El Clasico: The Spanish Civil War

El Clasico : The Spanish Civil War

It is not hard to understand the reasons when I found that Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, known as the ‘El Clasico’ tops the charts for the most hated footballing rivalries in the world. Countless other rivalries have drawn their inspirations from the mother of all Derbies , a match which is viewed by millions across the world and a clash which epitomizes not only a rivalry between Spain’s top two clubs but also diametrically opposite political ideologies. The hatred seen in the eyes of the club fanatics for the other makes you wonder how can a country can remain united under such circumstances. Although times have changed, the treatment meted out to Luis Figo when he returned to the Camp Nou as a Real Madrid player reminds us that even if it’s a match to definitely watch for us, it is of far bigger consequences for the two teams.

Jose Mourinho: On the rise and the man in focus

Out of the five El Clasicos this season, three are down and there are two more to go. If we neglect the humiliating drubbing of Real earlier this season at the hands of Iniesta and Xavi it seems that Real Madrid have finally started to look as the team having the upper hand following their magnificent King’s Cup triumph. And when you have Jose Mourinho a.ka. The Special One at the helm of Real Madrid, you are sure to get some prime time entertainment .

Real Madrid and Barcelona can definitely boast of possessing the best players in the world right now with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi squaring up against each other. Despite the plethora of attacking players on both camps, the Clasico won’t be a clash of two teams with attacking ideologies . It would be Pep Guardiola’s out and out attacking philosophy against the tried and tested defensive formula of Mourinho. And it seems that Mourinho has been the only one who has been able to unlock the key to Barcelona’s downfall.

Barcelona would be desperate to avoid what happened last year and knows that a second leg in front of a vociferous Barca faithful would be ideal to exact revenge for the Kings’ Cup loss. But the Barca crowd are known to become restless and Mourinho perfectly knows what to dish out to frustrate them .

Manchester United have one leg firmly put on the pitch at Wembley for the UEFA Champions League Final. Not to forget they would be the “home team“ this year. But one thing is for sure. The winner of the “Spanish Civil War“ this time would surely be the favourites to lift the trophy at Wembley. And Jose knows that he is a whisker away from becoming one of the greatest legends this game has ever produced. To do that, he must first overcome Barcelona, twice.