F.C. Barcelona Outside of Catalunya

Mes de un club: that is the theme of Barcelona’s powerhouse soccer team. Prior to coming to Barcelona, I would have considered myself a follower of Barcelona soccer. I would occasionally check the outcomes of matches and whenever a Champions League game was shown of ESPN in the US I would sit down and watch it. But after living in Barcelona for 4 months I feel as though I have the right to call myself a Barca fan. I’ve lived in the city, gone to a game, and seen the way the people of Barcelona care and truly live for this team. But what I did not understand until my trip to Seville was the passion in the rivalries throughout Spain.  Coming from the U.S., I understand sports rivalries: Boston vs. New York, Philadelphia vs. Dallas, etc. Some people even take these sports rivalries to the extent that they look down on their rival’s city. But no one in the U.S. is truly hates their rivals city or culture. I must preface the rest of this by saying that I know of the huge rivalry between Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona, and I also know that cultural the two cities are far different and the people of each do not see eye to eye on many things. But what I did not know was how this sentiment of looking down on Barcelona, and Catalunya as a whole, extended beyond just Madrid and throughout all of Spain.

            While I was in Seville, I had the opportunity to watch a Real Madrid vs. F.C. Barcelona game. I expected there to be a crowd in the bar watching the game, but I did not expect it to be packed full of people, especially since Seville has its own soccer club. However, the bar was completely full of people, all cheering for Real Madrid. At first my friend and I were trying to decide if it just happened to be a crowd of Real Fans living in Seville or if there was a feeling of anti-Catalunya motivating their allegiance. Our doubts were soon answered when we overheard the bartender screaming at the television that Barcelona should not be allowed to win the Copa del Rey since they were not Spanish. It was at that point that we realized how people all over Spain felt towards the city of Barcelona. It was also the moment that we realized the real meaning behind F.C. Barcelona’s slogan, Mes de un club.