The false myth that pursues Spanish

Barcelona“We are Real's farm team, they’ve told us our whole lives. That rumor still circulates today”, says Joan Collet, former president of Espanyol and a purebred Periquito. “It’s a false myth, a self-serving narrative that comes from the Sarrià era”, comments historian Oriol Pagès. It originated in the Espanyol-Madrid matches of the 70s. “Due to migratory waves, there were many Real Madrid fans in Barcelona at the time. And the only opportunity they had to see their team was when they played at Espanyol's stadium, which was very large and usually wasn't full. Many came”, contextualizes Pagès, who still remembers the appearance of the Sarrià stands.

“They weren’t the majority, but they all came dressed in their colors and gathered in the Gol Nord, the cheapest area. Of course, if they scored in that goal, you could see all the people in white standing up and celebrating”, recalls Collet, a regular at the Gol Sud of the old blue and white stadium. “That led to people starting to say that Sarrià was the little Bernabéu and Espanyol, Real Madrid's farm team. And a label like that, 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. This contributed”, says Collet, who in his time at the club also did business with Los Blancos: “They loaned us Lucas Vázquez, Marco Asensio... and they turned out very well. It was a strictly sporting matter. Barça perhaps didn't want to loan us players, for fear that they might succeed 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. Is it true, though, that a small group of Brigadas going to Madrid's stadium or vice versa is really that significant? Does it identify an entire fanbase? It does if you project it with a media loudspeaker,” states Pagès, who believes that the introduction of partisan journalism in Catalan sports press, at the end of the 80s, was crucial in fueling the myth.

“The two major media machines in Spain came into play. The Madrid press found it amusing to say they had a branch in Barcelona – on the day Sarrià was demolished, the front-page headline of Diari AS was «Goodbye to the little Bernabéu», a branch. And it also suited Catalan nationalism 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 media loudspeaker powerful enough to refute it. And a good part of its problems stem from here,” Pagès completes.

“Against Madrid, you let yourselves lose”

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

Whatever the statistic, Espanyol always gets more against Madrid than against Barça. "The worst thrashing conceded by 'los blancos' was against Espanyol: 8-1, 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 'blanquiazules' 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 regardless of their rival in the League”, comments Pagès. “In a Barça-Madrid, who do the Atlètic de Madrid fans support? Barça, obviously. Here, since FC Barcelona has been made a common good for all Catalans, it is not understood that Espanyol supporters 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 Espanyol supporters are also with Madrid? That’s a lie. We don’t have a second team nor are we affiliates of anyone. We are Espanyol supporters, period”.