In northwestern Morocco, Larache and Ksar El Kébir are two virtually sister cities linked by a 37-kilometre street and separated by a rivalry, that of their soccer groups: Chabab Larache and CSK 1938. Now virtually 500 kilometers from there , in Granada, two groups relive the identical derby, however within the Liga de Peñas de Motril.
It all began in Albuñol, a city within the area of the Costa Granada. There, Rayo Laracheño was born eight years in the past. Ayoub was one in every of its founders. “Almost all of us are from Larache,” says Ayoub who, along with being the supervisor of the membership, additionally performs as a midfielder. Of the 35 members of the workforce, greater than 20 are Moroccan. “Two or three from Rabat and Marrakech and the remaining come from Larache”, he explains to us.
Among their numbers there are every kind of tales, from gamers who arrived in a ship, to these born in Spain. Ayoub was born in Larache, however when he was solely seven months outdated he arrived in Granada. Today he’s 29 years outdated. “We created the workforce to supply younger Moroccans within the space one thing to do,” says Ayoub, who returns to his hometown each summer time the place he nonetheless has household.
Squad of Rayo Laracheño.NIUS
“The defend we’ve is the defend utilized by the Chabab Larache in Morocco,” he defined to NIUS. It is exactly a replica of the one which Malaga wears, altering the citadel for the door of a medina. Under that defend, not solely Moroccans play, there are additionally a number of Senegals and residents of Albuñol. “Spanish is spoken with the Spanish and Senegalese,” says Ayoub, “however between two individuals from Larache, for instance, we converse Arabic.”
The workforce had managed to win a number of titles and have turn out to be one of many strongest rivals within the league. Everything was going effectively… till in 2017, one in every of his full-backs determined to go away the membership and type a brand new one. For this he gathered some Moroccans, however on this case from Ksar El Kébir, the rival city of Larache. This is how the Atalantis Loukus was born, whose identify refers back to the river that passes close to the Moroccan city.
A really particular derby
Since then, each time they face one another, the rivalry between the 2 Moroccan groups is revived in Granada. “It’s like a Barcelona-Spanish or like an Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid,” says Ayoub who’s already making ready for a derby that they are going to play exactly this weekend. “We are first proper now,” he explains to NIUS.
The final two years, Rayo took the title and this can be their third championship in a row. Now, with a distinction of virtually ten factors over Atlantis Loukus, the match will hardly change issues between the 2 groups, however like all good derbys it’s skilled in a particular manner. “Few Spaniards come to see us,” says Ayoub, however in Morocco a few of his associates might be watching the end result on Sunday.
Of the 13 soccer groups that compete within the Liga de Peñas de Motril, virtually half are Moroccan. In reality, the 4 Albuñol groups that play within the competitors are from Morocco. In addition to Rayo Lachareño and Atlantis Loukus, Barbería Nayma and Larache City additionally take part. Which exhibits that not every thing was left behind after they left their nation, their ardour and even their rivalry, he traveled with a lot of them.