Do Barcelona have a strong case for Catalan independence?

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FC Barcelona has acted as a pillar of Catalan identity for many years, hence the club motto ‘Més que un club’ – translated into English as ‘more than a club’. Support for the Catalan independence movement has been growing in recent years, with the club itself increasingly being used as a mouthpiece for the cause. However, what role does the football club play in this debate, and what would independence really mean for the club?

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The idea of Catalan separatism has its roots in the view that Catalonia is a nation, with its own culture and language, independent to that of Spain. Historically a part of Spain since the early 1500s, the first unsuccessful attempt at a Catalan Republic came in 1640 after the Reaper’s War, when Catalonia defeated Philip IV and declared independence under French protection for twelve years. However, in 1714 the city fell to Philip V, who then went on to abolish the political institutions of Catalonia, as well as banning Catalan in schools. This is something that has not been forgotten in the region to this day; Camp Nou commemorates the last time Catalonia had independence at every home match when, after 17 minutes and 14 seconds, the Catalan independence chant can be heard echoing around the ground.

During the 19th century, there was a resurgence in Catalan identity. This period also saw an increased effort to revive the Catalan language, as well as pushes for increased autonomy for the region. This wave of pressure continued into the following century, and in 1914, a Catalan parliament was established, but was subsequently abolished by dictator General Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1925.

After the demise of Primo de Rivera and the arrival of the Second Republic, Catalonia was granted autonomous government. However, the Spanish Civil War and rise of fascist dictator General Francisco Franco in the 1930s brought a swift end to Catalan aspirations. During the war, which took place between 1936 and 1939, Barcelona was an important Republican stronghold in the fight against Franco’s Falangist troops.

Franco based his political ideology on Spanish nationalism and heavily discouraged regional cultures, particularly those regions who had attempted to resist him during the war. In an attempt to further suppress regional identity, Catalan language and culture was again legally banned during the dark days of the regime. Catalonia suffered desperately under fascist rule as Franco’s contempt for the region manifested itself in many different ways. However, following the death of Franco in 1975, Catalonia now has significant autonomous powers but recent polls suggest that the majority of Catalans actually want independence.

In September 2012, a Catalan independence demonstration was held in central Barcelona. It was estimated that around 1.5 million people attended the demonstration in support of a new independent state within the European Union. This was widely viewed as a turning point in the debate on independence, paving the way for the Catalan self-determination referendum, which took place in November 2014. In truth, it turned out to be more of an opinion poll than a referendum, with the constitutional court declaring the process unconstitutional. This meant that the result of the vote would have no outcome politically other than acting as a dress rehearsal for a potential constitutionally approved vote on the subject in future. The turnout of this unofficial referendum was fairly low at 42%, however, of those that did vote 81% supported the idea of an independent Catalan state.

Since then, the debate over whether an official referendum on Catalan independence, similar to that of Scotland in 2014, should be called has been re-opened. However, despite the increasing pressure, the Spanish government still remains obstinate in its stance against the idea.

Football matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid transcend football. Not only are they the two wealthiest, most decorated clubs in Spain, hailing from the two biggest cities, but Real Madrid are historically seen by those within Catalonia as being the team of their greatest foe, General Franco. As the capital of Spain, Madrid has always been perceived by Catalans as being representative of the regimes that have ruled there over the years. Therefore, the games between the two clubs have always been heavily infused with politics, and, for Catalans, are seen as a safe way of expressing their identity, as well as a rare opportunity to exact revenge on those who have oppressed them.

In recent years, under the presidency of Joan Laporta, the club has been used much more often as a vehicle for expressing the case for an independent Catalonia. Catalan flags have become an increasingly common sight around Camp Nou, with club officials such as Laporta embracing the usage of them. However, Laporta is not the only significant figure within the football club to speak out in support of Catalan independence. In recent years, Gerard Pique has been mercilessly jeered by his own supporters when turning out for the Spanish national team after expressing his support for the independence campaign. Incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, and the late Johan Cruyff are another two extremely high profile individuals who have thrown their weight behind the Catalan cause in recent years.

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The relationship between Barcelona and its supporters is unlike any other in world football. Catalans define and express themselves through their attachment to the club, and their rivalry with Madrid, and ultimately Spain. However, if the desire of Catalans to become Europe’s next state were to become a reality, what would the implications be for Barcelona and Spanish football in general? Would Barcelona still be able to play in the Spanish league?

Earlier this year, in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, La Liga president Javier Tebas, suggested that in the event of Catalan independence, the region’s clubs, such as Barcelona and Espanyol, would not be able to compete in the Spanish leagues, “I will do what the law tells me to do: They cannot play in the Spanish League. If football represents national cohesion and Catalonia are no longer Spain, the Catalan clubs may not play in what is left of Spain.”

However, despite Tebas’s comments, there are no rules stating that clubs from Catalonia cannot compete in Spanish competition. Why? Because Catalonia as a nation does not exist yet, and therefore a similar arrangement to that of Andorran clubs could surely take place should the Spanish authorities wish to do so. FC Andorra compete in the lower leagues of the Spanish football pyramid, ironically in the Catalan section of the fifth tier. In fact, there are many examples of clubs competing in leagues which are not in their own country, notably Wales’ Swansea City and Cardiff City in England, and Monaco playing in Ligue 1 in France.

One option which has been suggested by Joan Laporta, has been that in the event of Catalan Independence, Barca could end up joining Ligue 1 themselves. Catalonia has close historical ties with France, dating back hundreds of years, and the move would surely be welcomed by Paris Saint Germain, who in recent years have established a monopoly on French football. Potential fixtures between Barcelona and the likes of Lyon, Lille, and Bordeaux would certainly be an attractive prospect for French football, and senior French officials also appear to be on board with the idea, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls extending the offer of footballing asylum to the club last year.

The concept of a European ‘super league’ is one that has been thrown around for a number of years now. Whilst the idea is yet to take off the ground yet, the inception of such a league over the next few seasons could also prove to be a very timely escape route for Barca.

Should Catalan independence become a reality, and Tebas keep to his word in expelling Catalan clubs from La Liga, then Barca would presumably be forced to join a newly formed Catalan league, outside of the Spanish footballing pyramid. This would be similar to that which operates in Gibraltar, and would mean Barcelona’s closest challengers would be their city rivals Espanyol, followed by current Segunda Division sides Gimnàstic and Girona. Hardly competitive, right? It is extremely hard to foresee the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar or Luis Suarez sticking around for very long in a division where, if there were to be 18 teams competing within it, Barcelona’s own B team would finish comfortably in mid-table. It would be almost impossible to attract the world’s top names to play in such a division, and Barcelona are unlikely to want to give up their position in the world’s elite for such a prospect.

Despite Tebas’s comments, it is certainly not in the interests of the Spanish League for Barcelona to be expelled, especially considering the fact that El Classico is undoubtedly the biggest asset that the league possesses. Without Barcelona and their star players, La Liga does not have the same pull when it comes to attracting television deals from around the world. Whilst Atletico Madrid’s recent ascent to the top table of European football suggests that a Barcelona-less La Liga wouldn’t mean Real dominating the Spanish game on their own, it would surely leave the the division in a worse position when it comes to competing with the money being pumped into the English game.

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As for Real, the symbiotic nature of the relationship between the two clubs means that despite the rivalry, they will have their fingers crossed that in the event of Catalan independence, Barca remain in La Liga. Put simply, Real and Barca need one another. They each feed off the success of the other, always trying to one up their rival in terms of silverware, marquee signings and shirt sales around the world. El Clasico is one of the most watched fixtures in world football, with millions around the globe tuning into their regular encounters. Although there are many other intense, highly appealing games in the division, such as the Seville or Basque derbies, it is El Clasico that is by far the most attractive overseas. Without that game on the calendar, La Liga would struggle to attract television deals from around the world, therefore having a knock on effect throughout the league in terms of income.

Despite their ever-increasing global appeal, Barca’s loyalty will always lie with its supporters and its Catalan roots. However, for a part of the world that defines itself by the passion directed towards its football team, would the benefits of independence be worth the footballing sacrifice, or is it simply a case of be careful what you wish for?

By Tom George

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