The Cabinet Journalists team won the charity football tournament on Tuesday before the celebration of Corpus Christi in Toledo organized by Europa Press Castilla-La Mancha. Nearly 200 people gathered at the Gymnastics School field and, together with collaborating administrations and sponsors, raised nearly 4,000 euros for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of Toledo (Ademto).
The Cabinet Journalists, dressed in green for the occasion, achieved the long-awaited victory after winning a tight final that had to be decided in a penalty shootout. Noelia García, from the regional PSOE press team, scored the final penalty against the politicians, dressed in black, a tough rival who only conceded defeat from the penalty spot. The team representing Toledo’s culture, in orange, secured the third position, leaving the Journalists, in white, in fourth place.
The Cabinet Journalists take over from the previous year’s winners in this tournament. Despite not securing a better position due to a penalty shootout, media professionals remain undefeated for another year.
The first semifinal between the Cabinet Journalists and the Culture team ended with a 4-2 victory for the former. Outstanding performances from Víctor García and Óscar Lorenzana helped the green team secure their place in the final. The Culture team’s efforts were not enough to claim victory, despite Gamero’s participation representing Ademto.
The second semifinal saw the Politicians triumph over the Journalists in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. The Politicians, led by the President of the Diputación de Ciudad Real, Miguel Ángel Valverde, displayed resilience and secured a spot in the final in a fiercely contested match.
The match for the third and fourth place was intense, with the Journalists and the Culture team facing off. Although the Culture team initially led 3-0, a rapid comeback from the Journalists saw the game end in a 3-3 draw, leading to a penalty shootout where the Journalists were once again denied victory.
The final match was a thrilling encounter that ended in a penalty shootout, with the Cabinet Journalists emerging victorious with a 1-0 lead. However, the Politicians fought back and took a 2-1 lead. In the final moments of the game, the Cabinet Journalists equalized and eventually secured the title in the penalty shootout.
ADMINISTRATIONS AND SPONSORS, UNITED FOR A GOOD CAUSE
The real victory of the event was for Ademto, with participants raising nearly 4,000 euros for the cause. The Castilla-La Mancha Regional Government, Diputación de Toledo, and the City Council all contributed to this charitable initiative. Eurocaja Rural sponsored the event, and Cervezas La Sagra and San Telesforo provided beverages and ice cream, further increasing the fundraising efforts.
Jesús Muñoz, a member of Ademto’s board, expressed gratitude for the support, emphasizing the significant impact of every donation on the organization’s rehabilitation efforts. The Mayor of Toledo, Carlos Velázquez, highlighted the importance of community participation in such charitable events and thanked Europa Press for organizing the tournament during the city’s festive period.
Miguel Ángel Escalante from Eurocaja Rural reiterated the organization’s commitment to social responsibility by supporting initiatives that align with their values. Humberto del Horno, Europa Press’s delegate in Castilla-La Mancha, thanked all institutions and collaborators for their involvement and officially kickstarted the Corpus activities in Toledo.