The false myth that pursues Espanyol

Barcelona“That we are Madrid's reserve team has been told to us our whole lives. Even today that rumor persists”, says Joan Collet, former president of Espanyol and a lifelong fan. “It is a false myth, a self-serving narrative that comes from the Sarrià era”, comments historian Oriol Pagès. It originates from the Espanyol-Madrid games in the 70s. “Due to migratory waves, at that time in Barcelona there were many Madrid fans. And the only opportunity they had to see their team was when it played at Espanyol's stadium, which was very large and wasn't usually full. Many of them came”, contextualizes Pagès, who still remembers the appearance of the Sarrià stands.

“They were not the majority, but they all came dressed in their colors and gathered in Gol Nord, the cheapest area. Of course, if they scored in that goal, you could see a lot of people in white standing up and celebrating”, recalls Collet, a regular at Gol Sud of the old white and blue stadium. “This led to people starting to say that Sarrià was the little Bernabéu and Espanyol, Madrid's reserve team. And a label like this, even if it's not true, stigmatizes you for life”, adds Pagès.

“In the 70s, in a short time, several players from Madrid arrived at Espanyol: De Felipe, Marañón, Borja and Verdugo. That contributed to it”, says Collet, who in his time at the club also did business with the Whites: “They loaned us Lucas Vázquez, Marco Asensio... and they turned out very well. It was a strictly sporting issue. Barça perhaps didn't want to lend us players, in case they succeeded at Espanyol. Look what happened with Saviola: they boycotted us, they didn't allow him to come”. Recently, Madrid also, with the Joselu operation –they signed him from the Periquito team at a low cost to resell him–, played a dirty trick on the white-and-blues.

A story fueled by the press

“In the construction of the narrative, the relationship between the Brigadas Blanquiazules and Ultras Sur has also been a recurring argument. It is true, but is a small group of Brigadas going to Madrid's stadium or vice versa really that significant? Does it identify an entire fanbase? It does if you project it with a media loudspeaker”, states Pagès, who considers that the introduction of scarf journalism in the Catalan sports press, at the end of the 80s, was crucial in fueling the myth.

“The two great media machines of Spain came into play. The Madrid press found it amusing to say they had a subsidiary in Barcelona – the day Sarrià was demolished, the headline in Diari AS was «Goodbye to the little Bernabéu», a subsidiary. And it also suited national-Barcelonism to say that Espanyol fans are from Madrid”, reflects Collet, the last Catalan president of the white-and-blue club. “The thing is that Espanyol has never had a powerful enough media loudspeaker to be able to refute it. And a good part of its problems come from here”, adds Pagès.

“Against Madrid you let yourselves win”

"There are still "culers" who say "against Madrid you let yourselves win" or "it's that against you they already have the six points secured". It's a lie, the numbers prove it", says Collet. Espanyol's victory percentage against the Spanish capital's team throughout La Liga's history is 20.67%; against Barça it's not even 19%. Since wins have been worth three points (1995-96), the white-and-blues have beaten the whites ten times and the blaugranas only four, who haven't lost to the periquitos since 2010.

Whatever the statistic, Espanyol always gets more against Madrid than against Barça. “The worst thrashing conceded by the whites was against Espanyol: 8-1, in the 1929-30 season. In 1950, there was a 7-1”, confirms the periquito historian. This Sunday (9:00 PM, Movistar Plus), Espanyol and Madrid will face each other again at Cornellà-El Prat, with the white-and-blues with their backs against the wall, desperately needing points. If they win or draw, they could make Barça, their eternal rival, champions.

"We are Espanyol and that's it"

“The tamudazo? Espanyol would have tried to beat Barça whoever their opponent was in the League”, comments Pagès. “In a Barça-Madrid game, who do the fans of Atlètic de Madrid support? Barça, obviously. Here, since FC Barcelona has been made a common good for all Catalans, it is not understood that Espanyol fans prefer Madrid to win”, expresses the former president. “Is that enough to build a narrative like this?”, Pagès asks himself. Collet replies: “No. I also support Betis or Pozuelos when they play against Barça and I have no relationship with them. It’s a matter of rivalry. That we Espanyol fans also support Madrid? That’s a lie. We don’t have a second team nor are we subsidiaries of anyone. We are Espanyol and that’s it”.