Espanyol: The new Barcelona
Later on this season I shall be making a football pilgrimage to the home of the holders of the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona. Over the coming years I plan to visit all the major footballing arenas across the globe. From Wembley Stadium to the San Siro to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and one day the Estádio do Maracanã in Brazil. The list goes on. It is a long one, but a great one and my plan was to take in a match at Camp Nou this Autumn.
However, the logistics of my trip have clashed with the recent La Liga fixtures and instead of witnessing the Messi and Pep show at the Camp Nou I will instead be heading over to the other side of Barcelona and taking in RCD Espanyol v Tenerife. Some may see this as a disappointment, others a failure of organisation and planning and frankly a bit of a waste of time.
However, to me it is a footballing opportunity.
A chance to watch true La Liga football in Spain, with passionate and dedicated fans. This will not be the package trip to Madrid to sit in the corporate boxes or along-side the tourists, this will be real football. With all the glamour of the top 4 Premier League teams and the cash lighting up Madrid - I think more people should turn to the 'mid-table' teams if they really love the game.
Chances are that RCD Espanyol/Tenerife, Fulham/Wolves, Genoa/Bari or Cologne/Vfl Bochum would provide a clearer indication of the power of the top European leagues than the standard matches that happen at the tail end of the UEFA Champions League. Sure the players are not considered as good (they are probably earning a lot less than Cristiano Ronaldo) and get less headlines but that does not mean they can not play. We are still talking about elite professionals. For example, I will get to see Iván de la Peña, Carlos Kameni and Shunsuke Nakamura play for RCD Espanyol - all International footballers.
I am excited by RCD Espanyol v Tenerife and the true experience at the new Estadi Cornella-el Prat stadium, and I encourage others to not always be drawn to the flame of the glamour clubs - there is more out there to experience and enjoy within the game we all love.
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