RIVALRIES-Part 1

In the coming months, I will be looking at rivalries that have existed in sports trough the past hundred years or so in all sports. I will look at baseball, football, both pro and college as well as the NBA and college basketball, to point out some of the background, the passion and fan participation that follows two teams at each other’s throats.  A good rivalry usually happens in a local that is within a single community say as a city, Yankees vs. Mets or a country like Madrid and Barcelona.

 

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

With the end of the Euro 2012 match between Champion Spain and Italy, the world of soccer or football as the rest of the world calls it: rivalries in the sport have inflamed the passions of fans through the decades.

Known as El Clasico, it is perhaps the most watched club football match in the world (other than the UEFA Champions League Final), Real Madrid vs. Barcelona is a matchup made in heaven that always instills stress among the fans, and deep rooted passions.

As the two most prominent, richest, largest and most successful clubs in Spain: the battle for that next trophy (Barcelona has 75, Real Madrid has 74) makes it one of the most exciting sports competitions ever.

Real Madrid leads the all-time competitive head to head results. Barcelona leads the count in official titles won with 79 trophies (the three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup's won by Barcelona are included since the tournament is the predecessor of the UEFA Cup and recognized by FIFA), while Real Madrid has won 75 trophies. Along with Athletic Bilbao, they are the only clubs in La Liga to have never been relegated. They are sometimes identified with opposing political positions, with Real Madrid viewed as representing Spanish nationalism and Barcelona viewed as representing Catalanism. The rivalry is regarded as one of the biggest in world football.

In the 1950’s the rivalry was intensified when the clubs disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid were impressed by Di Stéfano  while playing for Club Deportivo Los Millonarios in Bogotá, Colombia. Both Madrid and Barcelona attempted to sign him and, both clubs claimed him.

After intervention from FIFA, it was decided that both Barcelona and Real Madrid would share Di Stéfano in alternate seasons. Di Stéfano moved permanently to Madrid.

Di Stéfano was the key ingredient to success achieved by Madrid, scoring twice in his first game against Barcelona. With Di Stéfano, Madrid won the firstl five European Champions Cup competitions. In the 1960’s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when they met twice at the European Cup, Real Madrid winning in 1960 and Barcelona winning in 1961.

With conflicting political views, these cities are always eager to reign supreme.

That's all I wrote, folks!