Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. Considered the biggest game in world football by many, these two Spanish giants take on each other in tonight's Copa del Rey final.
‘El Clasico’, as this match is dubbed, is Spanish football’s Superbowl, F.A Cup Final and Wimbledon thrown together. These two are arguably the two biggest clubs in the world, each with a footballing superstar among their ranks, each with a sprinkling of world-class performers to supply them, and each with a clown or two who we love to hate (Pepe, Busquets etc).
That aside, what makes the Clasico the arguably the biggest game in the world? Well, approximately 400 million people watch every time these teams go head-to-head because of what is at stake. And 400 million people can’t be wrong…can they? For the Clasico, glory, prestige and pride all go on the line.
With 54 league title between them (32 for Madrid, 22 for Barca), there is no other major European league which has been so dominated by just two teams. Usually, whoever comes out on top between those two sides wins everything in Spain.
Not this year though.
That’s because Real’s pesky cross-town rivals, Atletico Madrid, are on course to become the first ‘non-Clasico’ La Liga winner since 2004. As a result, the ‘Madrid derby’, although more significant geographically, is not as fierce a rivalry as the Clasico. El Clasico is a rivalry built on history, prestige and a mutual hatred for each other. At the same time, although Real may hate Atletico, it’s not as much as Atletico hate Real!
Here in England, a few games battle for the title of fiercest rivalry. For me, Manchester United vs. Liverpool is number one in England for a multitude of reasons. Mostly maths. Honestly. With 38 titles between them (20 for United, 18 for Liverpool), when England’s two most successful clubs face each other, there is so much on the line.
Like El Clasico, this is not strictly a local derby, although the two clubs are a lot closer, with just thirty miles between them. However, a combination of close proximity, glorious but tragic histories and passionate supporters make this England’s biggest game. For me. You can disagree if you want.
Like the Madrid Derby, it is the relative lack of success of Liverpool and United’s city rivals which mean their local derbies pale into significance. Everton and Man City are teams the Reds always want to beat, but not quite as much as they like to get one over on each other.
Moving down south, the fiercest rivalry in London is surely Arsenal vs. Tottenham. Honestly, these two hate each other. More than Tom hates Jerry, or Jose Mourinho hates Arsene Wenger. The two clubs are only a couple of miles apart, and often split communities. Unlike the matches mentioned earlier, this a rivalry with a huge basis on geography, which almost makes geography sound interesting. That said, both clubs also have intriguing histories and have enjoyed varying degrees of success over the years.
Looking abroad, the Milan derby is something of an anomaly due to the fact both AC and Inter Milan both play at the San Siro, making ‘home’ and ‘away’ games in the derby a little awkward, like still living with an ex because you need the rent money.
For me, the fiercest rivalries of all are the Istanbul and Buenos Aires derbies. In the former, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is a rivalry of real passion. Real, scary passion. Not so much a Turkish Delight, this is more of a Turkish Fright. Sorry.
In Argentina, the clash between Boca Juniors and River Plate is known as the ‘Superclasico’, which instantly makes it better than the normal Clasico, right? This is a match which has all the criteria: history, success, passion and trophies, lots of trophies, with 65 league titles between them. People get hurt at these matches. Like really badly hurt. This isn’t a good thing, it just shows the hatred between these two massive clubs.
I digress. Back to tonight’s game. Although El Clasico is not strictly a derby, it remains a gargantuan behemoth of a fixture. In my opinion, in spite of the huge games around the world, this one is numero uno (that's Spanish). With the destiny of the league title out of the hands of both teams and only Real Madrid remaining in European competition, tonight’s match takes on extra significance.
As usual, hundreds of millions will tune in for this classic (literally), and you can join them, with the NOW TV Sky Sports Day Pass. See you there.
