Euro 2024 Olive Press

It’s kick off for the coast’s hottest new sports venue dubbed the ‘ultimate destination to watch the Euros’

IN THE CLUBHOUSE!

WITH dozens of professional footballers already linked to the Sala Group, it was only a matter of time before they opened a sports venue.

Current and former Premier League stars, including Shay Given, David Bentley and Stephen Carr, have approved the stunning new spot, below La Sala Puerto Banus.

Called The Clubhouse, it counts on over 50 TVs, alongside dartboards and top-of-the-range golf simulators to keep punters entertained for hours.

The premier sports and entertainment venue ‘will offer an unrivalled experience for dining, entertainment, and competitive socialising, just in time for the Euros,’ Sala Group CEO Ian Radford told the Olive Press

Whoʼs In So Far?

“We’ve been planning it for well over a year and this year’s competition is the perfect time to kick off,” he added.

Launching this week, it’s a remarkable change for the venue that was formerly a nightclub and had been totally stripped out in late 2022.

On a visit a year ago Radford, a former squash professional, had explained he had been considering combining it with bowling.

Far?

But in the end, the Clubhouse, which sits over 900 m², has concentrated more on football and golf.

An amazing multi-million invest -

ment has brought in state-of-the-art Trackman golf simulators, advanced Dartsee dartboards and Zapping technology televisions. Through an ingenious partnership with Mahou beer a self-serve beer system allows guests to conveniently refill their drinks directly from taps installed at their tables.

And for a more exclusive experience, the Laurent Perrier Players Lounge offers a private members-only area with premium amenities for watching the Euros, or other sports,

in unmatched comfort and style. There will also be a full food menu, utilising the top quality kitchen and chefs from La Sala upstairs.

UEFA Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany on June 14 and promises to be a thrilling tournament with 24 teams competing.

Strategically positioned on a newly-constructed Paseo, The Clubhouse offers spectacular views up to Aloha, with complimentary valet parking enhancing the experience.

EAT. DRINK. WATCH. PLAY Find out more by contacting reservations@clubhousemarbella. com or calling 951 204 835

Whoʼs In So Far?

EXCITEMENT: All the big sporting events will be shown on 50 TVs including on the outside terrace

EXCLUSIVE: VIPs can pay to chill out in the Laurent Perrier Players Lounge

Just some of the sporting greats lending their support to the clubhouse

GROUP A

GROUP B

GROUP C

ANDALUCIA isn't just a haven for sun-seekers – it's a place where the past and present of global football intertwine.

And in Marbella it reaches fever pitch with dozens of famous footballers owning homes, and dozens more coming for their holidays.

This month alone, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Virgil Van Dijk have all enjoyed a stay within the golden resort.

But the British influence on the beautiful game stretches far further back.

game to these Spanish shores and, as it happens, just a few miles up the coast.

It was actually Dr. William Alexander Mackay (right), a Scotsman who arrived in Huelva in 1861, who made the first moves.

While his colleagues sipped sangria, or more likely sherry, Mackay, a former Edinburgh University footballer, yearned for something more.

We kicked it off

Indeed it was over a century ago that the UK intro-

He started organising football matches for Rio Tinto miners, a tradition that blossomed into Spain's first amateur football club in 1889.

Though today's Recreativo de Huelva boasts mostly Spanish stars, the team’s early lineups were a rather different story. In 1890, British names like Alcock and Smith dominated their hard fought away game in nearby Sevilla.

Fast forward to today, the Costa del Sol continues to attract British footballing talents, but not as pioneers.

A number of young British professionals are now chasing their dreams up at FC Malaga City.

FC Malaga City, founded

While Marbella is now the nerve centre for football celebrities, it is in nearby Huelva where British players first introduced the game to Spain

by British expat George Jermy, is a unique example of this modern connection. Jermy, the son of a Spanish father and English mother, played professionally in Spain before injuries forced a career change. Inspired by the lack of opportunities for young Australians he once coached, Jermy started FC Malaga City in 2017. The club thrives on Jermy's philosophy of ‘amateur spirit, professional approach’. They've skyrocketed through the ranks, attracting talented players who fit within their budget constraints.

While the Malaga club is little known, foreign football stars with a much high-

er profile are frequent visitors to the Costa del Sol. We revealed that ex-Spurs and Liverpool player Steven Caulker had taken up a managerial position at FC Malaga City after meeting Jermy whilst holidaying with his family in sunny Nerja.

As soon as he arrived on the Costa del Sol, the club’s fortunes dramatically improved as Caulker leant on his many

ployment visa that never came. Half a decade ago meanwhile, England and Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle started a

arrangement in Jerez. Hoddle,

until the advent of Brexit also killed his dreams.

Last edition the Olive Press revealed that a trio of Brazilian superstars - Ronaldo Nazario Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista - are set to take over the helm at fourth tier club CD Estepona.

And of course the bright lights of Marbella have long attracted football stars from around the world looking for a break from the stresses of the ‘beautiful game’.

These range from Manchester United legend George Best and fellow European

Cup winner Nottingham Forest’s Larry Lloyd (who once managed Real Marbella) to modern day players including frequent visitor Manchester City’s Erling Haaland whose dad has a home here.

Gareth Bale - who reportedly has two properties on the coast - is a fan as is Bayern Munich’s Harry

Kane, who opted to bring his childhood sweetheart Katie Goodland - who has since become his wife and mother to his four children - here for a romantic break. Eating, where else, but at La Sala, which is owned by practically an entire team of soccer stars!

So, from Mackay's pioneering spirit to Jermy's innovative approach, British influence continues to play a part in Spain's beautiful game, even as modern stars from both nations chase their dreams on sun-drenched pitches.

Casemiro invests in Marbella FC

BRAZIL captain and Manchester United midfielder, Casemiro, has been scooped up by Marbella FC - as a shareholder.

The multiple Champions League winner with Real Madrid posed with a Marbella shirt and with the team after recently achieving promotion to the third-tier of Spanish football. It's not been revealed how much money the superstar will be putting into the club.

Casemiro said: “It is an honour for me to join Marbella Football Club because my biggest motivation is the spectacular possibilities for growth of the club.”

“I have been to Marbella with my family on several occasions and both my children, my wife and I are in love with this city, with which we want to be linked for life,” he continued.

“Without a doubt, together we will dream big to take Marbella to the top, but now we have to enjoy our wonderful promotion to the First Division."

BOUND?: Ronaldo, Baptista and Carlos