LALIGA Special (1): “Pipas”, the Iconic Snack of Spanish Supporters

Throughout the match, Pablo (34) did not stop nibbling on seed after seed. While his eyes were focused on the game between Atletico Madrid and Real Betis, his hands and mouth moved quickly to crack open the seed shells. On his lap, the discarded seed shells piled up. Seeds, or "pipas" in Spanish, are an old tradition in the way of watching football that cannot be separated.

Although there are many other snack options available, such as popcorn or potato chips, supporters of clubs in the "Matador" country, like Pablo, still choose sunflower seeds as a snack while watching matches. While in Germany beer and sausages are the most popular snacks in stadiums, in Spain one can easily find supporters with "pipas".

Due to its shell often generating a lot of waste and attracting rodents, "pipas" have become less commonly sold in stadiums, including the Metropolitano Stadium, the home of Atletico, where Pablo watched.

Food stalls outside and inside the stadium only offer popcorn, meat-filled bread, candy, and potato chips. Although not sold in the stadium, supporters took the initiative to bring "pipas" from their respective homes. During the 90 minutes, one person can consume a large pack of "pipas."

"It feels incomplete to watch a match without eating 'pipas'. This has become a long-standing tradition for us in watching football at the stadium. 'Pipas' is very delicious because besides being savory, we can relieve the tension from watching the match by biting its shell, especially when the team is under continuous attack," said Pablo, a resident of Madrid and a loyal supporter of Atletico, to Kompas in a report facilitated by LALIGA, Sunday (18/5/2025).

Several studies indicate that individuals with anxious tendencies require means to release or channel their feelings. For supporters like Pablo, who often gets caught up in the atmosphere during matches, opening the shell of "pipas" helps him to channel his anxiety or tension. Busy hands breaking open the "pipas" shell have become one of the best ways to relieve his anxiety.

As a result of many supporters consuming 'pipas' throughout the match, numerous shell remnants were scattered beneath the seats of the audience stands. During the halftime break, Pablo took the initiative to collect the 'pipas' shells into a paper bag.

One club that eventually completely banned the consumption of “pipas” in the stadium was Elche.

The snack "pipas" was replaced with meat-filled bread or sandwiches during the halftime break. Pablo and two of his colleagues then took out sandwiches and consumed them.

Not every supporter possesses the awareness exhibited by Pablo and his colleagues. Sometimes, there are supporters who leave behind scattered "pipas" skins even after the match has concluded and the stadium is empty.

The sight of "pipas" shell waste is commonly found in stadiums across Spain. Not only at the Metropolitano Stadium, but similar scenes are also easily encountered at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, home of Sevilla. This is what has led to the circulation of 'pipas' in the stadiums starting to be restricted.

One of the clubs that has ultimately banned the consumption of "pipes" inside the stadium is Elche. The club, which competes in the Second Division (Segunda Division) within the Spanish football pyramid, will effectively enforce the ban starting May 2025 at the Manuel Martinez Valero Stadium.

The Elche side emphasized that the ban on consuming "pipas" is based on the club's commitment to sustainability aspects. For Elche, the stadium situation can represent an example of courtesy, respect, cleanliness, and club pride.

Elche is not the first club to adopt that policy. In 2023, Valencia, which competes in LALIGA Spain, had already implemented it earlier. The concrete step taken was that the club ceased the sale of "pipes" in the stadium.

Although they do not sell "pipes," the Valencia side does not prohibit supporters from bringing their own "pipes" from home. However, it is mandatory to dispose of the shell waste in a bag that is brought independently.

Valencia's reason for not selling "pipes" is due to the accumulation of shell waste that can attract rodents such as rats. Additionally, the machinery typically used to clean the shell waste is considered to cause noise pollution for residents living near the stadium.

A smart solution has been implemented by another LALIGA club, Real Sociedad. They have taken the initiative to convert "pipas" shell waste into fertilizer. The club provides environmentally friendly bags to supporters as containers for collecting "pipas" waste. These bags will later be collected, mixed with organic waste, and transformed into fertilizer. The fertilizers are then sent to the Gipuzkoa fruit garden.

Although its circulation is starting to be restricted, supporters in Spain seem to remain loyal to consuming "pipas." For them, "pipas" is not just a snack. More than that, "pipas" has become an iconic snack at every football match in Spain.

The presence of “pipas” in the stadium is not a threat as Sociedad did. Where there is a will, there will always be a way.