Estrella Galicia’s bar in Cuatro Caminos (A Coruña) was the setting chosen to present the Victoria Tournament Memorial Moncho Rivera that, now in its seventeenth edition, will hold a Galician derby at Riazor stadium between R.C. Deportivo de La Coruña and C.D. Lugo on Wednesday 2 September. The star match in this championship, which will be a charity event, was presented this morning during the press conference at which the presidents of both clubs were present, along with those from C.F. Vitoria and Hijos de Rivera, with a special link to this tournament thanks to the work carried out by Ramón Rivera Riguera, founding member of the Victoria club and promoter of the Tournament.
With a match at this level, the Memorial has taken a huge step forward, be it in its charity work or its commitment to grass roots sports. Both Victoria C.F. and Hijos de Rivera have worked tirelessly in the organisation of this encounter to match the history and deep-rooted tradition that this tournament has in A Coruña.
All the money raised will go to the Cocina Económica de A Coruña. Tickets can be bought via the Abanca ticket system, and through Deportivo and CD Lugo fan clubs. Two days before the match, tickets will be on sale at Riazor stadium. Tickets are €10 for the general public, €5 for season ticket holders, and free for under-14s.
This match between Depor and Lugo will be the grand finale to a full schedule of matches between the lower categories which, from 29 August to 16 September, will see under-14s, youth, under-16s and women’s teams from Victoria FC play against other Galician rivals.
The Moncho Rivera Memorial will also organise, for the very first time, a workshop aimed at the lower categories, to be held on 19 September, and be led by one of the members of the technical unit of the Spanish National Football Team.
This championship, which pays homage to Ramón Rivera Riguera, a member of the third generation of the Rivera family, owner of Estrella Galicia, offers an ambitious programme that means a great step forward in all aspects. Moncho Rivera was a founder member of the Victoria Club and promoted the Tournament that is now in its seventeenth year, but that had disappeared for almost thirty. In 2009, the Club wanted to recognise his work in support of grass roots sport, naming this championship after him and recovering the essence of its first years, with the support of Hijos de Rivera.
COMMENTS:
Antonio Viejo, Director of Institutional Relations at Corporación Hijos de Rivera:
Thanked both clubs for their contribution in making this charity tournament grow.
“Moncho was a person who was strongly committed to the city and its society. He was linked to many charities and to sport. Along with the Victoria Club, they designed a charity tournament which ended up carrying his name in his memory”.
Tino Saqués, President CD Lugo
“Ramón was very committed to helping grass roots sport and the Victoria Club. He was a great person that we should all remember”.
“We are delighted to participate in this tournament and we would be delighted to participate in the future”.
Tino Fernández, President RC Deportivo
“For us it is an honour to participate in this Memorial, which this year is very special…and to add some sparkle to this tournament which we hope will be a big party and a great opportunity to watch a great match”. “I would like to encourage people to go. Behind this there are people from the world of football and sport in general, who love the city and Galicia, and this joins us all, but the Cocina Económica is also there, a very important institution in the city, and who will receive all the money raised”.
“All Deportivo and Lugo members will pay and make a contribution, and I encourage everyone to make an extraordinary presence at Riazor on Wednesday”.
Juan Carlos Vázquez Veras, President Victoria
“We are very grateful for the support that Estrella Galicia has shown to our club and to sport in general. We also thank RC Deportivo and CD Lugo for the help they have given us to organise this match”.
“This local match will serve as a meeting point for football in A Coruña and all the area. That is where the relationship between Ramón Rivera and our club begins and from there the idea of organising a charity tournament that was initially going to raise money for a nursing home. Seven years ago, the club management decided to take up this event again, and we mutually decided, with Estrella Galicia, to donate to Cocina Económica, an entity that carries out essential work“.
“Finally, I would like to call everyone in A Coruña to support the match. For us it’s a star match, and this year we have taken a huge leap in quality by organising it so that all the money raised goes to such an important entity as the Cocina Económica”.
“We also want to make a call to fans from both teams, for this match to demonstrate that football is a meeting with camaraderie and rivalry, but never confrontation”.
