Barcelona popular in Palestinian territories

author: Sharab Moayad
source: El Periodico
date: 19 March 2009





If you go to any Arabian country in the would, you will see many children with Barca shirts in the streets. The streets of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt... and in the recently bombed territory of Gaza, in Palestine, my country.

Where did it all start? When did this romance between Barca and the Arabian world start? The boom that turned Barca into the most supported European football club in the Arabian countries happened thanks to Ronald Koeman and his famous goal that won Barca their first Champions League in history at Wembley in 1992. Since that day - the many Arab culés agree - the passion and love with the blaugrana jersey has kept on growing significantly. And it still hasn't stopped.

Football is passion, passion that is fueled by the Spanish league and goes overboard with Barca. Their players are stars; more than stars actually, they're heroes and thanks to satellite television, their feats and goals are quite thrilling. But, in my country, Barca gives a special passion. In Palestine, with the spectacular history of the club and the guaranteed showcase on the pitch there must be a certain identification with the club that represents the Catalan people of the world.

In my country, Barca has a special trait, a feeling shared the same thousands of miles away. The Palestinian people identify themselves with the club because they feel a reflection with the Catalan people, in their feelings, and in their way of living. The Catalans, like their Palestinian brothers, try hard to protect their identity.

This fascination with Barcelona in Palestine grows every time that a flag from my country can be seen at the Camp Nou or when "Free Palestina" is yelled, like when it happened recently in the Palau Blaugrana, in the Euroleague of basketball in a game against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Unlike other Arabian places, a Palestinian citizen thinks that belonging to Barca means to fight against injustice - maybe the Unicef logo on the jerseys helps.

And that's why the people gather in restaurants and cafes to watch Xavi, Messi, Eto'o, Henry, and friends play on weekends and in European competition. Barca then becomes an infallible way of forgetting, at least for 90 minutes, about the war that happens in this part of the world for 60 years and repeats itself every day with sieges, bombings and checkpoints.

Much further than Palestine, in all Arabian zones, the support for Barca becomes greater and every day you can see actual gatherings at the Catalan capital from many different countries to see a Barca match at the Camp Nou live. But, at the same time, these supporters feel excluded because of the direction of the club, due to them believing that it's not enough for the team to visit one of our countries to play a match. They want more.

translated by al


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