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FREE EL CLASICO: V REAL : FOOTBALLS GREATEST RIVALRY PDF

Richard Fitzpatrick | 256 pages | 01 Oct 2012 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9781408158791 | English | London, United Kingdom El Clásico - Wikipedia

The historic rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona needs little introduction. El Clasico, as games between the two clubs have come to be known, is always one of the biggest occasions on the football calendar—a game eagerly anticipated for weeks beforehand before being endlessly dissected in the days and even weeks afterwards. On Saturday, the El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry clubs will go head-to-head at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time this season, a game that could also see Luis Suarez make his debut for Barca. From their first meeting in to the present day, the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona is deep and lasting. The overall between the two sides underlines why it is such an enduring clash—it is a very hard-fought one. In competitive meetings between the sides, Real Madrid have won 91 to Barcelona's In those games, Real Madrid lead the scoring towith Barcelona closing the gap in recent times. It should not be forgotten that Barcelona and Real Madrid are not just football El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry, they are sports clubs that also incorporate a number of different disciplines. Football is the most prominent of those by some margin, but there is also , handball and even rugby in the mix. Originally supposed to sign for Barcelona, the Argentine star became the centre of a tug-of-war battle between 's two biggest clubs, with both sides claiming they had reached a deal to sign the goalscorer. In the end it was decided that Di Stefano would alternate the team he played for each season, although Barcelona ripped up their agreement—allowing Di Stefano to make Madrid his permanent home. Strong rumours remain that General Franco, known to be pro-Madrid, ensured Barcelona were never able to get their man. Di Stefano went on to be a star for Real. Of the limited group of players to have represented both sides, few have done so with such passion as Samuel Eto'o. Signed by Real Madrid when he was just a teenager, the Cameroonian was left distraught by the way he was ultimately treated by the club—loaned out to several teams in Spain and never given the chance to impress for Los Blancos. From that point he seemed to make it his personal mission to punish Real Madrid whenever the two sides met, scoring four times in Clasico meetings between and as he helped the balance of power shift decisively in Barcelona's favour for a while. Perhaps the only non-footballer to be intrinsically linked to both teams, during his time as dictator of Spain General El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry was perceived to be avowedly pro-Madrida leader doing all he could to keep Barcelona down and, by extension, keep in check to promote the glory of the capital and his regime. He was accused of allowing Barca players and staff to be intimidated before gamesalthough his approach loosened somewhat as his reign continued. In competitive meetings between the two sides there have been a total of goals. That is an average of over 3. Hans Kamper, better known by the Catalan version of El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry name, , is the man credited with the foundation of Barcelona in Just 22 at the time, Gamper played for the club for many years before taking over as president in The historical rivalry between not only the clubs but the two cities and two regions often makes Clasico meetings occasions when other issues are aired. One of those is the concept of Independencia independence among Barcelona's Catalan supporters, who hope to one day secede from the rest of the Spanish state and form their own nation. This could spell the end of domestic meetings with Real Madrid. However, the possibility of this happening appears many years away at present especially following the recent "No" victory in the Scottish referendum. Julian Palacios and Juan Padros are credited with founding Real Madrid, with the former bringing a group El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry men together to start a football club inand Padros presiding over the club's first board when one was formally agreed upon in The Frenchman has scored in at least one Clasico match in each of the last three seasons—all of them coming at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona's defenders might be giving Benzema some special attention this weekend. If he does, he will become the second Luis Suarez to play in El Clasico—the great Spaniard Luis Suarez Miramontes played for Barcelona between andscoring six goals in Clasico meetings. No player knows the Clasico better than Manuel Sanchis—who made 43 appearances in the game during his time at Real Madrid. There have been just six goalless draws involving these two teams in history. That's what can happen when some of the finest attacking talent in the world is on display. Unsurprisingly, Clasico stars are often recognised with the award. Since its inception ina Real Madrid player has won the trophy on seven occasions Alfredo Di Stefano winning it twice. Barcelona, thanks to , can trump that—winning it 10 times among seven different players to make them the most successful club in the award's history. A pig's head was infamously thrown onto the pitch when Luis Figo, a Barcelona hero in his time at the club, returned to the Nou Camp as a Real Madrid player in When the Portuguese winger went over to take a corner he was bombarded by missiles sent down from the crowd—with the pig's El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry the most surprising and shocking of all. It was a moment destined to be remembered, even if Figo handled the whole situation with remarkable equanimity. In came the biggest result in Clasico history, as Real Madrid beat Barca in the second leg of a Spanish Cup El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry. Barcelona had won the first leg at homeso they went out on aggregate. The game was clouded in controversy, however, with some reports stating that General Franco's director of state security had visited the Barcelona dressing room before the match to deliver a chilling warning about what needed to transpire. Eventually, the result would be officially wiped from the slate by FIFA—although Madrid fans still delight in needling their rivals about the result. There have been few better individual performances in the Clasico than 's inas he travelled to the Santiago Bernabeu and ripped a shell-shocked Real Madrid team apart. Barcelona players have earned standing ovations from Real Madrid fans in the Santiago Bernabeu on two occasions. Proof, perhaps, that this rivalry does not always prevent each side from recognising the other's brilliance. In total, 33 players have represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona, with —who moved to El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry Santiago Bernabeu in —being the most recent of them. Some switches have been more controversial than others; Luis Figo, and are among the more notable double agents. Both clubs have a section of supporters referred to as "Ultras"—fans more outwardly passionate about their club than others. Villarato was the name given to the idea that Barcelona received preferential treatment from referees in Spain during their extraordinary run of success. The name came from that of the one-time president of the Spanish Football Federation Angel Maria Villar, who was perceived to favour Barcelona, despite spending his entire playing career at . The brilliant Spanish will become the all-time record appearance maker in Clasicos if he features in just four more over the remainder of his career. Yogurines, quite simply, means youth teams. Both clubs are proud of the youth systems they have in place, although in recent times Barcelona have done a better job of seeing those players reach the first team. That will likely be on display on Saturday night. He is perhaps most famously remembered for a save he made in the Spanish Cup final, a sprawling effort that denied Barca's Josep Escola that enabled man Madrid to win the first final meeting between the two sides. The trophy is now awarded to the best goalkeeper in each season. Unsurprisingly, Clasico goalkeepers tend to dominate; Barcelona 'keepers have won the award 19 teams, with a Real shot-stopper taking it home on 16 occasions. Barcelona vs. El Clásico: History of Rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF

Certified BuyerChennai. Certified BuyerLucknow. Explore Plus. Enter pincode. Fitzpatrick Richard. Barcelona and Real Madrid: two of the most powerful and popular clubs in world football, and one of the world's most bitter sporting rivalries. Going far beyond the boundaries of just sport alone, thisis a rivalry at the heart of Spanish life, taking in politics and culture and splitting a country in two. El Clasico gets to the heart of that rivalry, investigating the intrigue, the larger-than-life characters, the key flashpoints and their consequences. From civil war bloodshed to 40 years of fascism and links with General Franco, the clubs' shared history is the stuff of a Robert Harris novel and includes: murdered presidents from both clubs, player kidnappings, acts of hooliganism - and that's before you start thinking of the volatile football matches themselves. The book contains numerous interviews with key figures such as Luis Figo and two of the main hate figures from both clubsJoan Laporta El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry most successful president and, having entered politics, Catalonian separatism's poster boy and various ex-players, ex-managers,agents, referees, hooligans, editors, historians, sociologists, filmmakers, novelists, photographers, TV presenters and celebrity fans. The two clubs are packed with international superstar players - including the world's two best players in Leo Messi and - and 10 of the starting 11 El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry from Spain's World Cup final victory play with either Barcelona or Real Madrid. This is a story with resonance around the sporting world, with many instantly recognisable figuresto an international audience such as Jose Mourinho. But it is also a tale of a country divided by a bitter rivalry. Rate Product. It felt great after reading the book The cons are: 1. I feel that the author is a little bit biased towards Barca For the readers who want pics oof rivalry, they are in for a big surprise as the book contains no pictures Absolutely genuine information A mini encyclopedia of Spanish football I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in the footballing culture of Spain or any Barca or Madrid fan. The El Clasico is one of the most intense derbies ever and learning more about the roots of this rivalry has made me a bigger fan. Mes Que Un Club. Banshai Dkhar Certified Buyer. It starts with the history about the greatest rivalry in sport which has its roots in the civil war. One gets to understand the hard times barca had to undergobeing in the constant shadow of the white beast that is madrid, which was literally handed glory by the dictatorship. The beating of Barcelona is only due to the series of threats that Real Madrid had issued. This really tells the factual truth about the past, from during bernabeu days right thru to the times of mou-rinnnnhhooo Gowtham C Certified BuyerChennai. Geetansh Malik Certified BuyerLucknow. Have doubts regarding this product? Post your question. Safe and Secure El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry. Easy returns. You might be interested in. Back to top. El Classico is More Than a Game

Soccer is the most watched sport in Spain, as well as the most played. Kids grow up with soccer as a constant in their life. Catalunya is very close to France, and their language shows that. While the language of Spain is traditional Castilian Spanish, in this region they speak Catalan, which is mixed with French influences. This region of Spain brings in the most income of the country. While they definitely have their own sense of nationalism and cultural identity, the region of Catalunya has NEVER been an independent state. El Clasico is the name given to the match played between Barcelona and Madrid. By the end of this presentation, I am confident that you will be able to see that this head to head match up is more than just a game, and this rivalry is rooted much deeper than just sports. The game was invented in the British Isles in the late 19th century, and it was El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry over to Spain by Spanish students who went away for their education, as well as immigrants moving to the country. Along with the sport, these individuals brought the football culture as well. The first Spanish football club to be formed was the Huelva Recreation Club, which was formed at the end of by British immigrants working at the Spanish Rio Tinto Company. Their first game played took place in , aganinst Sevilla FC. While they were both Spanish teams, most of the players on both teams were British. While the first two decades or so were unorganized play of the game, regional Spanish teams began playing in head to head matches in Two out of the two of these teams were Real El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry and FC Barcelona, the two teams that would soon become the greatest rivals that the sport has ever seen. On an international level, Spain was never to be looked over. Although it was not recognized as a sport in the country, Spain sent a football team into the Olympics for the first time, where they were wildly successful and took home the silver medal. That title set a precedence for the country in a way, beginning their dominance of the sport. To this day, soccer is the most participated in and viewed sport in Spain. Many outsiders think of the Spanish love for soccer as more of a cult or a religion, and that it why many are surprised to learn of its roots in England. The first game to start the world renowned rivalry took place on May 13, The outcome was Barcelona winning the match three to one. In a typical sore loss, Madrid claimed that Barcelona only won simple because of the 6 foreigners that they lined up, as if Real Madrid had a team full of only Spaniards. Madrid is the capitol of Spain and is home to the royal family. Related to that, they were the team that received the most government funding and the royal families loyalty. Since it was the capitol, Madrid was seen as the city that protects and promotes conservatism. However, Barcelona was the capitol of Catalunya, which is a world away from Madrid, while only being miles on the globe. Catalunya speaks a different language than the rest of Spain, and was always seen as the region of Spain on the forefront of new innovation, weather it be in music, fashion, ways of life, or ways they think that the government should be run. While Madrid was working on protecting conservatism, Barcelona and the rest of Catalunya were working on promoting republicanism. In that sense, there was already a rivalry existent between the two cities, and both of the teams playing in the same league provided a much anticipated game each year that brought out thousands of fans. However, once the began, there was no chance of this rivalry remaining a friendly one. Spain was under the rule of Dictator Francisco Franco as ofwhen he staged a coup and captured Madrid to end the war, earning him the title of military dictator. He hated that Catalunya had their own sense of nationalism and pride in thier different culture and language, and he set out to end that. People of Catalunya kept using the team an outlet to their frustrations. They were united in the celebration of their own culture, as well as their opposition to Franco. On top of his distaste for FC Barcelona, Franco loved Real Madrid, and really made sure that the team was taken care of financially. This drew his opposers to root for Barcelona even harder. Inthere was another major turning point during the semifinals of the Copa del Ray. It was the second leg El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry the semifinals, and Madrid was playing Barcelona on their home turf, after loosing against Barcelona in the first leg. Before the game even began, fans of the opposing team were banned from entering the stadium, but that was the least of the El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry for Barcelona. During the first half, spectators were throwing rocks, bottles, coins, anything that people could get their hands on to throw at their rivals. At half time, Madrid had obtained an unbelievable lead of At half, Barcelona players refused to come out again after the reffing and hostile ground conditions. While the final score of this game wasthis game is not remembered as a proud moment for Real Madrid fans. While there for sure is more ties than just the sport, there is some good old fashioned sports rivalry mixed in to stir the pot. Di Stefano was an outstanding player, and there was some confusion on which team was able to trade him back in South America, either Argentina who he originally played for, or Colombia who he was currently signed to. A solution was met, but one that Barcelona was not ok with. The decision was made that Real Madrid and FC El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry would share the player, and he would alternate which team he played for each year, starting with Madrid. Due to the geography of the two teams, when Real Madrid comes up North, the scars of the past are remembered and the region of Catalunya is on edge, awaiting the outcome of the game. While many agreed that they should let the sports play out on the field, Franco decided to use Real Madrid to get any leg up on the province that was giving him a hard time. FC Barcelona was banned from flying the Catalonian flag in the stadium, as well as writing Catalan on its official documents. They were able to recover a lot of their autonomy, one of the biggest things being the right to practice their own language. Franco treated Madrid like his child, funding their needs and trying to give them every leg up as possible. This fight for freedom is still going on today. In fact, it was only last month Novemberwhen Catalunya decided to hold El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry own unlawfully vote as to weather or not the citizens living there want to declare independence from Spain. With Catalunya in this strange middle ground between a state, while fighting to be a nation, it fuels even more fire for the symbol of autonomy, witch many view as FC Barcelona. This club promotes the Catalan culture, and language, and importantly, represents Catalunya as something that is seen as an equal to Madrid. There are 95 to 91 games in the world-- Madrid is winnign by only 4 games but Barcelona is expected to come out on top after the Decade they have been having. To bring it back to soccer, this would leave a lot of questions up in the air. Would Barcelona continue playing in the Spanish league? Will El Classico cease to exist? In the eyes of Catalonians, Barcelona thinks that they provide the best entertainment in the league and that even with a secession, they would still be able to play in La Liga. Therefore El Classico would still go on. However, the organizer of La Liga disagrees. In trying to research this question, I decided to use a random sample of 75 Binghamton University students to see where they stand. My results were exactly aligned where I thought they would be. For this El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry, I let the participants check off as many rivalries that they have heard of. Clearly, there are 2 major leaders, and those rivalries are Manchester United El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Footballs Greatest Rivalry , as well as Barcelona Madrid of course. If they knew soccer more in-depth, they were able to recognize these less famous rivalries, but they knew of the two clear ones for the most part as well. Of course, they would still play on a global scale, but not having FC Barcelona in La Liga would drastically change their match ups on the field. Not only are the two teams seen as superpowers, but there are two outstanding players of this generation, and they play for these rival teams to all fuel to the fire. This has tied up the wins between him and Lionel Messi at five each. In fact, sincewhen Ronaldo won his first one almost a decade ago, no other player has won the award besides either Ronaldo or Messi. Some say that it is a shame that Messi and Ronaldo are players of the same generation. They think that both these players deserve to have their name in lights as the undisputed best player in the world for a period of time. Others disagree. They think that this is an integral rivalry for the sport, and that both players push each other to play soccer at the highest degree it will ever reach. Right now, these are the two superpowers on the field. Regardless of who you think the best player in the world is, one point is certain. There will come a day that Messi and Ronaldo no longer dominate the game. Their time on the field will be over, their cleats hung up, their numbers retired. And when that day comes, El Classico will remain, and it will forever remain much more than a game. Allen, Jae. Badcock, James. Erickson, Amanda. Pande, Sumedh. Schlewitz, Kirsten. El Classico is More Than a Game.