Muñoz Pérez once again puts the verb "to win" into practice

Some victories are worth three points. And some victories also help heal wounds, shift the momentum, and give the fans back what they enjoy most: celebrating with their team at home.

CD Estepona has once again tasted victory at the Francisco Muñoz Pérez stadium, and it did so in a particularly symbolic way: with a 3-1 win over CD Don Benito—exactly the same score by which they secured their first home victory last season, which was also Manolo’s first at home. The difference is that this time they didn’t have to wait until January.

And there’s a curious coincidence linking both victories: Ariel Herrero scored a brace on both occasions—which were also his first goals of the season. A key player who, almost as if by chance, has once again played a central role in the story of the red-and-white team’s first home victories over the past two seasons.

141 Days of an Endless Wait

CD Estepona kicked off the 2025/26 season on September 6, 2025, right at the Muñoz Pérez Stadium, with a draw against Linares Deportivo (1-1). That point was the first in a long dry spell at home.

Subsequently, they recorded three draws and seven losses in their next ten league matches played at home. Ten games without a win in front of the red-clad home crowd—until Atlético Malagueño came along.

It was January 25, 2026, on Matchday 20, when Manolo Sánchez’s team finally managed to win at their home stadium. The 3-1 win over the Málaga reserve team put an end to a long wait that had begun 141 days earlier.

More than four months without a home league win. A period during which the Muñoz Pérez stadium saw more disappointments than joys and in which every home game became an ordeal for the team and the fans.

And that’s when Ariel Herrero stepped up to open his scoring account for the season with a brace that helped write one of the most eagerly awaited chapters of the campaign.

This time, the third time’s the charm

The story, however, has changed radically in 2026/27. The new season began on September 5 with a scoreless draw against Xerez CD. A week later, Linares Deportivo visited the Muñoz Pérez stadium and took home all three points with a convincing 1-4 victory. Two games, zero wins.

But this time, the script wasn’t about to repeat itself. In their third home league match, CD Estepona defeated CD Don Benito (3-1), allowing Manolo Sánchez’s team to secure their first victory in front of their home fans. Ariel Herrero, the star of the show with another two-goal performance, opened the scoring and sealed the win—both from the penalty spot—to secure the team’s first three points at home.

And there’s one statistic that’s particularly telling: between that first game of the season, on September 5, and the victory over Don Benito, CD Estepona needed only 28 days to win at home again.

And, as if soccer wanted to leave a small mark on history, the striker from León was once again the one to put his name on the first home victory, repeating the brace he had already scored against Atlético Malagueño.

Muñoz Pérez Is Once Again a Fortress

Beyond the statistics, there’s something this victory might represent for CD Estepona: a shift in mindset.

Soccer is also fueled by emotions. And winning in front of your fans has a value that often doesn’t show up in the standings. The team knows it can compete, that it can endure, and, above all, that it can finish games with its arms raised.

Last season, we had to wait until Matchday 20 to hear that roar. This time, it came much sooner.
Perhaps it’s too early to draw major conclusions. The season has just begun, and there’s still a long way to go. But there are signs that inspire optimism, and one of them is undeniable: CD Estepona has learned not to wait so long to win at home.

The 3-1 score is back in the record books. But this time, the difference isn’t in the score. It’s in the schedule.
A 141-day wait in the 2025–26 season; 28 days in the 2026–27 season. And on both occasions, the same star: Ariel Herrero scoring a brace and opening his goal-scoring account for the season.

The Muñoz Pérez Stadium is once again synonymous with victory. And this time, fortunately for CD Estepona and its fans, they didn’t have to wait until January to do so.