Mayor Ignacio Gramún and other members of the municipal corporation welcomed the team to the plenary hall and presented them with a replica of the La Fragatina monument.
The municipal corporation held an official reception this Tuesday afternoon for CP Esneca Fraga after they made history by winning the WSE Champions League title last Sunday in their first appearance in the top continental competition. In recognition of this great sporting achievement, the City Council presented the club with a ceramic replica of the Fragatina monument. The Esneca players then displayed the trophy to the mayor, council members, and several fans who attended the event, and presented the City Council with a jersey signed by the entire team.
Gramún hailed the achievement as "historic" for the municipality and congratulated the team on their outstanding performance in the WSE Champions League. He added that the players now face "a great responsibility," as, according to the mayor, they have become "role models" for the young players currently training at the club's academy.
Finally, Gramún stated that "more European Cups will be won," and jokingly asked President Albert Piñol and coach Jordi Capdevila that "it's not necessary to go to penalties; it's better not to make the fans suffer so much."
For his part, Albert Piñol, who affirmed that “we have fought hard to achieve this,” thanked the city because “you have helped us a lot.” “The connection to this city, the connection to this base, the connection to these parents who accompany us everywhere, who have come to Lisbon, to Matera, to A Coruña… This is just the tip of the iceberg, but there is a lot of work behind it,” he said, emphasizing his gratitude “to the City Council, the parents, the staff, and the players.”
He also urged everyone to “act responsibly.” “What we’ve achieved is very difficult; we won’t have the cup here every year, and the important thing is that we value it. We’ll fight to win it every year, but if we don’t bring it back one year, let everyone know that we’re still fighting and that the goal is no longer so much to bring it back every year, but to establish a strong presence in the city, expand this base, and so that in six, eight, ten, or fifteen years we can play with the maximum number of players from Fraga, both male and female. That’s where we’re focused.”
Finally, captain Adriana Gutiérrez expressed her “immense pride and a happiness that I can’t put into words.” “I could use many adjectives, but above all, it’s the satisfaction of a job well done and the joy of achieving this historic feat with this group of teammates, staff, club, and city.”
When asked if this Champions League title is different from the others won by the player, Adriana Gutiérrez replied that "without a doubt": "Fraga's first participation in European competition, winning the cup, I don't think I even dreamed of it."
After the official reception, the corporation and the members of Esneca went out to the Plaza de España and the Paseo Barrón to take pictures with the statue of La Fragatina.
