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THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EDITION 477
FRIDAY 7th JUNE TO THURSDAY 20th JUNE 2013 ADVENTURE & FUN ON TENERIFE
PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
PAGES 23/24 - 33/34
PAGE 37
VICTORY FOR THE ISLAND!
www.clubdeportivotenerife.es
CD Tenerife’s promotion brings a much-needed boost
C
D Tenerife’s much-acclaimed promotion back to the Second Division A is being hailed as a victory for the island, not just sport.
Amidst all the doom and gloom about the economy, rising unemployment, the battle for better air connections and the bid to keep tourists, the club’s success will give everyone a huge boost. Memories of last season’s fall at the final hurdle was forgotten as Santa Cruz was turned into a sea of white and blue, flags flew at the south airport to welcome the players home and a VIP reception was given by the Cabildo on Monday night. In the last year, cash-strapped
CD Tenerife has lost 80% of its sponsorship but club president, Miguel Concepción predicts promotion will equate to a three million euro bonanza. There will be spin-offs for the whole of the island too as the team gets back into a league featuring the likes of Villarreal, Real Madrid B, Barcelona B, Gijon and Girona. It means more publicity, more prestige, more TV coverage, more sponsorship and a vote of confidence for Tenerife with the return to “professional” football.
In the final match away from home on Sunday, CD Tenerife went down 0-1 to Hospitalet but still won 3-2 on aggregate. After the victor y, Sr. Concepción described the fans as “the best in Spain” and said the club’s promotion to the silver division was a great source of pride. Fans packed into the Plaza del España in Santa Cruz and in the heat of the sunshine and fever of success, hundreds jumped into the pool to celebrate. Car horns sounded well into the night. On the pitch itself, players and fans had to endure at least five minutes of agony as the referee allowed the maximum
of injury time and at one stage, coach Álvaro Cervera and his staff ran from the sideline thinking it was all over. It was a false whistle, however, but they were able to rejoice a few seconds later when the manager was given the bumps. In a press conference later,
Cervera cried as he said he wished his parents had witnessed this very special day. He paid tribute to everyone who had worked towards the victory. CD Tenerife had languished in the Second Division B for two seasons, having gone up twice
and down twice in five years, changing squads and management many times. It has been a frustrating time for the club and fans and had a devastating effect on the club’s finances. The return to the Second Division A will hopefully bring new stability.