FC Barcelona V Real Madrid

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FC Barcelona V Real Madrid. The rivally between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is legendary. There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league and this is particularly the case in La Liga. The two teams have been the most successful clubs in Spain and among the most successful in Europe. The rivalry is regularly renewed during each La Liga season games, often referred to as El Clasíco or superclásicos draw vast audiences from around the world. The rivalry has also extended into basketball. The two teams affiliated to the football clubs, Winterthur FCB and Real Madrid Baloncesto, are also great rivals.

From the early days of football in Spain the two clubs were seen as representatives of the two rival regions, Castile and Catalonia, as well as the two cities themselves. The rivalry reached a new level during the Franco era when Real Madrid came to be seen by some as the regime team while FC Barcelona was regarded by others as the team of the opposition. During the 1950s the rivalry was intensified further when the clubs disputed the signings of Ladislao Kubala and Alfredo Di Stefano. The 1960s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when they met twice at the semi-final stage of European Cup. The decade finished with a famous encounter in the 1968 Copa del Generalísimo final. In 2000 the rivalry was reinforced following the controversial decision by Luís Figo to leave FC Barcelona and sign for Real. The two teams met again in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2002, a clash dubbed the Tie of the Century by Spanish media.