I have a PH.D. in romance studies which in actuality as a humanities field, is very broad and versatile. Because of this, I’ve been able to to do real, academic research on things that are not conventional or traditionally considered “academic.” One of these things is fútbol, and
within that specifically fútbol in literature and the history of fútbol as it pertains to politics and nation building. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is one of the most horrifying times in Spanish and European history. My family members escaped this war and fled to Uruguay,
just to give some personal context. When we think of fascism, we think most immediately of Mussolini and Hitler, but the trifecta included Francisco Franco, one of the most brutal fascist dictators in the history of the world. The reason he was so horrendous, is because he was in
power from 1939-1975, and in that time, he ruled like a terrorist. People were captured, tortured, disappeared, shot in firing squads for being thinkers, intellectuals, for being gay, it was the most repressive period in modern history. Spain consists of various regions that have
their own languages, among them Catalunya and Euskadi (Basque Country). Both of these regions have always wanted to be independent, but Madrid, the capital and the most fascist region, where Franco resided and did all his business, has always been repressive specifically of these
two regions in Spain. During his reign, he made it illegal to speak Catalán or Euskera. He made two teams, Barcelona and Athletic, change their badges to be more fascist and would not let them use their preferred names or chants (this is why it’s offensive to call Camp Nou the
Nou Camp). Franco pulled a lot of shady shit during his long reign to get Real Madrid trophies and clout. During the war, the Camp Nou stadium (among others) served as a place for refugees (all anti fascist) fleeing the war. Thus historically, Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao came
to symbolize anti fascism, and Real Madrid traditionally represents fascism. Real Madrid has never denounced its fascist ties and roots to this day. Additionally, the royal family of Spain is one of the most corrupt, the king actually just recently fled Spain to escape corruption
charges. The name “Real” means royal, and they’ve always been tied to the royal family, who has always been pro Franco and pro fascism. So to this day, being a fan of Real Madrid has way more implications than just dominance, a rivalry or cool kits. This is just a very basic
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