The Spanish Language Blog donQuijote.org

El Clásico

El Clásico: the soccer match between the 2 biggest Spanish soccer clubs. The match is considered the great soccer classic of Spain and perhaps even of the entire world. There has been a rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for years.
The rivalry goes way back in history. After General Franco won his victory during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the Catalan culture and identity was suppressed for years by the Madrid authority. Real Madrid is considered a symbol of the central Spanish government, this is partly due to the club's royal designation (Real). Many Catalans feel no connection to Spain; they also speak a different kind of Spanish. FC Barcelona is seen as a symbol of Catalonia's nationalism because Barcelona is the capital of the province. During this period, it seemed that the referees favored Real Madrid with possible influence from higher-ups.

The 1943 locker room incident

The first incident to occur during the postwar, or "posguerra," period was the "locker room incident. Spanish militiamen allegedly walked into Barca's dressing room before the match began and told the players to calm down. Real Madrid then won 11-1, scoring 7 goals in 14 minutes against a club just as strong on paper....

Bottle finale

In 1968, tension was further heightened between the two clubs by the president of Real Madrid; Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. When FC Barcelona won the final of the Copa del Generalísimo 0-1, Real's ultras began throwing bottles at the players of the Catalan club. Then, of course, when Santiago Bernabéu Yeste made some "nice" controversial statements such as "'Catalonia is beautiful, just a pity that the Catalans live there'" the bomb had completely burst.

Then FC Barcelona had a heyday and then Real Madrid. FC Barcelona went into decline until our own Johan Cruijff joined the club and ensured the first national title in 14 years. As a result, he earned the nickname "El Salvador," which means "the savior.

Over the years, other incidents have occurred that have only made the rivalry between the world's two biggest clubs worse. Nowadays, the tension is at a low ebb.

The 2 clubs have now played more than 225 matches against each other and are among the biggest clubs in the world! They have fans all over the world. But who is the best club that you will have to see for yourself.

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