After securing their first win of the season, Cádiz CF breathes again, but only in purely football terms, as the club has at least two fronts to close, both referring to their stadium. The first one is the dispute over the name Estadio Carranza (or Nuevo Mirandilla), while the second is the worsening state of the venue.

Carranza, the gap between cadistas

The unexpected away win over CD Castellón at Nou Estadi Castalia (1:3) calmed the Cádiz fans after a poor start to the season. However, they remain divided over the issue of the name of their home ground, which was renamed as Estadio Carranza at the end of July, abandoning the name Nuevo Mirandilla after three years.

This measure, presented by the club and the mayor of Cádiz as a tribute to cadismo has generated a tense political debate, and of a national nature, as even the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory has expressed its opinion on the subject in a letter critical of the change.

According to some fans, such as the fan platform Carranza Incumple, the name evokes the figure of Ramón de Carranza, mayor of Cádiz who supported the coup d'état of 1936, lead by general Francisco Franco, which caused a 4-year-long civil war and a 36-year-long dictatorship. As they explain, the use of his name contravenes the Historical Memory Law.

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This was the argument that led the previous left-wing government to withdraw his name in 2021, after a referendum in which barely 1,270 people voted. Today in opposition, they continue to defend their measure.

Others, such as the Estadio Carranza fan platform, Cádiz CF itself or the current right-wing government defend the change, explaining that Carranza is a symbol of identity of the cadismo. They want the name to be the same as of the Carranza Trophy, the annual tournament held in Cádiz, and believe that the change is not an infringement, as only the surname of the controversial mayor is now used, unlike before the 2021, when the stadium bore his full name.

The current mayor, Bruno Garcia, has defended the change, which he considers a tribute to the collective memory of cadismo. We do it in good faith, he assured repeatedly during a press conference last week. However, as La Voz Digital points out, the mayor left open the possibility of abandoning the process if it does not comply with regulations.

© Fabián Bravo Guerrero (Kato)

Club vs. fans on the second front

The second front to be closed is the poor treatment of fans at the stadium. Since August, when the La Liga matches, this time Hypermotion, returned to the Estadio Carranza, the local media, such as Diario de Cádiz and La Voz Digital, have been reporting complaints from fans, such as uncleaned pigeon droppings on the seats, food leftovers or the increase in prices in the canteens, which did not exactly go hand in hand with an improvement in the quality of the food.

Through the Alma Cadista platform, the fans protested once again against the general slovenliness that is not in keeping with a club in the professional category. Broken gutters that splash the fans, leaks in the toilets, poor accessibility and high prices are the most serious problems, according to them.

It should also be remembered that, despite being relegated to the second category, what did not go down, in contrast to the state of the facilities, were the prices of season tickets and admission tickets. A front to be closed for the club's leadership and yet another reason for the frustration of the Cadistas, who suffered enough last season.

© Fabián Bravo Guerrero (Kato)