‘El Clasico’ and the demise of tradition in Spanish club football: perspectives on shifting patterns of cultural identity

Abstract

The deeply embedded dimensions of ‘El Clasico’, historic, political, cultural and sporting, have defined the Real Madrid–FC Barcelona axis as the seminal representation of Spanish club football to a global public across a plethora of contemporary mediascapes. This article examines the consequences of the saturated intensity of this megaspectacle for representations of ethnicity and cultural identity. It argues that the capacity of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid to articulate and reflect deeply rooted constructions of Catalanism and Spanishness has been transformed and distorted, with significant implications for both protagonists. These go to the heart of contested issues of nationhood within the vortex of a plurinational, democratic Spain. It critically examines the impact of the dominance of ‘El Clasico’ for the folkloric local and regional rivalries within La Liga and suggests that the globalization of the Real Madrid–FC Barcelona axis signals the erosion and demise of tradition in Spanish club football.

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