For as long as anyone can remember, fans of Real Sporting de Gijón, one of the oldest sporting institutions in Spain, have gone on special pilgrimages and commended special prayers to saints and Virgins in support of their football team. It is a practice emulated by the followers of other clubs, underlining the enduring grip of Catholicism in Spanish society and culture.

A row after a recent decision to put an end to a less common tradition –  the visit to the dressing room prior to each home match by the team’s unofficial chaplain – sheds more light on the sometimes tense coexistence in Spain between an increasingly secular society and a still deeply embedded culture of Catholic faith and practice.