'Més que un club,' or 'More than a club' is the phrase that is associated with FC Barcelona. For many people, the title holders represent something more than just football, independence. On minute 17 and 14 seconds at every game, Catalan song 'Independencia' is chanted referencing the year in which Catalan independence was abolished, with the flag and language also being outlawed by King Philip V at the end of the War of Spanish Succession.
On Sunday 27th September, citizens of the Spanish state Catalonia casted their votes in an Independence referendum. The 'Junts pel Si' (Together for yes) campaign won by a landslide, 62 seats in addition to the 10 seats won by the CUP, but what does the future bode for Catalonia's two main clubs?
First of all, independence is still a while away yet. Spain's constitution does not permit regions to break away so it still be a long and arduous process until an ultimatum is reached. It will take longer than over night to have an independent state created and the decision needs to be approved by the Spanish public. However, the Together for Yes coalition has announced that they will start preparations to enable a road map for independence in 18 months.
We all know of the fierce rivalry between the 'Royals' - Real Madrid - and the 'Catalonian Nationalists' - Barcelona. The dubious transfer of the late Alfredo di Stefano heightened tensions, particularly as Barca claimed to have been pressurized by Spanish dictator General Franco's regime. The Spanish dictatorship was never popular in Catalonia and the club quickly became associated with anti-Franco and pro-Catalan movements, hence the argument for independence. The rivalry is deeply entwined in Spanish history so surely to discontinue it would be a disaster?
Liga BBVA chief Javier Tebas warned that if the country splits, then this could be a serious consequence. Neighbouring countries, France and Portugal have been suggested as possible destinations for the Catalan clubs, while the idea of a 'European Super League' has also been banded about. Realistically, a European league would be a disaster. It would take the major teams out of each league creating a somewhat 'superior' league. It would render the Champions League meaningless and would severely impact the clubs that don't make it into the league. A European Super League will not and should not ever occur.
Tebas seems assertive in his remarks regarding Barca's future. Looking at the situation with a pragmatic eye, could the league really do without Barcelona? The world famous El Clasico derby pulls in around 400 million viewers and TV broadcasters pay obscene amounts of money to host the match on their channel. The LFP would be losing out on serious money if El Clasico was to be split apart, hence why they were furiously campaigning on behalf of the 'No' campaign. While by the letter of the law, Barcelona should not be allowed to compete, there will be a loop hole somewhere exploited if independence becomes a reality.
I haven't mentioned the other club in Catalonia, even though the independence issue still applies to them. RCD Espanyol are not as vociferous about their independence as their neighbours, but it will also severely affect them. They don't generate as much money as their successful rivals for obvious reasons, so the LFP may not be as lenient. Wrong, I know, but looking at it with a cynical approach, FC Barcelona are more of a pulling power for foreign viewers than RCD Espanyol. Obviously it would be wrong and corrupt to make allowances for one side and not for the other, so this it is likely that they will follow in the footsteps of Barcelona.
The final suggestion is to create a Catalan league, independent from Spain. This would be the worst nightmare for both Barcelona and Espanyol. Consisting solely of Catalan clubs, the league would be at risk of not being recognised by UEFA, therefore not being allowed to compete in European competitions. The Campionat Catalunya was a domestic league for the Catalan sides in the early 1900s. An educated guess would be that a new competition would take a similar format, despite it being seriously one-sided. Out of the 39 seasons, Barcelona won the competition 23 times and finished 2nd or third another 14 times. With the league offering little of a challenge, Barcelona and Espanyol would find it hard to attract high profile players in order to remain competitive in Europe and risk falling to a 'happy-medium' standard with the rest of the teams.
Although FC Barcelona has declared itself to be on neutral ground, independence has been supported by several sport stars including Pep Guardiola, while Gerard Pique and several other past and present Barcelona players have played in unofficial Catalonia international matches. On a national scale, it would be interesting to see how a Catalan national team fares. I suspect a similar approach would be taken if independence was gained as it is in Northern Ireland, where players can opt to play for the 6 county side or else the Republic of Ireland, as James McClean, Marc Wilson, as well as others have done. It would give the players a choice to play for Catalonia or else the Spanish side.
The Spanish national side would also be affected. Talking to reporters in April of this year, Eric Cantona commented, "Spain did not win the [2010] World Cup, Catalonia did." In the final, Barcelona provided six players, while David Villa and substitute Cesc Fabregas moved to the club in that summer. As stated previously, Catalonia does have its own national team however it is not recognised by FIFA or UEFA. Players that would be eligible to feature include Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas, a contingent of players that would be vital for Spain. Other hot prospects include Barcelona's Sergi Samper and Sergi Roberto as well as Everton's Gerard Deulofeu. Spain would be severely weakened if these players played for a UEFA and FIFA recognised Catalonian national team.
An independent state of Catalonia is still far away in the distance. If it does happen, then there will be some serious decisions to be made by the governing bodies of La Liga and the Spanish Federation. Feel free to comment your opinions on the matter or even suggest what would happen to Barcelona and Espanyol.
Tebas seems assertive in his remarks regarding Barca's future. Looking at the situation with a pragmatic eye, could the league really do without Barcelona? The world famous El Clasico derby pulls in around 400 million viewers and TV broadcasters pay obscene amounts of money to host the match on their channel. The LFP would be losing out on serious money if El Clasico was to be split apart, hence why they were furiously campaigning on behalf of the 'No' campaign. While by the letter of the law, Barcelona should not be allowed to compete, there will be a loop hole somewhere exploited if independence becomes a reality.
I haven't mentioned the other club in Catalonia, even though the independence issue still applies to them. RCD Espanyol are not as vociferous about their independence as their neighbours, but it will also severely affect them. They don't generate as much money as their successful rivals for obvious reasons, so the LFP may not be as lenient. Wrong, I know, but looking at it with a cynical approach, FC Barcelona are more of a pulling power for foreign viewers than RCD Espanyol. Obviously it would be wrong and corrupt to make allowances for one side and not for the other, so this it is likely that they will follow in the footsteps of Barcelona.
The final suggestion is to create a Catalan league, independent from Spain. This would be the worst nightmare for both Barcelona and Espanyol. Consisting solely of Catalan clubs, the league would be at risk of not being recognised by UEFA, therefore not being allowed to compete in European competitions. The Campionat Catalunya was a domestic league for the Catalan sides in the early 1900s. An educated guess would be that a new competition would take a similar format, despite it being seriously one-sided. Out of the 39 seasons, Barcelona won the competition 23 times and finished 2nd or third another 14 times. With the league offering little of a challenge, Barcelona and Espanyol would find it hard to attract high profile players in order to remain competitive in Europe and risk falling to a 'happy-medium' standard with the rest of the teams.
Although FC Barcelona has declared itself to be on neutral ground, independence has been supported by several sport stars including Pep Guardiola, while Gerard Pique and several other past and present Barcelona players have played in unofficial Catalonia international matches. On a national scale, it would be interesting to see how a Catalan national team fares. I suspect a similar approach would be taken if independence was gained as it is in Northern Ireland, where players can opt to play for the 6 county side or else the Republic of Ireland, as James McClean, Marc Wilson, as well as others have done. It would give the players a choice to play for Catalonia or else the Spanish side.
The Spanish national side would also be affected. Talking to reporters in April of this year, Eric Cantona commented, "Spain did not win the [2010] World Cup, Catalonia did." In the final, Barcelona provided six players, while David Villa and substitute Cesc Fabregas moved to the club in that summer. As stated previously, Catalonia does have its own national team however it is not recognised by FIFA or UEFA. Players that would be eligible to feature include Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas, a contingent of players that would be vital for Spain. Other hot prospects include Barcelona's Sergi Samper and Sergi Roberto as well as Everton's Gerard Deulofeu. Spain would be severely weakened if these players played for a UEFA and FIFA recognised Catalonian national team.
An independent state of Catalonia is still far away in the distance. If it does happen, then there will be some serious decisions to be made by the governing bodies of La Liga and the Spanish Federation. Feel free to comment your opinions on the matter or even suggest what would happen to Barcelona and Espanyol.
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