Sanse set to ditch Anoeta for new Zubieta digs against Albacete
Real Sociedad B preparing for first LaLiga Hypermotion match at their new 4,000-capacity Zubieta Stadium this Saturday, leaving the vastly oversized Anoeta behind.
Real Sociedad’s reserve side are finally set to make their bow at their purpose-built new home after months of playing to echoing emptiness at the first team’s massive stadium.
Downsizing makes perfect sense
This Saturday’s clash against Albacete will mark Sanse’s first LaLiga Hypermotion fixture at the newly constructed Zubieta Stadium, which boasts a much more appropriate 4,000-person capacity. The B team has until now been playing at Anoeta, where the cavernous 40,000-seat arena typically attracts fewer than 2,000 spectators for reserve matches.
The club brass at La Real have apparently sorted the paperwork for this move after fixing some rather baffling defects in what was supposed to be a brand spanking new facility. Bit of a dog’s dinner that one – imagine building a new ground and immediately needing repairs!
Financial and practical benefits
The switch from Anoeta to Zubieta offers multiple advantages for the Basque outfit:
- Significantly reduced operational costs for B team fixtures
- Better preservation of the Anoeta pitch for first-team matches
- More appropriate atmosphere for reserve team games
- Closer proximity to the club’s training facilities
Confirmation in the details
The venue change appears to be confirmed through Albacete’s official channels, with the visiting club noting they’ve received just 100 tickets for travelling supporters making the journey to San Sebastián – a tellingly small allocation that aligns with the more intimate setting at Zubieta.
It’s worth noting that not all Sanse’s remaining fixtures will be played at the new stadium, with certain matches potentially returning to Anoeta based on expected attendance or fixture significance.
For the players, performing in front of a packed smaller ground rather than a near-empty massive one should provide a proper boost to the atmosphere. As they say in my neck of the woods, that’ll be a right Bobby Dazzler of an improvement!