Piqué anticipates “excitement” and a “fantastic atmosphere” on the island, featuring performances by Isabel Aaiún, Maikel de la Calle, and La La Love You
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 17th October (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium in Tenerife is set to host the finals of the Kings and Queens League on 21st December, alongside the ‘one against one’ competition, marking the first occasion that the final rounds of the tournament will take place in this format, without semifinals.
Details were disclosed at a press conference on Thursday by the event organiser, former footballer and CEO of Kosmos, Gerard Piqué, accompanied by the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, and vice president, Lope Afonso, who are both confident about the “success” of this event and the “excitement” expected in the stands.
Surrounded by numerous fans of the competition, Piqué announced that musical guests will include Tenerife-native Maikel de la Calle, singer Isabel Aaiún, and La La Love You.
Piqué, who teased about the “fond memories” the island holds for him — having celebrated two league victories with FC Barcelona thanks to CD Tenerife — expressed that the location is a “paradise” with “wonderful” people, and he believes the atmosphere can “surpass” that experienced during the last finals in Málaga.
He indicated there will be “new elements” and “surprises” at the last minute, including the potential appearance of former CD Tenerife player Oscar Dertycia, while acknowledging the challenges for FC Barcelona and Lazio players, Pedri and Pedro respectively, to attend due to clashes with official matches.
“This will be an event of significant length, longer than a typical football match, but our fans are accustomed to it and genuinely enjoy the experience,” he remarked, emphasising that there are “no issues” adapting to the stadium’s characteristics, which have some outstanding works.
Piqué refrained from revealing the role that Lamine Yamal will play as the competition’s ambassador, explaining that it’s better to generate anticipation and allow people to discover details gradually. He is confident that the stadium will be filled with an “amazing atmosphere” and mentioned his distance from playing football, stating, “It’s been two years since we touched a ball.”
He expanded on the goals of his company, aiming for the competition to extend to other Spanish cities beyond Madrid and Barcelona. Therefore, it was crucial that the option of Tenerife arose, a location with “pleasant weather” where people are likely to “pour into the streets.”
He is also open to the possibility of participation from both CD Tenerife players and those from the affiliated chain in the finals and believes this year’s format will be the definitive one.
“Having semifinals leads to players arriving excessively fatigued for the final, which diminishes the quality. We want the final to be the most extraordinary of all, rather than them arriving exhausted and unable to deliver a visually appealing performance. Consequently, I think the format we’re choosing for 21st December will be the best, and we will continue to replicate it moving forward,” he added.
Piqué emphasised the calibre of the two Tenerife players in the competition — Alex Medina and Nauzet Hernández — and did not rule out the possibility of the island, alongside three to four other cities, hosting draft events, a strategy that has elevated the teams’ competitiveness.
Dávila praised Piqué’s “enthusiasm” for coming to Tenerife and acknowledged the “efforts” of Lope Afonso and his team for an event that reaffirms that the island is “thriving” and regaining its popularity. “Such events put us on the map,” he remarked.
The Tenerife president expressed astonishment at the rapid development of the competition within just 18 months and humorously asked, amid cheers from the crowd, whether Piqué would consider investing in CD Tenerife.
LOPE AFONSO: ASSURED RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Lope Afonso noted that the project option “came about unexpectedly,” with the annual event planning nearly finalised, but it was imperative to pause to “readjust” given the visible excitement on the island, especially as young people could be spotted wearing Kings League team shirts.
“We sensed that Tenerife could be an excellent location,” he explained, and from there, negotiations unfolded quickly and smoothly due to the “readiness” of Piqué’s team.
According to the vice president, the ‘Kings League’ “encompasses much more than just 7-a-side football; it is an innovative blend that generates significant impacts for the Tenerife brand, associating it with how we market our product globally.”
He emphasised that this presents a “hardly resistible combination,” and a destination like Tenerife “must invest all its resources into facilitating this,” since this event “multiplies” the returns on the initial investment being made.
“We are fully convinced that for the island, for the ‘Tenerife brand’, the promotional outcomes will guarantee maximum returns,” he stated.
