There is something fascinating about everything that happens before a major event. The anticipation, the preparations, the small rituals that precede the moment awaited. In football, as in many other things, the best is not always visible to everyone. What do players do in the hours before one of the season’s most important matches? How do they prepare physically and mentally? What do they eat, how do they rest, what do they talk about when the lights go out?
Airbnb and LaLiga invite you to find out on October 20. Jordi Alba and José María Gutiérrez, known as Guti, will act as hosts of a gathering inspired by the preparation of footballers before a big match. For two days, Puertomingalvo, a small medieval town in Teruel, will become an improvised, wall-free dressing room. There will be training, recovery, nutrition, rest, and conversation with two former footballers who know El Clásico from the inside.
Booking requests will open on October 13 at 14:00 via www.airbnb.com/laliga-elclasico. The experience will be completely free and is designed for two travelers who can invite four companions each.
The choice of the location has something of a football script. Puertomingalvo lies halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, in the comarca of Gúdar-Javalambre. It is close enough to both territories to function as that neutral ground where a Blaugrana legend and a Madrid icon can share a training camp. But the town offers something no stadium could: mountains, stone, silence, and a community that will carry on with its life while, for a few days, the universe of El Clásico takes up residence in its streets.
The adventure begins as great sports moments do. By boarding a bus. The guests will travel like a professional team from Madrid or Barcelona and, once there, will follow a routine designed to bring them closer to the habits that precede a major encounter. There will be physical activity, nutritious menus, recovery with a physiotherapist, two nights of lodging in a rural Airbnb, and a conversation with Alba and Guti. There will also be time to explore the town, visit its shops, sample the Teruel cuisine, and share a table with its neighbors.
