The 5-0 El Clásico Victory 2010

Lore & Background

The two clubs are among the oldest in the country, and have participated in every season of La Liga. Owing to this, as well as contesting nine finals of the Copa del Rey (in which they are the two most successful clubs), it is the third most-played football fixture in Spain, after the meetings of each with Real Madrid. The relationship has historically been fairly healthy aside from certain periods when competitiveness became hostility, such as in the early 1980s. By the turn of the 21st century, the rivalry had largely become a historical concept due to the disparity in the fortunes of the clubs and the lack of a local element, but their frequent meetings in matches of importance, including four Copa del Rey finals and three Supercopa fixtures in a dozen seasons, restored some relevancy.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the pristine pitch of the Bernabéu, casting long shadows as the referee blew the final whistle. The roar of the away section in the corner was deafening, a wall of blue and red sound that seemed to swallow the stadium whole. Xavi stood with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily, watching the Real Madrid players slump to their knees in disbelief. In that moment, the scoreline felt almost secondary; it was the sheer elegance of the performance that lingered. A stray ball rolled near the corner flag, and a young fan in the stands raised his scarf, tears streaming down his face, knowing he had just witnessed history being written in the most beautiful way possible.

Reader's Guide

Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona are both owned by their socios (members) who elect a president. They place great importance in developing local players through their cantera (youth systems), and were among the last major clubs to adopt a commercial sponsor logo on their jerseys (Athletic doing so in 2008 and Barcelona three years later). These two clubs are the most successful clubs in their respective regions of the Basque Country and Catalonia, both regions who have more support for separatism than other parts of Spain. As a result, these two clubs tend to identify themselves more with regional culture than with Spain as a whole, such as with Athletic's adherence to a unique 'Basque only' player policy and Barcelona's self proclaimed commitment to Catalan independence and identity.

Did You Know?

• The date of the first meeting between the two clubs is a matter of debate. The final of the 1902 Copa de la Coronación was played between Barcelona and Club Biscaya (a combined team of Athletic Club and Bilbao FC, which
• Barcelona suffered a 12–1 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in 1931 (Bata scoring seven in what still ranks as the biggest win in the history of La Liga).
• Athletic's prolific striker Zarra set multiple goalscoring records including most goals in the Athletic vs Barcelona fixture.