As a born and raised Chicagoan, I thought I had already experienced it all when it comes down to sporting events. Packers at Bears during a blizzard, Sox vs Cubs in the summer, and my personal favorite last summer when I saw the Blackhawks play the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. If you’re a hockey fan then you are well aware by now that the Blackhawks and Bruins are absolute powerhouses in the NHL. In fact, the Blackhawks and Bruins have accounted for 3 of the last 4 Stanley Cup Championships (Blackhawks with two and Bruins one). Being at a game of that gravity is something I never thought I’d experience again at the time. The atmosphere in the United Center that night was one in a million, or so I thought.
outside the United Center
warm-ups
All that changed when I purchased a ticket to this “little” game they call, “El Clasico.” The name “El Clasico” is given to any game played between the football clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. All jokes aside, there is nothing remotely little about this game, except for maybe the soccer ball. Other than the UEFA Champions League final, El Clasico is the most followed club football match in the world and it is watched by hundreds of millions of people. The popularity of this game is obvious for Spaniards because Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain. However, these football clubs are also 2 of the 5 richest and most successful clubs in the world and that is why this game is so popular around the globe. The rivalry between Madrid and FCB has grown even more intense with the political oppositions’ of the two cities. On one hand Real Madrid plays for Spain nationalism, but on the other hand FC Barcelona represents Catalonia and their continued strive for independence. From the moment I got off the train outside the stadium I just knew this was more than a football game.
prior to entering Camp Nou
The people outside the stadium looked like little kids on Christmas day. Smiles from ear to ear, it was absolutely infectious. Bordering the stadium you couldn’t go 10-feet without seeing a vendor selling some sort of Barcelona apparel. In addition, fans could pop their heads into a restaurant or bar to get a bite to eat or a beer before kickoff. As you can imagine it was hard to find tickets to the game let alone a group of four that were next to one another. So yeah, to be honest I was a little concerned about sitting by myself, at a soccer game, with a bunch of people who don’t speak my language.
El Clasico tickets
When you first walk into Camp Nou it completely engulfs you. Sweet home Chicago has some incredible sporting venues don’t get me wrong, but it was nothing in comparison to this. I walked to my seat in full zombie mode, my jaw dragging on the ground until I finally got the first view from my seat.
first-half view
From my vantage point I felt like I was just a single spectator in a sea of thousands. What came next actually gave me the chills. Each fan in the stadium was given a colored card to hold up that represented the flag of Catalonia. While we held these cards above our head the stadium roared with what I’m assuming was a song of Catalan patriotism. The same thought kept running through my head, “this isn’t just a game to these people, it’s about pride, it’s about being proud of where you came from.”
Like most people from the United States, soccer wouldn’t be a top my list of favorite sports. With that being said, watching some of the best in the world compete in seemingly a “life or death” type of game would be compelling to anyone. Everyone in the stadium was on the edge of their seats at every single point of the match. Every whistle, every foul, and most importantly every goal brought the fans to their feet. I must say even I got a little caught up in the rivalry after FCB went up 2-0.
FC Barcelona came out on top 2-1 in a thriller. I would 100% guarantee any American that sat in those seats for that game would never call soccer “boring” ever again. All the FCB fans flooded the streets and I was high-fiving people I’ve never met in my life. I interviewed my roommate when we got back to our apartment and asked him how he liked El Clasico compared to a Chicago sporting event.
Being completely honest, I wouldn’t say that now I like FC Barcelona more than my hometown Chicago teams, but without a doubt that was the coolest sporting event I’ve ever been to in my life. There was an atmosphere in that stadium that is incomparable to anything else I’ve ever experienced. That was two teams playing for two cities, how can you possibly out-due that? If you don’t believe me go ahead and buy your tickets for the next El Clasico.
post game celebration
As Told By Rossi 