Keeping the red flag flying high in Barcelona

The influence of foreign managers and players was tiny at that time, so that the majority of teams approached the game in a very British fashion, that is to say predominantly attacking-minded and the original values of the English remained unalterable. I regularly started watching English football on television at early 90?s, the golden era of the Premier League

A terrific Manchester United side was blossoming with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm; the likes of Eric “The King” Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel, Mark Hugues and company were a joy to watch and United were starting to forge their legend. In addition to their remarkable technical skills, that team played with their heart and this generation was recognizable by their characteristic never-say-never attitude.

Strange as it may seem, it was not a win that made me want to be part of that team. The final day of the 1994-95 season, the Red Devils were unable to capitalize a 2-1 defeat from Blackburn Rovers at Anfield Road and blew their chances of retaining the championship by drawing 1-1 at Upton Park, following a string of failed chances and fine saves by West Ham’s goalkeeper, Ludek Miklosko.

To make things even worse, a week later Manchester United also conceded the FA Cup to Everton following a shocking 1-0 defeat at Wembley. As a result, a likely double suddenly became a double nothing. But every cloud has a silver lining and those seven days of brutal fatality made me realize that I was meant to support them and Manchester United were worth to be supported by me.

In all honesty, there aren’t many Spanish Manchester United supporters in Barcelona. Apart from me and my parents, I have never personally met any other fellow Spaniard fan. However, I feel privileged to be a member of the largest family in the world: the United family, estimated at over 659 Million (and counting) of devoted human beings all around the world.

In overall terms, I feel the same as any other supporter, regardless where he or she was born or raised. Nonetheless, the mere fact of supporting a football club who almost nobody cares about in your area, gives you a sense of individuality that makes the whole thing even more exciting.

It ain’t a big issue staying tuned with what’s going at Old Trafford. As you well know Facebook & Twitter addicts, Internet has dramatically helped to shorten distances and the increasing popularity of the English Premier League, which means that the vast majority of Manchester United matches are shown live on any of the Spanish televisions channels owning such coveted rights.

However, every now and then, it?s also very pleasant to enjoy a game in a more British environment, then I have the choice to go to the widely popular amongst local English football lovers – the George Payne Irish bar, which is located at the heart of Barcelona. You can find there a friendly atmosphere, a large variety of drinks and several large flat screens to enjoy the game as if you were in a Mancunian pub.

In overall terms, Spanish media do not pay much attention to the world?s most popular sports club, they basically care about the two Spanish giants, namely Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona (in this order), and sporadically about any other team doing something remarkable, either in a good or in a bad way. Just out of your curiosity, I support the historic and emblematic Athletic Bilbao on a local basis.

The first match I lwatched there was the derby between the archrivals of Manchester back in 2007. Funnily enough, Owen Hargreaves made his bow for United and Carlos Tévez failed to convert a late chance, unfortunately their efforts were not enough to prevent their former employees from losing the match by 1-0. Luckily, I have much better memories than that from one of my Barcelona’s favorite places.

Having reached this point, you might wonder why I do not support F.C. Barcelona, especially considering their magnitude and international status. Nonetheless, I was never tempted by them. Barcelona’s style of play, the so-called “Tiki-taka” never appealed to me. In contrast, I love United’s straightforward approach, in my opinion nothing can match two wingers running down the flanks and constantly threatening their opponents.

As you can easily imagine, losing two Champions League final to them was a nightmare, but such a massive disappointment intensified my feelings towards the most decorated club. I dream about the day United avenge for that humiliating defeats and show what the real Manchester United is made of. I know that this day will arrive rather sooner than later, trust me mates.