Is it safe for a woman to go alone in a soccer game in Madrid? Are there any matches in jan/feb? How much does it cost?

Gracias

That is an interesting question. What do they do at soccer matches in Brazil for you to think it wouldn't be safe (when I went to Brazil it was right afte the World Cup, so things were very quiet. people were sad)? I think in Spain they kust play soccer and yell a lot.

Get ready for some funny responses to this question...especially from el Boqueron!

I must admit I had to hold back on this one too.

I think you'll be just fine at the soccer matches. As long as you don't ...... oh nevermind. hehehe..

I'm sure I've posted this somewhere else, but this is more of an appropriate thread:

The last match I attended in Madrid was in 1992, but this probably is still relevant...

We bought "last-minute" tickets and were seated in a section directly in front of Valencia's fans. If you know the Primera División, you know that Valencia's murciélagos are die-hard. Anyway...since we were in Madrid, we thought we'd have no trouble rooting for the home team. Madrid actually scored 2 goals first and we went nuts just like everyone else...except for these "young" fans seated behind us. If you don't know what Ultras are, look on the internet...they have sites. This group was an Ultras group, and they didn't appreciate our cheering so loudly against their boys. (Perhaps, in retrospect, joining in the cheer du jour, a <CLAP-CLAP, CLAP-CLAP-CLAP "Hijos de puta"> wasn't necessarily all that wise.) Luckily we ended up getting a "kinder, gentler" Ultra, who came down and asked us to "tone it down...some of those guys in my group want to 'rumble' after the game." I told him we were foreign students and simply wanted to enjoy the game. Really we didn't care about the outcome, but since we were in Madrid, we thought it best to root for the home team. That explanation served, and we actually ended up talking with them, since we all (in my group) spoke Spanish. We found out that although ideoligcally and footballistically we were different, we were all youths who enjoyed meeting others.

In short: Due to dialogue and a daring Ultra, there was no fight, and actually a pretty interesting Sunday afternoon at the game.

My advice if going alone is to get tickets well-entrenched in the HOME section...not on the outskirts. Have fun in El Bernabéu. BTW: Atlético probably has better seats available since they SUCK!!!!

That is completely hilarious. I could see why they didn't like the "hijo de puta" too much.

Ana, if anybody messes with you, just look in their eyes, scream "NEIN!!" and bark like a dog. They will think you're crazy (then tell them you are canadian, therebye protecting the reputation of fellow Brazilians).





[This message has been edited by Nicole (edited 11-08-2000).]

I had 2 American friends who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.....right outside the Estadio Vicente Calderon in central Madrid when a Futbol match let out. They both looked VERY foreign and despite the fact that they provoked no one my friend ended up taking a bottle to the head by some overzealous "fans". He said they were just so excited about the match and were obviously hooligans that they just ran up to him and smashed him. He had to have stitches.

I agree with CaliBasco on this one...make sure you don't get herded into the "wrong" area or it could get dangerous. You'll probably be fine though.

Leche

No kidding. As far as football goes, you're absolutely safer being a woman than a man. Just don't stand in the middle of the Real Madrid fans screaming for Barcelona!

Just to add lenya to this fuego... One reason we see so many queries from women about safety, as we have discussed in the PIROPO thread and elsewhere, is the harrassment to which women are subjected in many cultures. A study just came out in U.S., showing, BIG REVELATION, that women who go to bars in the U.S> often and drink alcohol report being physically and verbally assaulated and harrassed by men in those bars. In Spain, this really does not play out in this fashion (perhaps at other places, but not the neighborhood bars everyone frequents). It is a reasonable question to ask: where men are drunk (bars, soccer games, etc), are women in danger? The answer is often YES. So it is good to advise the footbol spectator not only to stay away from the wrong side as far as the home team/visitors, but to stay away from groups of rowdy men. As on of you pointed out, MEN are more often the target of drunk violence at futbol matches.

Ok, I really loved all the answers and tips. Thanks.
I like to go to soccer stadiums here in Brazil but 99% of it are men. So, these men seem that they have never seen a woman in their lives and they do the PIROPO thing you all talk about. The ticket here is cheap so the people who go to the stadium are not very kindly
And i´m not talking only about men. One day, some girls wanted to fight with me and my friend. They kicked us and we were so scared we ran away. It really wasn´t nice.

I hope i don´t get that in Spain