Senior Kurdistan Region officials invited to attend prestigious Madrid Derby

"It would be a great honour for us to invite His Excellency [Masoud Barzani] along with Mr. Masrour Barzani and Mr. Nechirvan Barzani to visit our Club’s facilities and to attend a game in Wanda Metropolitano during your stay in Madrid.”

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Three senior Kurdistan Region officials will attend the prestigious Madrid football derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid later this month, Spanish newspaper Marca reported.

According to a report Marca published on Sept. 12, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the CEO of Atletico Madrid, extended an official invitation to the former president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Masoud Barzani, as well as KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and current President Nechirvan Barzani.

Marín wrote to Masoud Barzani, who is the President of the leading Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Sept. 9.

The invitation was sent out through Bayram Tutumlu, a Spanish football player agent of Kurdish origin.

“Through our friend Bayram Tutumlu, it would be a great honour for us to invite His Excellency [Masoud Barzani] along with Mr. Masrour Barzani and Mr. Nechirvan Barzani to visit our Club’s facilities and to attend a game in Wanda Metropolitano during your stay in Madrid,” Marín wrote in the letter.

The letter Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the CEO of Atletico Madrid, wrote to Masoud Barzani. (Photo: Twitter)
The letter Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, the CEO of Atletico Madrid, wrote to Masoud Barzani. (Photo: Twitter)

Tutumlu confirmed the news on his official Twitter account a few days later. The player agent is the father of Spanish-Kurdish racecar driver Isaac Tutumlu.

Sources in the KRG said the invitation had been accepted. 

The Madrid Derby will be played on Sept. 28 at 10 p.m. Erbil time.

Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have played 222 games against each other across all competitions.

Real Madrid leads with 110 wins to Atletico’s 56. The teams have drawn 56 times.