Barcelona Skyline

Friday, 9 October 2009

FC Barcelona: the champion returns

If you are soccer fan this season will be a great one in Barcelona. Last year FC Barcelona won "el triplete": the Champions League, the Spanish League and the King’s Cup. And Barcelona electrified all of Europe with its open attacking soccer, proving you can play entertaining football and win, too. Led by Leo Messi, all the stars are back. And this year´s side is already in the record books by winning its first six league games, but arch-rival and perennial Barcelona villain Real Madrid has won five and are right behind them.

Madrid spent money like water in the off-season trying to match our triple champions. Having paid a record sum to Kaka (best European Footballer of 2007), the next week they paid even more for reigning best player, Christian Ronaldo. The world´s richest club calls them “galactic all-stars”, no humility here. All around Spain people are wondering how Madrid came up with all this loot, but it is seems clear that they want to buy a championship. Or some say this just marketing by a greedy business giant which cares more about the bottom line than winning or good soccer. "Galactic superstar" Ronaldo is seen by many as a galactic pretty boy and prima donna. Already linked romantically to galactic airhead American heiress Paris Hilton he is contributing to what has been called the "Disneyfication of Real Madrid".

In any case for good soccer or sports melodrama Barcelona is the place to be. So come and see a game or two in person or at one of the many sports bars near to Hotel Principal where the atmosphere will be almost as electric. Watch up close and personal as perhaps the two strongest sides in Europe battle it out in the Spanish league and the Champions league.

Or even better, go to the stadium "Camp Nou" and feel all the "culé" energy. Don't forget to take a look at the "FC Barcelona Museu", the most visited museum in Catalunya.

Check the next matches in the FC Barcelona official website. Click here if you want to buy tickets online.

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