Barça and Real Madrid: El Clásico LIVE

Barça and Real Madrid 

Besides trophies, personal and team records, the history of football has been based around great rivalries. One of the most spectacular is that between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, in the encounter known as 'El Clásico.' It has become a global phenomenon, and the next edition is less than a fortnight away.

A brief history of El Clásico

FC Barcelona were founded in 1899 and Real Madrid three years later, in 1902. It was the latter year in which the first El Clásico was played. It was part of the 'Concurso Madrid de Foot-Ball Association,' better known as the Copa de la Coronación, an unofficial competition. The majority of the initial games between the two teams were friendlies, given that LaLiga had yet to be formed and the only national competition was the Copa de España.

A rivalry from the beginning

With the passage of time, the fixture became more regular -especially after LaLiga was founded in 1929.

Disputes over signings -such as the battle for Alfredo di Stefano's signature in the 1950s- and controversial refereeing decisions only served to heat up the rivalry. The two clubs also boasted the best players of the era, such as Ladislao Kubala and Luis Suárez for Barça and Ferenc Puskas and Di Stefano for Real Madrid.

In the middle of the 20th Century, the rivalry took on a new dimension. It was still known as a derby, rather than 'El Clásico' despite both teams being from different cities.

High scoring games and excellent play

The rivalry did not wane over the decades, and in general the games remained evenly matched. That did not prevent some more comprehensive results between Barça and Real Madrid, however. Some such Barça wins helped coin a very famous term that is used today: ‘La Manita,’ or 5 goals against the eternal rivals.

One of the most remembered was that of 1974, when Johan Cruyff was at his peak: the 0-5 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu is still remembered as one of the greatest El Clásico performances, with the Dutchman as captain of the team.

But for the younger generations, Barça's 5-0 result in 1994, with Cruyff as coach and with Romario in the starring role, is the more famous fixture.