Real Sociedad will play Club Deportivo Ariznabarra in a charity match to raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in a touching show of unity. On Sunday, April 27, at the Vitoria club’s home field, this unique event will pit veterans from both clubs against one another in a fight for support and friendship.
The game is being held in memory of Ricardo Garcia ‘Ritxi’, a former member of the local team’s coaching staff who suffered from this crippling illness. Two exciting matches will start the day: the first, featuring CD Ariznabarra youth teams, will start at 9:30 AM. The highly anticipated veterans match, featuring the Donostiarra veterans as special guests, will start at 11:30 AM.
Fundación Vital, Baskonia Alavés Fundazioa, and Real Sociedad Fundazioa are supporting this admirable cause and have joined forces to guarantee that every dollar raised from this event will go to ADELA, an organization that supports people with ALS and their families. For people impacted by this illness, the project is more than just a football game—it is a ray of hope.
This charity endeavor comes at a painful time in football history, as former coach and player Juan Carlos Unzue just revealed that he would be retiring from football commentary due to the advancement of ALS. Since he made his diagnosis public, Unzue—who is well-known for his time spent with teams like Osasuna, Barcelona, and Sevilla—has emerged as a major voice for raising awareness of ALS. He has invested a great deal of time and money in helping other sufferers and promoting ALS research funding efforts.
