Barcelona and Real Madrid: two of the most powerful
and popular clubs in world football, and one of the world's most bitter
sporting rivalries. Going far beyond the boundaries of just sport alone, this
is a rivalry at the heart of Spanish life, taking in politics and culture and
splitting a country in two.
El Clásico gets to the heart of that rivalry, investigating
the intrigue, the larger-than-life characters, the key flashpoints and their
consequences. From civil war bloodshed to 40 years of fascism and links with
General Franco, the clubs' shared history is the stuff of a Robert Harris novel
and includes: murdered presidents from both clubs, player kidnappings, acts of
hooliganism - and that's before you start thinking of the volatile football matches
themselves.
The book contains numerous interviews with key figures
such as Luís Figo
and Hristo Stoichkov (two of the main hate figures from both clubs), Joan
Laporta (Barcelona's most successful president and, having entered politics,
Catalonian separatism's poster boy) and various ex-players, ex-managers,
agents, referees, hooligans, editors, historians, sociologists, filmmakers,
novelists, photographers, TV presenters and celebrity fans.
The two clubs are packed with international superstar
players - including the world's two best players in Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - and 10 of the
starting 11 players from Spain's 2010 World Cup final victory play with either Barcelona
or Real Madrid.
This is a story
with resonance around the sporting world, with many instantly recognisable figures
to an international audience such as Jose Mourinho. But it is also a tale of a
country divided by a bitter rivalry.
Autorentext
Richard Fitzpatrick was born in Ireland. He has worked as a journalist in Dublin, San Francisco and Toronto. He currently lives in Barcelona, where he covers football for the Irish Times, New York Times and El País among others.
Zusammenfassung
Barcelona and Real Madrid: two of the most powerfuland popular clubs in world football, and one of the world's most bittersporting rivalries. Going far beyond the boundaries of just sport alone, thisis a rivalry at the heart of Spanish life, taking in politics and culture andsplitting a country in two.El Cl sico gets to the heart of that rivalry, investigatingthe intrigue, the larger-than-life characters, the key flashpoints and theirconsequences. From civil war bloodshed to 40 years of fascism and links withGeneral Franco, the clubs' shared history is the stuff of a Robert Harris noveland includes: murdered presidents from both clubs, player kidnappings, acts ofhooliganism - and that's before you start thinking of the volatile football matchesthemselves.The book contains numerous interviews with key figuressuch as Lu s Figoand Hristo Stoichkov (two of the main hate figures from both clubs), JoanLaporta (Barcelona's most successful president and, having entered politics,Catalonian separatism's poster boy) and various ex-players, ex-managers,agents, referees, hooligans, editors, historians, sociologists, filmmakers,novelists, photographers, TV presenters and celebrity fans.The two clubs are packed with international superstarplayers - including the world's two best players in Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - and 10 of thestarting 11 players from Spain's 2010 World Cup final victory play with either Barcelonaor Real Madrid.This is a storywith resonance around the sporting world, with many instantly recognisable figuresto an international audience such as Jose Mourinho. But it is also a tale of acountry divided by a bitter rivalry.