Less than the old Barca

“We do not believe in government through the voting booth. The Spanish national will [and] was never freely expressed through the ballot box. Spain has no foolish dreams.”

These words from Francisco Franco show what would come for Spain in the next 40 years or so. The totalitarian, authoritarian regime that Franco headed for those 4 decades supported the fascist regimes in the late 30s and early 40s, the lack of involvement in the War only being because of British bribes via MI6, totalling £200m. Franco’s diametric opposition to anything Communism meant that when the West waged their Cold War vs the Soviet Union, he was let back in amongst the Western leaders and it brought Spain closer to those, softening the image that had been perpetuated during Franco’s leadership.

The staunchness of his right wing ideas was not restricted to those outside of his country. The regions of Galicia, Basque and Catalonia were restricted from culturally, linguistically and politically expression. The scars of this oppression are still felt today, particularly in Catalonia. These scars are the reason why there has been a big movement for Catalonia to declare independence, as they look to be recognised as a nation itself, having complete autonomy as they last did in 1714. FC Barcelona, as a football club, is seen as a representative of Catalonia, established on Catalan values by Joan Gamper, the founder of the club. The motto ‘Mes que un club’, more than a club in English, is a reference to the club’s partaking and support in affairs outside of football, Catalonian state independence being one. Barcelona’s representation there comes in the way of area - progressive, liberal and left wing. Their commitment to their own brand of attractive football introduced by Johan Cruyff and self-sufficiency through educating and promoting youth players through the famed La Masia are just some footballing examples of what the Catalan do to separate themselves. It comes in conflict with the way their arch rivals, Real Madrid, operate, willing to embrace their wealth and committed to winning at all costs, to an extent.

The leaving of Neymar Jr to Paris Saint Germain has shattered the world-record transfer fee in football, going for a whopping £196m. People are afraid of the seismic change that it could bring to the transfer market, with clubs using this transfer as a barometer to measure their own players against, driving up the prices of the transfer now and forever. Really, Neymar’s change from the colours of Blaugrana to the red & blue of Paris and the saga precursory touched on several issues pertaining to Barcelona and the effect it could have on the club should really be the true story within the football media.