Soccer in Spain
The Spanish love the beautiful game.
In Spain football (soccer or futbol as it is said in Spanish) is almost like a religion to them. In fact it is probably more accurate for one to say that "religion is like soccer in Spain". Certainly the devotion that many Spaniards pay to their soccer teams and the sport can in some cases surpass the devotion that they have towards their religion.
In years gone by the most important thing of a Spaniards life was to attend church on a Sunday morning, yet today this seems to have been usurped by the amount of people who now spend time watching the Sunday night games. In fact Spain has certainly one of the best teams in the world and has only really been beaten by England and Italy in terms of the history of the sport and its heritage.
Today one of the most successful teams in Europe and the world is Real Madrid. However, the statistics that have been provided over the years for this club have unfortunately been provided with a little help from General Franco during the 1950's. But today in Spain you will find that the competition is a little more even with such clubs as Barcelona, Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid being able to produce some winning teams as well.
The came of soccer in Spain is played in four professional leagues and relegation and promotion takes place for the teams at the end of each season (normally around about May time each year). Whilst the season runs you can expect that there will be over 100 professional games taking place across Spain on either a Saturday or Sunday. The top highest teams in Spain form Liga A League (which is more simply known as "La Liga" both in Spain and across Europe). During the course of the season each team in this league will play the other teams twice once at their own ground and then away at the others.
However there is one big difference to be found in soccer in Spain and that is who actually owns the teams. Many of the clubs in Spain are often owned by a majority of the fans or "socios" rather than by a particular person or consortium as you will find with teams in other European countries. So if you are able to get the chance to see a game of soccer in Spain then take the chance as it can be quite exceptional and many of the players now playing for some of the major teams in Spain come from around the globe including players from Brazil and England.
Quick Tip #1
Barcelona city breaks are often cheaper if you travel midweek |
Quick Tip #2
When you arrive in Barcelona buy a guidebook as this will save you time and you can plan your city break. |
Quick Tip #3
Remember that you will need the Euro currency when in Barcelona ! |
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