Atlético and the women’s national field hockey team join forces

Club Atlético de Madrid are fully immersed in the second LFP World Challenge tour, which has brought them to California for their first stop, where the reigning Liga BBVA champions received a special visit during their Saturday training session just one day after leaving Spanish soil.

After playing a friendly game in Stanford University, where they have been based since Monday, the players from the national field hockey team visited the Atlético training session, and had a chance to show off their skills and teach the football players how to use their sticks.

The team captain, Rocío Ybarra, exchanged jerseys with the Atlético manager Diego Simeone, and following that, the entire national team played a friendly match with various Atlético players and some children staying on campus who came down to see their idols in the flesh.

Atlético’s Mario Suárez saw the experience of spending time with the hockey players as a positive thing. “It was great to be here with them, to get to know them and spend some time with them. We’ve learned that their sport is extremely difficult and interesting. We have invited them to come watch our match on tomorrow”, said the player.

Meanwhile, Rocío Gutiérrez, a member of the national field hockey team and an Atlético fan, stated that being able to spend time with the players from her favourite team was a dream come true. “It was incredible. It was great being able to meet them all up close. Also, when it’s your favourite team, its great to be up close with them and take photos with them. It was a dream come true”, she stated.

Atlético will play their first match during the second LFP World Challenge tour on Sunday against Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes in Candlestick Park, San Francisco at 16:00 local time (1:00 Monday 28 July in Spain).