Comment: When the bulls are truly set free

By Bernd Fisa

In July, thanks to Javier Tebas Medrano and Fran Canal, I fulfilled a childhood dream at San Fermín in Pamplona. Weeks later, Fran and Rafa Sáenz welcomed me into the world of C.A. Osasuna. Authentic, intense, and deeply rooted in identity, Osasuna and the El Sadar stadium feel like an extension of the encierro. That’s my takeaway in the Diario de Navarra.

I worked for many years at Red Bull, a multinational that changed the way of understanding sponsorship in sport. Its founder was a true genius of marketing. In football, his motto was clear: let the bulls run free. That phrase symbolised a style of play based on all-out attack and high pressing.

But it’s important not to forget something essential: at the end of the day, Red Bull sells drinks. It’s marketing. Brilliant, innovative, yes… but conceived on a drawing board.

I remember that when Red Bull entered football in 2005 we launched a very eye-catching campaign in which players and bulls ran together.

What I never imagined is that what we had designed on paper already existed in real life. As a teenager I read Hemingway’s Fiesta. It fascinated me. But I did not know that in Pamplona there was a club called Osasuna.

In Pamplona the bulls are truly set free. The encierro is a living tradition, authentic, deeply rooted in the heart of the Navarrese. And the same happens with Osasuna.

To speak of Osasuna is to speak of identity. You feel it on your skin. People get emotional, their hair stands on end when they speak of their club. San Fermín and Osasuna form an inseparable equation: celebration, community, belonging. Pure authenticity.

The “rojillo” DNA inspires me. Fighters. Hard-working. With a deep sense of belonging. A strong block of players from home, from the land of Navarre. That gives it enormous strength. In the worst moments, it remains faithful to itself.

It’s a very intelligent strategy and way to lead. Navarre knows it: we are few, but with what we have we do everything possible. That’s why the youth academy must be cared for: the most productive in Spain in relation to its population and the players who reach the first team.

Osasuna represents one of the most fascinating stories in football: a club that, without the resources of the giants, has known how to build greatness from passion and pride in its values. The New York Times defined it as “a model club” and added: “All fans should want their teams to be more like Osasuna.”

If Ernest Hemingway lived today and were looking for a theme for his next work, Osasuna would be a natural candidate to become a worldwide success. Because what happens in El Sadar every weekend cannot be explained with market figures or brand strategies: it is explained with authenticity.

The moment has come for there to be greater knowledge of how Osasuna lives and interprets football beyond Navarre and Spain. Because, in a world saturated with artifice, what is real – when the bulls are truly set free – is what touches our soul.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1756632055labto1756632055ofdlr1756632055owedi1756632055sni@o1756632055fni1756632055