Global Fútbol

Whenever Real Madrid and Barcelona face off, sports fans from every continent stop and turn their attention to Spain and on the biggest fixture in the LaLiga Santander calendar. No matter who comes out on top, all Spanish football is in the spotlight.

The other clubs of LaLiga stand to benefit from being in the slipstream of El Clásico, especially as the competition actively promotes all teams during the week of the big match. By hosting viewing parties at major global locations and by working with international media, LaLiga builds greater appetite for the Spanish game and the compelling football stories found all across the country.

For the March 2nd fixture at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, LaLiga once again organised global viewing parties, attended by thousands of football fans and ambassadors such as Fernando Redondo, Patrick Kluivert and Fernando Morientes. In India, fans were able to watch the game live on Facebook for the first time.

Meanwhile, in Madrid, other stories were being told.

As the viewing parties and Facebook broadcasts were being set up, LaLiga hosted journalists from Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, the UAE, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, the UK, the USA, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina on a five-day programme before the match to point them in the direction of the many exciting footballing stories that can be discovered in the other clubs of the capital.

“By showing global media how all five Madrid-based LaLiga Santander sides operate, we’re convinced they’ll leave the Spanish capital with a greater appreciation for the variety of footballing experiences that Madrid has to offer,” Joris Evers, Chief Communications Officer at LaLiga said of the visit.

Press attendees learned about Atlético Madrid through a tour of the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano and its cutting-edge technology, in addition to attending a Diego Simeone press conference. They got to know Rayo Vallecano by talking with first-team coach Míchel and attending training with the team from LaLiga Genuine, LaLiga’s professional competition for players with intellectual disabilities. They experienced Getafe by touring the stadium and holding a Q&A about the club’s work to boost its international profile. They got to know the vision of Leganés by touring its facilities and meeting the club’s CEO Martín Ortega. Then, the Real Madrid museum tour also enhanced their understanding of Los Blancos and the club’s success.

At the end of the week, these reporters attended El Clásico to see Barcelona win 1-0 thanks to Ivan Rakitić’s first half goal. At the same time in cities such as Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, big crowds gathered at LaLiga-themed parties to cheer their side through the 90 minutes.

The spectacle will always leave a lasting impression on those who see it, but thanks to LaLiga these audiences are increasingly aware that there is far more to Spanish football than its showpiece fixture.

“Blockbuster matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona capture headlines around the world, but there are other great matchups being held in LaLiga Santander every weekend across all of Spain,” Evers added.

“Our goal at LaLiga is to show that there are classic fixtures taking place in all 38 matchdays of the season.”