FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Athletic Rivalry or Political Tool?
BY BRIAN LEIBOWITZ
“Més que un club,” reads FC Barcelona’s team motto, signifying that it is more than just a club soccer team. But what exactly is “more”? Throughout Spanish history, the bitter rivalry between the great teams of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, popularly known as El Clásico, has been symbolic of the political divisions on the Iberian peninsula. Most recently, FC Barcelona has been used as a means to express the desire of many Catalans to secede from Spain as a whole. With the secession of Catalonia becoming increasingly realistic, the question of the fate of FC Barcelona in the Spanish soccer association La Liga remains.
The Spanish capital city of Madrid is more than just Spain’s geographical center; Madrid is the center of Spanish culture, language, and government. It was from Madrid that a unitary government emanated when the Nationalists, led by Francisco Franco, took control of the country in 1939. As the fascist leader of the Nationalists, Franco’s goal was to unify the Spanish state into a close-knit people with a single culture, just as Ferdinand and Isabella had done centuries prior. His greatest obstacles were regional dissenters; the Catalans, in particular, often led violent campaigns against the Franco regime. In order to quell the separatist spirit of the Catalans, Franco became an adamant supporter of the club team Real Madrid. It wasn’t long before Real Madrid became known as not just Franco’s team, but Spain’s team. In essence, to root against Real Madrid was to root against Spain, especially when Real played its greatest rival, FC Barcelona.
The advantages brought about by Franco’s support did not stop there, however.. It was no surprise that in the early 1950’s both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona sought to sign world-famous forward Alfredo Di Stéfano to their teams. FC Barcelona made the first move, reaching a deal with Di Stéfano’s team, River Plate, to acquire the player for a large sum of money. However, Franco was displeased with the prospect of an improved Barcelona team. Hoping to rescind the deal and force negotiations between Madrid and Di Stéfano, Franco influenced the chief scout of River Plate’s rival team to undermine the negotiation. FIFA, the international soccer association, strongly rejected this interference and called for the clubs to follow through with the trade to FC Barcelona. Franco subsequently retaliated by enacting a law that forbade the signing of foreign players by teams in La Liga. Compromising with FIFA, the Spanish government agreed to alternate Di Stéfano on an annual basis between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. However, Barcelona’s management was displeased with the compromise, given that they had already paid a sizable initial fee when Di Stéfano was originally traded. In the end, though, FC Barcelona’s management surrendered their rights to Di Stéfano, asking only for a reimbursement of their original payment in return. Di Stéfano went on to be a legendary player, winning eight titles and five European Cups for Real Madrid.
The origins of the rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid can be summed up in one word: regionalism. Under Franco’s rule, speaking a tongue other than Castilian Spanish or holding a regional flag was punishable by imprisonment. Club soccer games were seen as an opportunity to rebel against these oppressive laws. It was there that Catalans could speak their native Catalan, celebrate their regional heritage, and taunt Franco’s pet soccer team. Regional protest became so ingrained in soccer culture that booing Real Madrid as it traveled around the country was among the most widespread forms of protest among Catalans.
Still, Franco sought silent acceptance of his regime. He used soccer as a means to focus the people’s attention away from politics, toward something more tangible. By creating this culture of evasion, Franco sought to distract mistreated lower-class workers from the stress of their daily lives and to focus their energy and passions on soccer. It was no wonder that Franco looked so embarrassed when he personally handed over La Liga’s championship trophy, the Copa del Rey, to FC Barcelona following their defeat of Real Madrid in 1968.
While winning titles is an integral goal of both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, it is difficult to argue that either team experiences any greater thrill than a victory in El Clásico. The competition between the two is the epitome of a rivalry, and a sour one at that. Fights are commonplace and expected at almost any game between the two teams. Fans of each team are passionate about their club, not to mention the greater message that their support represents. Supporting FC Barcelona is seen as supporting the Catalonian independence movement while supporting Real Madrid is seen as supporting the unity of Spain . Even Spanish media feeds the passions of the public by putting down the rival teams . The word “morbo” has even been created to describe the tension between fans of the rival teams. Morbo translates to bitterness, or more closely a mutual hatred between both the players and the fans of the two teams.
Many have questioned the fate of FC Barcelona were Catalonia to secede from Spain. Would it continue to be able to play in La Liga or would it be the end of El Clásico? In October 2014, this question was answered when La Liga chief Javier Tebas issued a statement saying that FC Barcelona would be prohibited from continuing to play in La Liga if Catalonia were to secede.. In order for FC Barcelona to play after a Catalan secession, there would have to be a change in law issued by the Spanish government , a move which seems unlikely based on the government’s historically unsympathetic approach to dealing with questions of Catalonian autonomy. Whether or not Tebas’ statement was serious is up to interpretation, as it seems unlikely that anyone with a business interest in La Liga would be pleased by the removal of its most exciting competition.
Even after the death of Franco, Catalans feel mistreated by the Spanish government in Madrid. While Spain is known for having serious economic problems and is a threat to the to the financial stability of the European Union, Catalonia has remained relatively prosperous; in fact, Catalonia is the most economically successful region of the Spanish state. Catalans find it difficult to share this prosperity with the rest of Spain. They feel no desire to help out poorer regions that disrespect their culture and mock their language. Catalonia wants to secede for many reasons, but at the heart of this desire is the fact that the government in Madrid does not accept the Catalonian lifestyle as a part of the Spanish identity. Economically, Catalans strongly reject the burden of high tax revenues placed on them by the government in Madrid in hopes of subsidizing the rest of Spain. Until Madrid learns to accept Catalans as an integral part of Spanish culture, they will feel no strong urge to remaining a part of the Spanish state.
Officially, FC Barcelona has remained neutral on the question of Catalonian secession, but its recent uniform redesign to a red and yellow reference to the Catalonian flag was widely seen as a profoundly political statement. Supporters of the Catalan independence movement have since applauded the team for remaining true to its region’s principles.
The best example of FC Barcelona’s involvement with the independence movement took place during the El Clásico game of October 7, 2012. Holding a well-known mosaic design , reconfigured to represent the Catalonian flag, fans demonstrated their support for the independence movement. Following the passage of 17 minutes and 14 seconds in each half, fans shouted chants of “independencia,” in reference to the last time that Catalonia was independent, 1714. Whether or not FC Barcelona wants to take an official stance on the question of independence, its fans certainly use the team as a tool to express their own stance on the issue.
On November 9, an unofficial vote took place in order to assess whether or not Catalonian independence is supported by a majority of the region. While this vote is not a legally-binding referendum, the leader of the independence movement, Artur Mas, stated that the results of the vote would guide the Catalonian independence movement in the future. The results were decisive, to say the least: over two million Catalans participated out of 5.4 million eligible voters and 80% of voters favored independence. Mas has remained adamant that he will continue to fight for independence after receiving this vote of confidence. Fans have no choice but to wait in horror for the future of La Liga and its greatest rivalry.