Hiddink and Ronald Koeman. In 1992 we saw the coruñeses São Paulo led by Tele Santana commanded by Rai, who was Libertadores and Intercontinental champion of this year and next. In 1996 participated Bianchi Viceroy's Boca Juniors, with Riquelme and Palermo as stars, won Libertadores Libertadores and Intercontinental and repeated a year later. And in 2006 he played the tournament AC Milan to nine months after his seventh win Champions. In addition to many already mentioned, throughout its long history have played in the Teresa Herrera biggest clubs in Spain, Atletico, Barca, Athletic or Sevilla, and other great Europeans (Bayern, Juventus, Roma, Red Star ... by the way, very few English clubs have taken part and had not won any until last year, as did the Newcastle) and South (Peñarol, Nacional, Flamengo, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fluminense, America, Cruz Azul, River Plate ...), over seventy in total, with 28 different winners.

As for the best players in history, three of the Big Four have played the Teresa Herrera: In addition to Pele and Di Stefano, who won the tournament, was played by Johan Cruyff in fact, lssmfnlsdinal of the edition of 73 was new signing, the Barca first game as El Flaco in Spain. Such was the event that moved hundreds of A Coruña Alvedro airport to welcome the Dutch crack. However, little was seen of Fourteen in Riazor: half an hour the first game, against Peñarol, sick of the overwhelming marking dropped like Hugo Fernandez Uruguayan defender kicked the referee ejected with a straight red. Despite the pressing demands of fans eager to see the star of A Clockwork Orange, the organization showed his unwavering commitment to fair play to maintain the sanctions that prevented subsequent meeting Cruyff play for third place. So I just missed Maradona to complete the four aces: The Cosmic Kite had just signed for Barca when the Blaugrana went to Teresa Herrera of 82 and did not play any of the two parties.

Deportivo did not become the team with more shares until the issue XLV. In fact, in A Coruña has always been a debate, sometimes acrimonious, as the late eighties, those who believe that sport is not always or should participate directly, not to participate rarely or never in favor of bringing other equipment hearth, against those who see the city equipment should always be involved, even a contest municipal ownership. On the other hand, there are few who preach that if Depor Teresa Herrera wins this entails a bad season, while a poor participation, guarantees a good year. He believes in it or not, the fact is that in 1999 A Coruña Teresa Herrera lived the worst possible: Celtic's victory over Boca Juniors after eliminating the Depor. Nine months later, on May 19, 2000, Depor achieved the milestone of his first and only League ...

Leaving aside the historical prestige of the poster, the other element that makes it recognizable to the Dean's Summer trophy. The first design, a glass in the old style that evolved year after year, was in charge of Barros Merino, who scored the fusion line of jewelry with the characteristic silver Coruña James. But the design that everyone recognizes is the second, made ​​from the XXIV edition jewelry by Malde, consisting of a replica of the Tower. So much so, in a trip to the city, former Uruguayan President Julio Maria Sanguinetti, testified before the lighthouse is now a World Heritage Site I felt a strange sense of familiarity to it that did not know where provedía. Hours later, the procession moved to the Riazor Stadium, as the President had expressed a strong interest in seeing the field of Depor, but on his way stopped at the Beach Club, a cafe-restaurant-nightclub owned by the club and there he found a showcase Sanguinetti with the trophy and said, "That sounded the Tower of Hercules! For the two that has Peñarol in your Trophy Room ". Sanguinetti, also the President of the Republic, Honorary President of the charcoal.

Since its founding in the year 46 to 63 held by a single match, but from 64 it is usual that the tournament is contested by four contestants playing semifinals, final and third place, although in the sixties and seventies not always met that standard. But in 2000, the City Council of A Coruña delegated his organization in favor of Deportivo. Since then, the trophy has been losing sill and has become the format of one party, in 2000, as in the last three editions, 2009, 2010 and, as I said, which is held thirteen days -addition, the triangular shape was used in 2003 and 2005 -. So, we can say that Depor has infected their own decay to Teresa Herrera and perhaps it is time for the Concello to take back your organization. At least that would prevent Lendoiro used the tournament as an negotiator in buying and selling of players. Proof of this is the absurdity of this summer all pointed to Atletico Madrid was coming, he owes a friendly at the signing of Deportivo Filipe, but as far Lendoiro is pissed off with Gil Marin for Adrian Lopez, dismissed this possibility and, finally, the team will be invited to Sevilla FC, who will face Deportivo himself on 14 this month deAotLXVI sto the issue.

For this year a good entry is expected, since today may attend for free the more than 20,000 subscribers who already have higher than last year's relegation to the Second through. What insurance will not miss is the atmosphere that characterizes a tournament that usually come to the tribe and with large doses of food, pointing out the pies, strings of sausages and potato tortillas. While it is true that in modern times has left some of their own history, character of these parties gastronomic tradition lies precisely in this tournament Dean: not in vain, not so long ago was regarded as one of the highlights the fair Coruña August. I, of course, I do not make an appearance this year without a tortilla sandwich would satisfy the Geryon himself.