Ten members of Sentimiento Rojiblanco will squeeze into two cars this Saturday and lead through the night to Encamp, hoping to lift Sporting after its 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. They plan to leave Gijón late Friday, take turns behind the wheel and reach Andorra by morning. Before the match, they want to stretch their legs and meet the Barcelona-based Quini supporters’ club.
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, plan 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, both for the score and 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.
For Sentimiento Rojiblanco, the trip is about more than the result. After the match, the group will 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, a sign of how busy their calendar is.
Local media reports say Sporting enters the Andorra match with only 7 points after the defeat to Eldense, leaving the team in a mid-table position early in the Segunda División season. FC Andorra is also under pressure after 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. Members and Sporting legends Juan Carlos Ablanedo, Claudio Silva, Manolo Jiménez, Eloy Olaya and Juanjo González, now part of Spain’s World Cup-winning staff, attended the group’s thirteenth anniversary. Former club press chief Leli Rubiera and stadium announcer Borja Blanco also joined the celebration.
This kind of dedication is common in Spanish football. As reported earlier, the tradition of traveling and sharing memories runs deep among fans, whether at classic car rallies or away games in the mountains.
For Sentimiento Rojiblanco, showing up matters, especially when the team’s confidence is shaky. The group’s overnight journeys and meetups reflect 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, whatever happens on the pitch.
