Spain is a diverse country that combines social groups with different historical, political, linguistic and cultural traditions.
It is divided into autonomous communities, with legislative and administrative independence with parliaments and regional governments.
The regulations in each autonomy determine its name according to its historical and contemporary identity, the borders of its territory, the organization of government institutions and the rights granted to it according to the Spanish constitution.
According to the constitution, the Spanish nation is the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards, and is made up of nationalities and regions that the constitution recognizes and guarantees their right to self-governance, but it prohibits the declaration of complete independence from the state.
One of these autonomous communities is Catalonia whose capital is Barcelona.
The soccer culture is very important there, and the Barcelona soccer team is seen as representing Catalan values and among many, the team represents Catalonia at the international level.
The team was founded in 1899 by Juan Gamper, who was a Swiss footballer and founded football clubs in Switzerland and Catalonia.
At that time, soccer was a relatively new sport in the region, and no one could have predicted the huge impact the team would have on the city of Barcelona in particular and Catalonia in general.
Today, the team has over 145 million followers on social media, and is one of the most successful sports teams worldwide.
The team's influence on the Catalan nationalist sentiment is very great, and it is a source of identification and pride for the people of Catalonia who see it as much more than a football team.
The team has become a prominent Catalan cultural institution, and carries the motto "More than a club" (Més que un club), which means that the team does not represent the city and Catalonia from a sporting point of view only, but also socially and politically.
For many Catalans, their football team serves as a defender of the rights of freedom and democracy in Spain.
Historically, the group expressed a commitment to Catalonia and its people who suffered from the persecution of Spanish dictators during the 20th century, and supporting the group was the only way for Catalans to protest the oppressive regime of Franco.
Therefore, for many Catalans the group is seen as a defender of their culture, language and nation, as well as their nation's greatest ambassador to the world.
Gerard Pique.
The biggest Catalan icon in the current Barcelona squad, photo: AFP
The group even deliberately promotes Catalan nationalism by using the Catalan language, Catalan symbols, and the history of Catalan protest against Spanish nationalism.
The representation of Catalan values was officially recognized by the government of Catalonia, and the team was marked as the defender of Catalan culture and language also because all its official documents are written in Catalan and a symbol similar to the Catalan flag is used by the team's captain's armband.
As an expression of the connection of the club to the city, the symbol of the city of Barcelona is used as the symbol of the team.
Also, at times the members of the club publicly expressed the Catalans' ambition to obtain extended autonomy for Catalonia and even to separate from Spain completely, and also signed petitions supporting this.
The team's sporting rivalry with Real Madrid, known as "El Clásico", is a household name throughout the world.
Both clubs are among the richest and most successful in the world, both have a global fan base, and the football matches between them are among the most watched annual sporting events.
From the early days of Spanish football, the two teams were considered to represent two rival regions in Spain, Catalonia (Barcelona) and Castile (Madrid).
The long-standing rivalry of the two teams, who share the top of Spanish football, lies in the differences in the political positions of the fans of the two teams since the dictatorial rule of Franco.
Real Madrid and Barcelona.
A long-standing rivalry steeped in cultural history, photo: Getty Images
This rivalry phenomenon is still associated with social and political tensions, Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain and are identified with opposing political positions - Real Madrid is considered to represent Spanish nationalism and Barcelona is seen to represent Catalan nationalism.
The social ties forged on these occasions are often expressed in signs of collective identity and even translate into political activism.
Die-hard Barcelona fans are sure that they express the essence of the team and its true spirit and work to preserve and instill it.
Written by: Dr. Ofer Mokhtar, sports researcher and senior lecturer in the Department of Criminology at Ashkelon Academic College.
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