After a bruising defeat and rising frustration, Sentimiento Rojiblanco sends ten members on a night drive to Andorra to support Sporting. Their journey highlights the resilience and rituals of Spanish football fandom.
Ten members of Sentimiento Rojiblanco are not waiting for Sporting’s luck to change. This Saturday, the group will squeeze into two cars and drive through the night to Encamp, hoping to lift a team still shaken by a tough loss to Eldense.
“After the setback against Eldense, people are a bit annoyed. We need a win to go into the derby at full strength,” says Xuacu Rodríguez, the group’s president. Their plan is straightforward: leave Gijón late Friday, take turns behind the wheel, and reach Andorra by morning. They want to stretch their legs and meet up with the Barcelona-based Quini supporters’ club before the match.
Sporting will face FC Andorra in Encamp on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with kickoff officially set for 16:15 local time.
The travelers—Xuacu Rodríguez, Nacho Pérez, Geli Joglar, Pelayo Naya, Luna del Río, Carolina Gómez, Javi Otero, Adrián Pazos, Cristina Vázquez, and Javier Méndez—don’t just plan to show up. They want to be loud and visible. “We’ve arranged to meet at La Moreneta Food an Beer, a place with a big terrace near the stadium. Any Sporting fans in the area are welcome to join us,” Xuacu says.
Sporting’s recent form has left fans restless. The defeat to Eldense hurt, not just for the score but for how flat the team looked. “It’s hard to understand how the team looked so sharp against Girona, then so flat a week later,” Rodríguez admits. The group knows Sporting’s record in Andorra isn’t great, and early afternoon kickoffs have a reputation for bad luck.
But for Sentimiento Rojiblanco, the trip is about more than the result. After the match, they’ll stay overnight in Andorra, then stop for a meal in Zaragoza on the way home. They organize these trips with the same care as their support. “For Cádiz, we already have 22 signed up,” Rodríguez says, showing how busy their calendar is.
According to reports from local media, Sporting enters the Andorra match with only 7 points after the defeat to Eldense, highlighting their mid-table position early in the Segunda División season. Meanwhile, FC Andorra is also under pressure, coming off a 1:3 home loss to Real Sociedad B and a four-game losing streak in the Primera RFEF.
Not everyone can make every trip. For the upcoming Asturian derby, some will travel to Tartiere to support Sporting in person, while others will gather at their usual spot, La Regence café, to watch together. The group’s thirteenth anniversary brought out not just members but also Sporting legends—Juan Carlos Ablanedo, Claudio Silva, Manolo Jiménez, Eloy Olaya, and Juanjo González, now part of Spain’s World Cup-winning staff. Former club press chief Leli Rubiera and stadium announcer Borja Blanco also joined the celebration.
This kind of dedication isn’t rare in Spanish football. As reported earlier, the tradition of traveling and shared memories runs deep among fans, whether for classic car rallies or away games in the mountains.
For Sentimiento Rojiblanco, showing up matters, especially when the team’s confidence is shaky. Their willingness to drive overnight, organize meetups, and keep traditions going shows how, in Spanish football, the line between supporter and participant often disappears. Sporting’s results may swing, but the group’s loyalty and routines keep the spirit alive, no matter what happens on the pitch.
