Barcelona can’t stop winning trophies.
Yesterday, Sergio Busquests said he believes Barcelona can win the treble every year.
And why would we doubt him? With a front core of the greatest player in the world, Messi, supported by the stellar cast of Luis Suarez and Neymar, it is hard to deny Barcelona could dominate domestically, as well as throughout their continent, for the foreseeable future.
Sadly. It means nothing. They will always be in the shadow of their younger, more magisterial sibling, Real Madrid. Hala Madrid.
Real Madrid Is Spain’s Club
The King of Spain. Photo: @7Sempiterno7 | Twitter
Real Madrid represents Spain, the country, as a whole. FC Barcelona, does not.
Futbol Club Barcelona was founded in 1899 by Hans “Joan” Gamper and a group of young foreigners living in Barcelona.
Gamper, an ex-FC Basel and FC Zurich forward, placed an ad in the Catalonia newspaper looking for professional footballers to form a team. A little known rumor is that Gamper based the colours of his new team, The Blaugrana, on his former club, FC Basel. He would play for, and go on to become the first president of, Barcelona FC. The Godfather of the club.
Real Madrid or Madrid Football Club, as it was known then, was founded in 1902 by Madrid native Julian Palacios. Interest would grow in the burgeoning football city of Madrid when Palacios entered his new club into a new tournament to pay homage to King Alfonso XIII. This new tournament would later become the Copa Del Rey, still held today.
Madrid Football Club retained such close ties with the Spanish monarchy in the early 1900s that the royals would show up to games and cheer on this exciting team, playing a new exciting sport. In 1920 the King would bestow the name Real on the Madrid club. Real, as in royal. Royal Madrid - Real Madrid.
This history shows Los Blancos of Madrid are Spain’s most beloved club. Barcelona is the product of foreigners and the region of Catalonia very much perceives itself as a foreign land to the rest of Spain. Even up to this day a good percentage of Catalan peoples are supporters of a Catalonia separate from the rest of Spain; hardly symbolic of national pride. Real Madrid is Spanish and proud.
Real Madrid Wins, A Lot.
The legacy of La Decima. Photo: @VeilBride6 | Twitter
Real Madrid are the most successful team in European continental football. Real has won the European Cup, now called the Champions League, a record ten times. Barcelona: only a measly five.
Real Madrid won the competition in its inaugural year, 1955, and won it four more times, for a historic five in a row up to 1960. This first batch of Real Madrid superstars dominated football grounds. Alfredo DiStefano, naturalized Spaniard from Argentina, would play a key part in those first five European triumphs, and made Real Madrid famous with his dazzling displays.
Real Madrid have won the Spanish League a record 32 times. Barcelona is second with 23. So Barcelona would have to win La Liga ten more times to become Spain’s all-time winningest champions. And, even more daunting, if Barcelona’s success in this century would continue they would still have to win the Champions League six more times to surpass Real Madrid’s record. Both are not impossible, but not very likely to happen any time soon.
Everybody Wants To Be A Blanco
Ronaldo Lima. Photo: @VeilBride6 | Twitter
Real Madrid will always keep Barcelona at bay in both Europe and at home because they always remain competitive on and off the pitch. In the 113 years Real Madrid has existed they have built a massive fan base around the world. Every young boy growing up in a Ibero-American nation is immediately drawn to the white shirt of Madrid, such is the history and prestige of the club. Real Madrid will always attract the best players in the world, especially given their massive spending prowess, and more galacticos shall arrive. The real question is, actually, who’s next? Kun Aguero, maybe?
The Brazilian Ronaldo once famously said that even though he played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid he feels more connected to his time at Real Madrid. Despite cutting his teeth at Barcelona as a twenty year old, when he would score 34 goals in 37 appearance in 1996/1997, he remains a Blanco at heart.
Barcelona fans still haven’t forgiven Luis Figo for abandoning Barcelona in favor of joining Florentino Perez’s first incarnation of the Galacticos. In fact, only a couple of weeks ago, just prior to winning their fifth European crown, Barcelona protested Figo’s participation in a Legends of Barcelona exhibition match, banning him from appearing. Talk about holding a grudge.
The point is: when faced with the decision, every elite footballer dreams of being a Merengue of Madrid. Barcelona does not yet possess that history or appeal.
Real Madrid Is The World’s Favorite Team. Period.
Real Madrid is the most popular football club in the world. Just look at the stats: they are the most followed football club on Twitter with a staggering 16.3 million followers. Barcelona has exactly one million less. Madrid also have the most followers on Instagram with 11.8 million supporters. The statistics do not lie.
Everybody loves Real Madrid. Every boy wants to grow up to be a Blanco, just ask CR7 and Gareth Bale. Even many Spanish women want to grow up and marry a Blanco, just look at Iker’s lady, the gorgeous and accomplished Spanish journalist, Sara Carbonero. Truly a club for kings and queens alike.
Real Madrid are Spain’s and the world’s favorite club, a club rich in history and success. In order for Barcelona to match their arch rival’s mythic status, they’d need to win a lot more and hope Lionel Messi is eternal, yet another thing that is not very likely. Sorry Barca fans.
Hala Madrid.
