Soccer stars vs. passengers: Sevilla FC's airport conundrum
The tight schedule of Sevilla FC's soccer players left no room for unexpected hiccups. Still, they found themselves stuck at the Vigo airport, only to be evacuated at the expense of passengers who had previously paid for the flight.
7:07 AM EST, November 9, 2023
Sevilla FC is set to face Arsenal FC,which includes player Jakub Kiwior, in a Champions League match on Wednesday. The Andalusian team hardly has gaps between games and recently faced the threat of being stranded at an airport near Vigo, due to their club aircraft's malfunction.
The Sevilla team was in Vigo for a La Liga match. The game ended in a 1:1 tie with Celta. The first-half goal from Carl Starfelt put them on the backfoot, and only after a determined eleven versus ten competition in the second half, led by Youssef En Nesyri, they managed to secure a draw.
The entire Sevilla delegation, consisting of 56 people, mostly players and training staff, faced a travel crisis. Their smooth return home seemed unlikely.
Rather logically, the club chose to use a commercial flight. The issue arose when they didn't charter a separate flight but cut in line to board a charter flight, securing seats that had been previously purchased by private passengers.
The exasperation of people who couldn't board the plane due to the team taking their seats was understandable. The soccer players were given priority over others who wished to travel from Vigo to Sevilla for varied reasons.
The airport asked the disgruntled passengers to submit a form and lodge a complaint. Air Nostrum, the airline involved, vowed to compensate the aggrieved passengers. In a statement, they expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. However, the sincerity of their reaction is yet to be determined. The Consumer Association in Andalusia has taken up the matter and hopefully, this incident will induce some changes in the company's procedures.
