Some things are more important than sport and certain dates take on an historical significance because of events attached to them. Everyone living in Valencia will remember what they were doing on October 29^th 2024 and where they were exactly too. Luck dictated whether or not you were visiting friends in the small pueblos like Paiporta or Chiva for the day, taking the tourist train around the vineyards of Utiel, or doing shopping at Bonaire.

The morning seemed normal enough, people going about their daily business, and Valencia football fans beginning to turn their attention to the forthcoming visit of Real Madrid to the Mestalla. Then came the DANA. Without warning and without pity, it began decimating surrounding villages, rural areas and the nearby wine regions. Main streets of the towns and villages of the worst hit regions turned into watery, out-of-control conveyor belts, full of cars that resulted into a skyscraper of metal when an enforced terminal was reached.

Many victims had absolutely no chance, the speed at which the disaster evolved giving little chance of a satisfactory outcome. Whilst the local and national politicians dithered, the football community acted swiftly to reach out to the people in need and sprang into action.

Both Valencia CF and Levante UD football clubs urgently asked for the postponement of their weekend matches and made their grounds crucial focal points for the distribution of provisions and equipment like shovels and spades.

The RFEF agreed to the requests of games in the vicinity of the DANA, but made a mistake in many people’s minds by allowing all games outside the Comunidad  Valenciana to go ahead.

Amongst players at other clubs with ties to the city this decision did not go down well. Ferran Torres requested not to play for Barcelona that weekend and Toni Lato was seen to be visibly distraught during the minute of silence to remember the victims before the Alaves – RCD Mallorca game.

Lato was a teammate of José Castillejo in the Valencia Junior Academy, and the former Eldenese star was one of the many to lose their life in the tragedy. Many managers like Diego Simeone, Hansi Flick and José Bordalás all condemned the decision to play matches that weekend in vociferous terms, and when the games did take place solidarity came from across the football globe.

Sevilla lit up their stadium with the Valencia flag.  The Wanda Metropolitana of Atlético Madrid belted out the ‘Himno de la Comunidad Valenciana’ before their home match with Las Palmas. Aston Villa players wore special training kits with the words ‘Fuerza Valencia’ emblazoned on the front before their match with Tottenham Hotspur with Pau Torres and Unai Emery both speaking emotionally about the catastrophe.

As the mopping up period began, the outpouring of support amongst football players and fans continued to swell. Real Madrid donated a million Euros to the disaster fund and teams like Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Osasuna all offered tangible support.

Valencia CF and Levante UD players discreetly and publicly joined the thousands of volunteers helping to clear the mud and debris and Marcos Llorente of Atlético Madrid also travelled from the capital to assist the villagers.

Whilst the footballers were greeted with open arms by the afflicted, the politicians and heads of state were not. King Felipe and Queen Letizia were not given an easy passage during their visit to the grief-stricken area. The Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the regional leader Carlos Mazón got pelted with mud and verbally abused, resulting in an early and disgraced exit from the emotionally-charged scene.

A second weekend has passed with both Valencia CF and Levante UD requesting, and receiving, more time before they step on the field of play again.

The sheer terror of the DANA will remain constant in the hearts of the people of the region for years to come. Football and its presence is likely to be seen as a compatible friend in time of troubles. Politicians will not get the same treatment or accolade and people will not forget their lack of action and support.

The emotions of the day are best summed up by the former Valencia CF star and Aldaia native Juan Sánchez via an interview for the VCF radio station…

“I was playing ‘padel’ and cards during the day and, around 6:00 p.m., I went home in Aldaia. It was very windy, but it wasn’t raining heavily. I stayed home, left the car in the garage, then went to a kiosk by the ravine to buy a lottery ticket, and then went back home to relax. Suddenly, I looked out the window and saw people moving their cars onto the pavement and roundabouts. I panicked and thought that water had already flooded the garage, but nothing had happened.

“I went out to the street, and people were uncertain because water was coming in from the next street. At some point, someone suggested we move our cars to the edge of town where it was higher, so I quickly took my car out. I managed to save it by making that quick decision. I had left my phone at home, and when I tried to go back, water was already halfway down the street, so I forgot about the phone.

“Feeling fearful, I headed toward Mislata and took the A-3 road to get there. There in Mislata, nothing was happening regarding any floods. I spent the night there and called my daughters, who were in Madrid, from my girlfriend’s phone. The next day, I walked back home to Aldaia and it looked like an earthquake or a war had struck. It was terrible.

“My parents are okay; they live on the third floor. My brother has a painting business and lost several vans, as well as the space where he kept all his materials and a cousin lost both of her cars. These are material losses that still impact your life, although it doesn’t compare to the loss of life, but it’s still important.

“We’re trying, little by little, to help the town return to normal. It’s been really hard, but slowly we’re seeing progress. Since yesterday, there’s been a lot more people around, large machinery removing cars, belongings, and whatever people had in their homes. There are more police and military personnel… people had been waiting for them since Thursday of last week. They arrived late—it could have been done much earlier; they took many days, and a lot of garages were still flooded. It’s a complete disaster. Day after day, being here with everyone is awful, like a nightmare.

“We’ve felt a lot of love from so many people, from Valencia and beyond. We would have liked more support from the relevant authorities from the beginning, with police, military, firefighters… there were so many streets with many elderly people living on ground floors… those in charge should have realized how severe this catastrophe was. Action should have been taken from the very start.”

“We’ve really felt the warmth and support from everyone. It was moving to be in the town and see the number of people who walked all the way from Valencia and other towns to help. We welcomed them with open arms. That help saved many lives. But I’ll say again, we would have liked for the seriousness of the situation to have been recognized from day one, so that the damage could have been reduced.”

Report by John Howden

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’