A small but unique and important change has taken place at the Riazor. Deportivo La Coruña introduced a pioneering solution for blind fans during Saturday's match. On the same day, representatives from the club and the city met to discuss the planned modernisation of the stadium ahead of the 2030 World Cup.

Audio description enters La Liga

Saturday's match against Real Oviedo (0:1) at Estadio Abanca-Riazor was Deportivo's first game in three years in professional football, as the club was promoted to LaLiga Hypermotion after three years of wandering in the Primera Federación. The meeting also saw the debut of a pioneering technology developed by the Real Club Deportivo Foundation and the Escoita (from gal. listen) project.

It is, of course, about audio description, introduced thanks to the involvement of former Depor player and Escoita boss Jesús Suárez, who lost his sight. I didn't choose to be blind (...) Nevertheless, I decided not to give up and make an opportunity out of the problem, and that's how Escoita was born. Knowing that this project makes Abanca-Riazor a model on a national scale fills me with pride and enthusiasm, - Suárez said.

The audio description is available through an app that will allow people to follow the match live. The club boasts the pioneering solution as part of making the Abanca Riazor more accessible to people with disabilities.

© Cristian García

Club and city bring posts closer together

The long-awaited return to professional football, which ended in defeat, was watched by 25,824 fans. Not a bad number, but below the expectations of the club, who reported that only 600 seats were free two days before the match. For this season 26,607 socios have renewed their passes and the club hopes to hit 27,500.

The high number of socios and nevertheless good attendance seems to confirm the concerns of the club, which is protesting against the modernisation project, as it would suppose a temporary reduction in the capacity of the stadium. It currently has 32,471 seats and reducing it would most likely mean that some socios would not be able to enter matches and the club would lose revenue from ticket sales.

These concerns were presented by the club to the city at Saturday's meeting. The talks were attended by three-person delegations from both sides. City councillors pledged to provide the club this week with information on the project and its phases, the impact of the upgrade on the club and the funding model for the works.

Previously, the club had complained that it had not received any information about the planned modernisation, but now it stated that the meeting was conducted in a very cordial tone and both parties agreed to maintain open and ongoing communication.

© Cristian García