A routine business meeting caused chaos and confusion in Getafe after a representative of Kurdistan posted a photo suggesting that the Azulones stadium would be renamed. The commotion on social media forced him to delete the content, and the club assures that the deal has not been finalised.

Wednesday surprise in Getafe

Wednesday morning promised to be like any other in Getafe, a 190,000-people town near Madrid, until its fanbase was suddenly set alight by the news of the Coliseum's name change.

Getafe CF has been preparing fans for this possibility for some time. In 2023, the club removed the name of Alfonso Pérez, the city's most famous footballer (although he never played for Getafe), from the stadium's name after comments about women's football that many considered sexist. Ángel Torres, president of the Azulones, has repeatedly suggested that the name Coliseum alone could find a partner. However, no one expected that it would be given by... a region of Iraq.

Visit Kurdistan Getafe is the name that can be seen in a photo posted on Wednesday morning on the account of the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Darawan Haji Hamid. The name appears on the facade of the new Coliseum, next to the words The future belongs to us and the note Legends International for Visit Kurdistan brand & Getafe CF, July 2025. Confidential.

Tweet JuanDazulon https://x.com/juandazulon/status/1980894092658962781

— Juan Dazulon (@juandazulon) June 8, 2025

Fans can’t believe it, Getafe denies it and Kurdistan deletes it

The photo quickly spread across social media before being removed. For many fans, it was an unpleasant surprise, but the club's poor financial situation means that others believe there is no room for fussiness. If it means we will be able to sign players… writes one user on X. After the summer transfer window, we can't laugh at things like this, echoes another. It sounds terrible, says, however, another fan.

But it turns out the club was no less surprised. According to COPE, Getafe representatives denied that they had reached an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government. Marca, on the other hand, claims that Visit Kurdistan Coliseum is still only one of many options being considered by the club.

During the meeting, we discussed possible forms of cooperation aimed at strengthening the ties between Getafe CF and the Kurdistan Region in order to promote Kurdish sport internationally and the development of the tourism and sports sector in Kurdistan, Hamid's post now explains. But even before Wednesday's photos were published, the politician told Kurdistan 24 television that at the meeting it was suggested that the stadium be named Visit Kurdistan and that the same inscription be placed on the Azulones' shirts. Time will tell whether the negotiations will come to a happy end after this leak.

© Getafe CF | The Coliseum modernization project, already underway, increases the stadium's marketing appeal.