Barcala shows the yellow card to 'Pichichi' Rodríguez

It was a flashy signing, the Mbappé of the last municipal election campaign in Alicante, when the candidate, now spokesperson, Ana Barceló announced that the PSPV-PSOE included Eduardo 'Pichichi' Rodríguez, the top scorer in Hércules CF history, on the electoral list.

Politics and sports have always gotten along well. At least, they have fed off each other. In Alicante, prominent athletes like Miriam Blasco and Isabel Fernández, both Olympic medalists in judo, have passed through the Alicante City Council in the ranks of the Popular Party or handball player Marisa Gayo, now a regional deputy. With less pleasant memory, also the Olympic sailing medalist Kiko Sánchez Luna, also with the populars.

This Parrot does not recall the socialists betting so much on sports, so Rodríguez's arrival was a big surprise. The former white-and-blue striker could not reach the Sports Council, which would have been his dream, but he maintains his place on the opposition bench.

Like football, politics also has its rules. With the difference that in the municipal plenary session, the referee is also part of it. Like in his days at Rico Pérez, Eduardo Rodríguez was about to see the red card and be expelled from the plenary session by mayor-president Luis Barcala.

It all happened during a final intervention that the plenary rules grant to the mayor. The debate was about Venezuela and the mayor wanted to add a final touch by alluding to former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's intervention in Edmundo González's exile.

A comment that did not amuse Rodríguez at all, who muttered something from his seat: "Scoundrel" or "without shame," one of the two. Barcala believed he heard the first one directed at him, so he urged Rodríguez to withdraw these words under threat of expulsion.

The socialist councilor wanted to clarify that he had said the second: "Without shame," something that did not convince Barcala much but at least saved him from being expelled from the municipal plenary session.

An essential event this weekend is visiting IFA and Alicante Gastronómica to see its 250 stands, exhibitions and 'showcookings' and taste the best of 'terreta' gastronomy and other parts of Spain, such as Burgos or Murcia. Special attention deserves the guest country: Morocco, which arrived with chef Najat Kaanache, a reference of new North African gastronomy, who designed an edible canvas live, accompanied by Susi Díaz, Cristina Figueira and María José San Román.

IFA was a hive of authorities this Friday, from the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, and the president of the Diputación, Toni Pérez, to numerous mayors of municipalities in the province with their own stand at Alicante Gastronómica. One of them was Torrevieja's mayor Eduardo Dolón who arrived with designer Eduardo Navarrete, famous for the television show 'Maestros de la costura'.

Here he was directly approached by Generalitat president Carlos Mazón who boldly asked Navarrete to use his social networks to promote Alicante Gastronómica. The Torrevieja native has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and can reflect that fashion and gastronomy are totally compatible.