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TIn this presentation we will focus on social,
cultural and political effects of football in
Spain. Starting with the historical beginnings
of the game to its present status we will talk
about the game, which has hijacked the country.
So much so that this seems to be the only major
talking point. We propose to describe the hold
that the game has on people across the age and
gender divide or in other words from cradle to
grave for both men and women. We will detail,
from the historical perspective as well, the influence
and pressure that the different regions bring
to bear on the teams and the individual players.
Analysis
This paper is about how the game of football in
Spain has captured the Spaniards. Though it could
perhaps have been more easily about bull fighting
(or the Spanish flamenco dancing) for which the
country is famous. The great American author Ernest
Hemingway was an avid fan of bull fighting and
his famous novel Death in the Afternoon was set
in the backdrop of this sport.
But our topic is a different ballgame called football.
In fact the whole of Europe is football crazy.
Germany, Italy, Holland, United Kingdom are the
big players but even small countries like Poland,
Greece, Czech Republic, Ireland have pretensions
of matching the established giants. So what is
it that makes Spain stand out in the crowd and
be counted. It is like separating the men from
the boys.
To understand this we will have to go back in
time and understand something about the Spaniards.
Football’s introduction in Spain can be
traced to the 1890s. In the Basque Provinces,
the first team was Athletic Bilbao. It was founded
in 1898. (Soccer History 2004)
The Spanish cup competition which is now called
the King's Cup (Copa del Rey) began in 1902. It
has been played every season regularly except
the World War two years 1937 and 1938 has been
played every season. Two competitions were played
in 1910 and 1913, and in 1904 Athletic Bilbao
were named winners without a final being played.
The team with most titles is FC Barcelona with
24, followed by Athletic Bilbao with 23, Real
Madrid 17 and Atlético Madrid 9.
Since competitive football has been played in
Spain for over a century several clubs have celebrated
their centenaries. However the Spanish national
side is reputed for it’s under achievements
in international tournaments like the World Cup.
They have won the European championship only once
all through this period. Spain has produced many
a legendary footballers which include Alfredo
Di Stefano, Kubala, Luis Suarez and goalkeeper
Zamora, and in recent times Santillana, Michel
and Butragueño . Spanish club sides, however,
have achieved more success than their national
sides. The local championships have been dominated
by the big two, Real Madrid and Barcelona, especially
since the second world war. (SOCCER-SPAIN History
of the Spanish national side 2004)
This explains the tradition of the game having
firm roots in Spain. Rest of the European nations
too had adopted the game around the same time.
The Spaniards have gone a few notches beyond the
rest in developing a feverish affinity to the
game fueled no doubt largely by their regional,
divisive passions as we shall see in greater detail
later in this paper.
Recently England captain David Beckham became
a Real Madrid player. The transfer symbolizes
a combination of business and football skills.
Beckham joins The Spanish champions, and nine
times kings of Europe acquired Beckham on a four-year
contract. This contact is said to be valued at
approximately six million euros annually before
bonuses. The club had engaged the Brazilian super-star
Ronaldo a year earlier. Zinedine Zidane of France
and Luis Figo from Portugal were signed on prior
to the coming on board of Ronaldo and Beckham.
Real will pay Manchester United up to 35 million
euros over the next four years for the transfer
depending on the Spanish team's progress in the
Champions League.
The above record payments amply reflect the passion
for the game in Spain. In fact on December 18,
2000 Real Madrid was declared by FIFA as the best
football club of the 20th century. On 6th of March
the club celebrated its centenary. RM is the most
successful club in history.
The club has a history of such signings. In the
late 1920’s Santiago, a former footballer
with RM became the club secretary. He signed Ricardo
Zamora for 150,00 pesetas from Espanyol. This
was a princely sum even though Zamora was the
best goalie of the league, which is why the trophy
still bears his name.
Some of the well known Spanish football clubs
are Athletic de Bilbao, Atlectic de Madrid, FC
Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, Real Madrid, Valencia
CF, Tenerife, Sevilla FC. (Spanish Soccer League
2004)
The following passage is truly revealing and
all meaning would be lost if it is edited so it
is best reproduced as it is: “When the football
season begins Spain reconvenes as a society. People
reluctantly recognise the need for a summer break
from football, but it is only when September's
lengthening shadows welcome the game back that
the country seems to wake up from its collective
siesta ………. in Spain, Sunday
evening football brings out the whole family.
Recovering from the excesses of lunch, grandma
and her daughter will sip a glass of wine, chew
on a tapa or two and enjoy the spectacle with
the rest of the neighbourhood……. Spain's
the place to be for the football aficionado. If
you can't get down to the game, it really doesn't
matter so much these days…..Sunday offers
a whole social programme, to be shared with the
kids, your mates, and Tom, Ricardo and Harry”.
(Soccer Fans Network Forums)
We will now present the official logos of some
of the Spanish football clubs:
Athletic Club Bilbao
CD Tenerife
Club Atlético de Madrid
FC Barcelona
Malaga C.F.
RCD Espanyol
Real Madrid CF
Real Sociedad
Real Valladolid
Valencia CF (Spanish soccer 2004)
Beckham had rubbish thrown at him as he took corners
in Osasuna's hostile El Sadar, one of the few
hostile situations he faced after coming to Spain.
(The reign in Spain of one not so plain - www.smh.com.au
2004)
Again in the game against Barcelona radical fans
as well as grannies and grandpas hurled cans,
stones and abuses at the Real entourage including
Beckham. The first time he touched the ball a
banner was unfurled with the sign "Beckham
is a wanker."
(Guardian Unlimited Football 2004)
The above examples reflect the extremely strong
rivalry between teams and the deep regional feelings
of their supporters. This fierce rivalry is what
the English writer Phil Ball has termed Morbo.
This rivalry is rooted in history, language and
politics. He calls it a landscape of antagonism.
He observes:”The Basque country in the north-west
and Seville in the south both provide breeding
grounds for a healthy portion of "morbo".
(Spanish Football Books)
Unlike England where fans indulge in hooliganism
when England play foreign countries at home or
abroad in Spain football rivalry mirrors sub-nationalist
politics. HNT which is Athletico Bilbao’s
largest supporters club is said to be a “a
militant anti-fascist fan-club”. This club
has its support coming from Basques and anti-fascists
living elsewhere in Spain who “ identify
with the values represented by the club”.
(Football Violence in Europe - Cross-Cultural
Differences 2004).
In Catalonia today people idolize soccer especially
when Futbol Club Barcelona is hot. The Catalonians
say Barça, is more than big business. "Barça's
a religion". And some of its holiest moments
come with the contest against its archrival Real
Madrid.
Franco tried to obliterate all the regional rivalries
in Spain, except in soccer. He promoted soccer
as a healthy way for the regions to work out their
tensions. But with Barça the policy backfired.
Because Catalans had no political parties, no
regional government, and no right to use their
own language, they made up for all by seeing their
cultural pride into Barça. At a Barça
match, people could shout in Catalan and sing
traditional songs when they could do it nowhere
else."
There is a seamy side to Real Madrid’s football
exploits too. The club has won so many trophies,
tournaments and championship. However, the club
is associated with fascism as the pure white ambassador
to Franco’s goal of achieving a united Spain
with a strong center.
One of the all time great players was Rafael
Moreno Aranzadi known by the nickname Pichichi.
He played during the period 1892-1992 for Athletic
Bilbao the club that was formed by the English
expatriates in 1898. His trademark headgear made
him a distinct player on the field. He was a member
of the side that won Copa del Rey three times
in a row from 1914 to 1916.
Summary/Conclusion
We have surveyed the scenario of the Spanish football
starting with the origin of the game in that country.
Through the decades that followed the game has
reached a stage where it has gained a central
place in the lives of the Spanish people. The
game is followed with great interest and enthusiasm
often in the backdrop of regional rivalries expressed
through the supporters’ regional teams.
Now it is more than a game. It has acquired business
proportions where millions are on stake. This
financial and commercial development of the game
is not unique to Spain though it has acquired
even greater proportions there. This trend is
likely to continue in the near future so it seems.
There is no sport, not even bullfighting or flamenco
dancing that can push football in second place
in Spain.
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