This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 17, 2022 - October 23, 2022
Other countries have derbies; Spain has El Clasico. Derby rivalries can range from ancient to modern, tribal to trivial, and spark clashes that are nothing if not full-blooded. Glasgow’s fabled “Old Firm” feud between Rangers and Celtic was founded on religion and has been contested more than 400 times.
Not to be outdone, Istanbul’s “Intercontinental derby” between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is under-pinned by Turkey’s Europe-Asia divide. In Buenos Aires, River Plate vs Boca Juniors is about the haves and the have-nots.
But towering above all these is El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the 250th edition of which was due to kick off at the “Asian-friendly” time of 10.15pm on Oct 16. It’s not a derby in the geographic sense — the cities are separated by 500km and far more ideologically — but it’s the most watched, consistently high-class and politically charged club rivalry of all.
It’s also Spain’s main asset in its bid to close the revenue gap with the English Premier League (EPL). Last season, the EPL brought in €3.5 billion (RM15.9 billion) — as much as La Liga (€2.04 billion) and Germany’s Bundesliga (€1.46 billion) combined.
As the undisputed top duo of Spanish football’s past, present and foreseeable future, Barca and Real’s bi-annual league clashes showcase La Liga to the world. Now broadcast to 180 countries, they have the potential to reach 650 million viewers. Thanks to piracy and the proliferation of streaming devices, global figures are difficult to verify, but it is widely believed to be the world’s most watched club fixture.
Overall, it can lay convincing claim to being the biggest game on the calendar. From petty niggles and ancient grudges to individual duels, it is pure box office. And in the current title race, the two are, as usual, locking horns at the top and level on points.
Its strongest case for supremacy is the sheer quality of its football. In the post-World War II era, the all-white of Real has been worn by Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo; donning Barcelona’s blue and red have been Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. No other fixture comes close to such a stellar cast while the nationalist undercurrent has taken it to another level.
In Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football, Phil Ball writes of the protagonists: “They hate each other with an intensity that can truly shock the outsider.” In the football sense, morbo translates into “impassioned rivalry”, but can also mean “disease”. Fans will say there is little difference.
In 2017, Catalonia voted for independence from Spain, which was refused. Barcelona and Madrid were on opposite sides in the Spanish civil war and remain poles apart politically. FC Barcelona is seen as representing the region which goes some way to explaining the passion.
But Morbo was penned in 2003, since when no less than seven Catalans starred in Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning side. Still, to many people in Catalonia, the game is a chance to put one over those in Madrid who are seen as denying them what they consider their democratic right.
Historically, the bad blood was kept simmering by incidents such as Real’s alleged “stealing” of Di Stefano and the throwing of a pig’s head at Luis Figo when he returned to Barcelona after crossing the Rubicon to join Real. But more recently, the clubs have found common ground in opposing measures aimed at reining them in while a pair of foreigners took the game to new heights by letting their feet do the talking.
Between 2008 and 2019, Argentina’s Messi and Portugal’s Ronaldo served up one of El Clasico’s greatest eras. Each player became his club’s all-time top scorer and won the Ballon d’Or four times. It was also a time when, according to president Javier Tebas, La Liga added 50 million viewers.
Its best “salesmen” have now left but La Liga is making a concerted effort to promote itself globally and close the gap on the EPL. And Tebas is the man behind a programme called LaLiga Impulso (Boost La Liga). Progress has been impressive but the continued dominance of Real and Barca is also Spanish football’s Achilles heel.
What is often a two-horse race makes for a predictability that the EPL, boasting a “Big Six” and smaller clubs that refuse to lie down, doesn’t have. But it is a problem that Tebas is well aware of and levelling up is a key element in his new strategy. A global network has been set up with delegates dispatched to 44 countries to sell La Liga to an international audience.
Its man in Malaysia is Adrian Prol Vazquez, who calls it “my dream job” after making the cut from 13,000 applicants, but he is under no illusions. He says: “[Domestically] the EPL market is bigger than the Spanish market. The money the EPL can make internally is always going to be higher than the money in Spain. So the only way to reduce the gap is in other markets.”
Realistic enough to acknowledge the obstacles, he adds: “In Asia we’re behind the EPL for historical reasons, language barrier and so on. And 20 years ago, we also had kick-off times that were unfriendly to East Asia, but no longer. Four games a month are now guaranteed at Asian-friendly times. But those late kick-offs did affect us [adversely]. Also, our clubs and our culture will always look for the American market before the Asian market.
“We know we are not going to change the minds of someone in his 40s who supports Liverpool — that would be impossible! If someone comes to my country and says I have to support another team, I’m not going to change. But you can have your favourite team in the EPL and your favourite team in La Liga.
“In the long term, we are hopeful. With the La Liga youth tournament we organise, we’re reaching the kids. Some of the Under 8s don’t have a club yet. Some are already wearing our shirt. Maybe they will watch La Liga. Before they had no idea what La Liga is: now they do.”
Asked about the cost, he replies: “We don’t call it cost, it’s investment. We are competing in the entertainment industry and trying to change the world. We are also doing the traditional things with the media and social media; viewing parties and grassroots projects. And I work with the embassy to promote Spanish football as well as with the Malaysian Football Association.”
Back in the dark, dictatorship days of General Franco, Spain’s foreign minister used to boast that “Real Madrid are the best embassy Spain has ever had.” Happily, there is no such bias now with an even-handed approach keen to highlight other clubs. Vazquez began a recent presentation by listing ground developments at Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Villareal, Real Betis and Cartagena.
Last December, the league signed a ground-breaking deal with global investment fund CVC, which Tebas hailed as “a historic milestone not just for La Liga but also for football and sport in general”.
If it leads to a more competitive league, Vazquez and his fellow delegates will find it a much easier sell. Meantime, with a clutch of new starlets on both sides, El Clasico should provide its very own La Liga boost.
Bob Holmes is a long-time sportswriter specialising in football
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