Espanyol are the third-oldest side in the top-flight of Spanish football and reside in one of the youngest grounds in the league, the RCDE stadium.

The stadium sits just six kilometres away from Barcelona’s Camp Nou and represents those who are the marvillosa minoria (“marvellous minority”) in the city of Barcelona.

As members of a family that haven’t had the success of their counterparts across the city, the feelings of joy resonate much more during times of success.

The RCDE Stadium was inaugurated just nine years ago and represents the ‘Perico’ feeling that Espanyol fans commit their lives to when their club represents so much more than just football.

RCDE Stadium is just one of three Spanish grounds that have their own memorial, the Espai Memorial RCDE, serving as a resting place for supporters who lived their lives with passion for their blue and white colours.

The columbarium spans over 1,000m² and three floors, with 5,000 niches available that can hold up to four urns.

This philosophy of remembering their fans also extends to their players, as is the case in one of the saddest stories in Spanish football when former Espanyol captain, Dani Jarque, passed away on 8 August 2009 at the age of 26.

The Spaniard was one of the most promising centre-backs at the time, and in his honour Gate 21 at RCDE Espanyol has borne his name, representing his squad number at the time.

In highlighting the passion these supporters have for their team, in the 21st minute of every game fans in both the home and away ends will stand and applaud for one minute as they honour their former captain.

Andres Iniesta’s celebration after scoring the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final unveiled a shirt with the message ‘Dani Jarque, always with us.’

As is evident, being a ‘Perico’ is much more than just supporting a football club with RCDE Stadium being more than just a football ground.

As one of the youngest stadiums in football, it oozes innovation in terms of technology, design and usability, including a play area for children.

With a capacity of 41,000, the vivid blue seats capture the crisp and cutting-edge design of the stadium, amplified by clear geometric shapes, and a façade in the form of a floating translucent curtain sporting the club colours.

The design also has great consideration for the environment, with a roof made of photovoltaic panels ensuring major energy saving.

As fans who went against the motion of supporting a ‘powerhouse’ down the road, the RCDE Stadium aims to capture the values of being a ‘Perico’ and the statement that comes with supporting Espanyol.