The Showdown: Culés vs. Meringues

I have failed to post about a serious issue that divides the entire country of Spain. During my stay I have encountered this division first hand. This division is the ultimate choice that every Spaniard must make: FC Barcelona or Real Madrid. I'm talking about fútbol, of course.

I don't know the history of the rivalry between Madrid and Barça, but the feud runs deep. Maybe they are just the biggest teams in Spain. Maybe these teams are the two best in all of Spain. All I know is that even people who know nothing about the sport still know about Ronaldo and Messi.


Like most people who aren't partial about sports in general (or just because I'm a girl,) my decision was destined to be based on something arbitrary (Cristiano Ronaldo is hot, Barca colors resemble the American flag, etc.) But I was determined to stay neutral for the sake of my students (and my own personal safety.) This was successful until my trip to Barcelona, when I absolutely fell in love with the city. The weather, the architecture, the Mediterranean, the vibe.. It was all me. So that's when I sealed my fate and bought my first Messi #10 FCB jersey.

The Real Madrid fans are known as "meringues" because of their pure white jerseys. FCB fans are called "culés" (asses) because in one of the club's first stadiums, fans sat on the outermost wall, lending a view of all their butts to passers-by.

Little did I know that my village was strongly in favor of white, as I began walking around in red and blue. Needless to say, the first time I wore my jersey in public, during the last week of school, I felt the wrath of the Real Madrid majority in CRA Pinar Grande. Whoa. Not a joke, let me tell you.

BARCAAAAA!