After seeing the real thing, daring to dream of an ‘El Clasico’ in the Philippines

Madrid, Spain — Philippine sports fans may be familiar with the ‘Manila Clasico’, the clash between two heavyweight basketball teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The monicker is a massive hit with fans, many of whom had pledged allegiances to the massively popular Ginebra and Purefoods franchises.

While catchy, the monicker is influenced by the internationally renowned ‘El Clasico’ – the titanic match between global football giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, which happens at least twice a year in Spain.

Fortunate to secure tickets to this season’s first ‘El Clasico’, I had high expectations going into the match in Madrid. After all, it was a match between the two giants of Spanish football, even world football. A match between the first and second placed teams in La Liga, and two of the most recognized teams in the world, complete with rosters full of big names and world class players.

With a rejuvenated Barca team taking the league by storm this season against a Madrid team parading new signing Kylian Mbappe – anticipation was high in the city, with a café in the Barrio Salamanca district even getting friendly wagers among its staff on the morning of matchday.

Hours before kickoff, the atmosphere in and around Madrid was electric and a certain edginess could be felt in the air as we got nearer to the stadium. It was nowhere near unsafe, but one can feel the tension and excitement in the crisp autumn Madrid air – especially when opposing sets of fans started to outdo each other with their chants. The streets leading up to the grounds were filled with stands selling all sorts of merchandise from scarves and flags, to replica jerseys of dubious origin – all adding to this very festive atmosphere.

Majority of those in the stadium looked to be from Madrid with a whole section dedicated to the visiting Catalans, but such is the appeal of this fixture that an international flavor was represented on the stands as well.

The rivalry between the two clubs – and the two cities - was there to be seen, as evidenced by a robust exchange of chants and taunts between fans. There was a genuine air of dislike among the two clubs and their fans that could not be faked, and as a fan who travelled from Manila, it was a sight to behold.

While the game atmosphere was unmatched, fans looking for a close match on the field would come out disappointed, as FC Barcelona ran riot in the second half en route to a 4-0 thumping against the home team, leaving most of the 81,000-capacity crowd in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium shaking their heads in disbelief.

To be fair, football in Spain and Europe is far from perfect. Racism has reared its ugly head time and again. To try and combat this, La Liga has launched a La Liga VS campaign, which aims to stamp out among other things, racism, homophobia and bullying. In the aftermath of this ‘El Clasico’, three fans were arrested for racial insults aimed at two visiting Barcelona players.

While casual football fans outside Spain might think that an exciting La Liga atmosphere can only be had when Real Madrid and Barcelona play each other, I can assure you that it is most definitely not the case.
Because a week later, there was the Catalunya derby between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, held in the Montjuic Stadium in Barcelona.

While perhaps not as hyped or well publicized as the ‘Clasico’, this local derby has its share of followers, especially from the region.

Against the backdrop of commiserations for flood victims down in Valencia, the atmosphere on the grounds was no less impressive — though different — than the ‘El Clasico’ the week prior.

Maybe it was because the contest was billed as a one-sided match, or maybe it was just the fewer number of Espanyol fans on the ground, but the mood before kickoff was festive and jovial.

Particularly enjoyable was the healthy exchange of spontaneous chants between the fans in the north stands and the west stands in a cool Catalan Sunday afternoon.

The game, though, was effectively killed off after 45 minutes with Barca scoring three unanswered goals going to the halftime break and the Barca fans were quick to remind their opponents that relegation to the second division was imminent when the scoreline was 3-0.

Closer to home, fans wishing to experience an ‘El Clasico’ atmosphere here in the Philippines would do well to understand that such atmosphere in the grounds — and rivalry on the field — takes years to develop.

In the same vein, it takes a sustained and continued presence on the field for a rivalry to mature and be cultivated.

Surely football clubs have to be around long enough for fans to develop an affinity for them, whether geographically or through association. In the local club football scene, we have the Philippines Football League, and while far from perfect – it is a start. PFL teams like Kaya F.C.-Iloilo and Cebu FC are also currently in the AFC Champions League Two group stages, so it means more games for fans to be heard.

But it has been said, while the teams make the league, it’s the fans that make the atmosphere. Support the league, and who knows where it can go?

One day, there may be no need to travel to Europe, as we can witness our own version of ‘El Clasico’ at our doorstep.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News