The first encounter
between the clubs in 1902 was won by Barcelona and according to the Real Madrid
website, was due to “6 foreigners that they lined up.” This initial game was the beginning of the
largest rivalry in football.
The rivalry between Real
Madrid and FC Barcelona is a result of more than just competition between two
highly talented football clubs. No other rivalry features two teams that are consistently
good and have the larger political and cultural symbolism surrounding it. The
forming of the 2 clubs coincided with a time of regional loyalty and political
upheaval in Spain. FC Barcelona is one
of the most important icons of Catalan national pride, also seen as a symbol of
resistance against the oppression that was experienced during the rule of
Franco. El Clasico has become a game
between two political and cultural identities that serves as a representation
of how different the two regions in Spain are.
Both teams now have vast
resources at their disposal and frequently fight for both players and titles,
fostering the competitive relationship between the teams. There is an interesting aspect to the rivalry that transitions
from FCB versus RM to Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo. The player level and amount of talent across
the two teams is incomparable, and although some of the best football in the
world is played in these games there is a darker side to the rivalry that is
less about the quality of football and more about dirty tactics and
accusations. The hype created by the
media only adds fuel to the fire with El Clasico being the second-most watched
football match in the world.
