Redaccion
El Ayuntamiento de Benidorm will name three prominent local athletes to the football fields of the ‘Guillemo Amor’ Sports City, in order to recognize the «achievements and successes they have achieved during their respective sports careers» and for being «an example of dedication, effort, and perseverance for the youth of Benidorm.» This was announced on Friday by the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, who will present a motion to the next plenary session of the municipal Corporation to approve the new naming of these sports facilities.
The proposal of the mayor, which is already included in the informative commissions that will take place next Tuesday, suggests that the current municipal football field known as «annex» to the ‘Guillermo Amor’ Municipal Stadium be renamed ‘Nerea Pérez Machado Football Field’ in recognition of this young female footballer from the city, while the two new 11-a-side football fields (four 8-a-side) should be named ‘Juan and Miguel Martínez Munuera Football Fields,» referees in the First Division.
«We believe that it is more than deserved recognition for these three athletes who have taken and continue to take the name of Benidorm to the highest levels in their respective disciplines,» said Toni Pérez. He also stated that «it was only fair that both Nerea and Juan and Miguel had sports facilities named after them in our city, just like other great athletes such as Guillermo Amor, Antonio López, Liliana Steiner, or Raúl Mesa,» so he is confident that once the plenary approves this motion, «these recognitions will be effective in the near future, as determined by their respective schedules.»
Born in Benidorm in January 1994, Nerea Pérez Machado began practicing all kinds of sports from a young age, finally opting for football at a time when the practice of this sport was still mainly associated with males. Nerea persisted in her desire to play this sport, and it was Vicente Mir, former coach of Valencia Mestalla, Elche Ilicitano, and Hércules CF, among others, who gave her the opportunity to be part of Benidorm CD, where she played from Benjamin category of the first year to Infant of the second year, excelling in all stages of grassroots football.
When the regulations of the Valencian Football Federation did not allow her to play with boys, Nerea joined Valencia Féminas of the 1st Regional, where, after a brilliant first season, she was signed by Hércules Femenino, a team that competed in Group IV of the National First Division.
In the 2012/2013 season, she made the leap as a professional, wearing the shirt of the women’s team of Levante UD. There she played in the National Women’s First Division, later moving on to Santa Teresa de Badajoz until reaching Villareal, the team she currently plays for.
Throughout her sports career, she has been part of the Valencian Women’s Football Team and has been a player for the Spanish National Team. With the national team, she was called up for the final phase of the U-17 World Cup, held in Trinidad and Tobago, where the national team achieved a third-place finish, as well as for the final phase of the UEFA U-19 Women’s European Championship in Turkey, where they won the runners-up title. In addition to her long career in these clubs and in different categories of the Spanish national team, Nerea has also been a referee in the first regional division.
Similarly, with a career linked to football but with a very different vocation, are the brothers Martínez Munuera, Juan and Miguel.
Juan was born in Benidorm in July 1982. From a very young age, he was linked to football and refereeing, being selected as a referee in 2011 by the UEFA Young Talents Program. At the beginning of the 2013-2014 season, after three seasons in the second division, on August 19, 2013, he made his debut as a referee in the First Division, currently having directed more than 209 games in this category.
Juan has been an international referee since January 1, 2015, and is currently one of the best referees in the VAR function. Also, in 2015, he was awarded the «Golden Whistle» of the First Division, an award given annually by the National Referees Committee. Previously, in 2013, he was recognized with the «Vicente Acebedo Trophy» awarded by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (REF).
On the other hand, Miguel Martínez Munuera, born in Benidorm in April 1986, the younger brother of Juan, has worked as an assistant referee, making his debut in the Spanish First Division on September 13, 2009.
Since January 1, 2015, he has been an international assistant referee, with a wide range of experiences that include matches in the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, Conference League, Europa League, and Champions League, as well as a total of 25 International matches of National Teams.
The mayor’s motion highlights that «both brothers have been dedicated to their passion, football, for 32 and 25 years, respectively, proudly carrying, like Nerea Pérez Machado, the name of Benidorm wherever their vocation and profession take them, being an example of dedication, effort, and perseverance for the youth of Benidorm.»
