A worse league debut probably cannot be made. Cádiz, who faced the best of the best last season, lost 0:4 in front of their home crowd in their first Segunda División match. Estadio Carranza didn't look any better than the team. The rutting turf and dirt in the stands paint a worrying picture of the Andalusian club.

Cold shower

The dispute over the fascist name of Cádiz CF stadium continues, but that is not what should preoccupy the club's governing body and the staff in charge of the stadium. At least not in the short term. That's because Estadio Carranza, or rather its condition, is a faithful reflection of the sporting situation of the club from Cadiz.

Clubs that have been relegated from Primera División usually enjoy the respect in Segunda that comes from facing the best clubs in Spain. However, that respect was demolished in 90 minutes. That was all it took for Real Zaragoza to expose all the Gaditanos' weaknesses, beating them 0:4 in the first round in front of their home crowd.

16,970 fans witnessed the humiliation of a club whose goal for the 2024/25 season is to return to LaLiga EA Sports. A significant number of them left the stands after the third goal. It's a cold shower for Cádiz, as fans are increasingly expressing their dissatisfaction with the actions of the club's governing body and the state of the team.

© Groundhop.org

Stadium also on a downward trend

With relegation from the Primera and a decline in form, Estadio Carranza has also suffered a regression. As reported by La Voz de Cádiz, the seats were soiled with bird droppings, among other things, and the stands showed remnants of the summer's events in the form of rubbish or food scraps.

The playing ground was not in much better shape. The turf was not in good condition. There were a lot of pieces of grass breaking off as the game went on, Real Zaragoza coach Víctor Fernández remarked after the game. I'm not going to blame the turf when you lose 0-4, but the fact is that the turf needs to be improved, said Cadiz coach Paco López in turn.

The food itself at the stadium - according to reports in a local paper - has become more expensive and its quality has declined, in contrast to the price of tickets. Indeed, the cheapest ones cost €50. Instead, the socios passes for this season are among the most expensive in the Segunda Divisíon, as despite the drop, prices have remained unchanged.

This Saturday, Cádiz picked up a point in the away match against Levante at Estadi Ciutat de València (1:1), but the players will have to do their best to regain the confidence of the fans. They appear on the turf of Estadio Carranza again on Saturday to face CD Tenerife. The club therefore has a few more days to prepare the team and improve the grass and stands to spare the fans another disappointment.

© Fabián Bravo Guerrero (Kato)