Zapatero looking 15 years younger in 2006
For those who still believe we live in a democracy there was a general election here in Spain yesterday. Wherever you may be politically there is a curious fact that makes yesterday’s victory for the right-wing Partido Popular of some concern for Barça. As you will all know we have won four European cups in our history. Ronald Koeman won us the first with his Wembley goal in 1992 and more recently our dominance in Europe has been rewarded with victories in 2006, 2009 and 2011. The ruling party of government at that time was the left-wing PSOE with outgoing culé President Zapatero in government for those last three triumphs. This may seem a mere coincidence but it all looks a little bit stranger if we look at our rivals Real Madrid. We all know they won the majority of their European Cups when Spain lived under General Franco’s fascist right-wing dictatorship and strange things went on to get players like Alfredo Di Stefano playing in white rather than blaugrana, and then in more recent history they fluked their way to victory in 1998, 2000 and 2002 which were years when Spain had the extremely mediocre but vomit-provoking Jose Maria Aznar in charge. So there you have it: Barça have only won Europe’s top prize under left-wing governments and Madrid have only ever won it with the right in power. Not meaning to get anybody worried but….
I think this may just be a case of over analysis but an interesting article non the less. Does European politics have a major influence on football or is FIFA the driving force behind all things football?
that is some food for thought nic. its safe to say though we can discount the franco stuff cause that was a particular time in history.
i think the rest is just coincidence. sure barca have felt greatly aggrieved in many years with referee decisions and that, i think at times justified but others probably not. i still think madrid get the better of the calls in all the leagues. they always have a huge amount of penalties in their favor and very few against them. so i dont see it being much of a change.
Good point, Nic! This is something I’ve been harping on about for years!
What’s more The Galacticos were funded by the so-called Pelotazo – when Real Madrid wiped out their debt by selling some almost worthless terrain to the Partido Popular-run Autonomous Government of Madrid!