Watching football in Spain
Spain: a fan's guide for 2009-10
Why go to Spain? The country
We all knew Spanish football was good. It was technically wonderful, stylish, passionate, had the best players, and, unlike the Italian version, wasn't at times just plain boring.
Then a few short years ago the man they call Becks turned up and the British nation became even more hooked.
Well, he's headed off to a galaxy far, far away in LA, and the rest of the Galacticos have followed out of the door. But Spain continues to hold our attention and remains a firm favourite on Sky Sports with followers throughout the world.
La Liga is dominated by two clubs and has been for decades. But unlike, say Scotland, the mighty Real Madrid and Barcelona don't occupying first and second spot in the league as a matter of course. Indeed, frequently one or the other is not in the top two and they have been pipped to La Liga title by numerous other teams, most recently Valencia.
In 2008 it was the turn of Villereal to finish runners-up and push Barca into third.
In 2008-9 the tables turned and Barcelona walked away with La Liga and the Champions League. Now Real have hit back with massive signings - the season ahead looks promising.
Real Madrid are one of those clubs that can claim to be the most successful in the world, and they have the silverware to back that up. Barcelona have the biggest ground in Europe, and one of of the world's biggest fanbases. Take your pick on who to support.
It's big: The Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona
But there is much more to Spanish football than just the big two. Each city and region has a club it can call its own who, as mentioned above, can have their moment in the limelight. The skill level throughout La Liga puts the Premiership to shame at times. It has to be seen close up to be truly appreciated.
Taking in a football match in Spain is a different experience to home. The climate means most games take place at night - and it doesn't revolve around a pie and beer culture as much as it does in England and Germany. But I'm sure you'll do your best. And you might even be just a stone's throw from the beach.
Each club has its passionate home support but by and large trouble is rare. Seats remain very competitively priced, even at the bigger clubs, and you can usually pick up a ticket for all bar the big games.
The budget airline routes have really opened up Spain as a weekend option over the past decade so check out this guide and plan your trip.
La Liga map
Click here for a Google map with 2009-10 La Liga clubs and stadiums.
Your A to Z at a glance of all 20 La Liga clubs for the 2009-10 season is below.
Included is a basic idea of how to get there by plane - rail's an overnight option but a long haul - as well as a list of other clubs in the near (or sometimes not so near) vicinity.
Plus there's a link to the official website - taking you to an
English section where there is one, around half have them - and reviews, either on this site
(marked Eurofootballcities review) or on others.
La Liga website: It's in Spanish so good luck: www.lfp.es
UD Almeria (Almeria)
Stadium: Estadio de los Juegos (20,000)
Closest airports with UK links: Almeria, or Granda, Malaga, Murcia
Closest Spanish clubs: Malaga, Murcia (Segunda Div), Cartegena (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.udalmeriasad.com
Athletic Club (Bilbao)
Stadium: San Mames (40,000)
Closest airports: Bilbao, Vitoria, Santander, San Sebastian.
Closest Spanish clubs: Racing (Santander), Real Sociedad (Segunda Div), Real Union (Segunda Div) Osasuna.
Club website: www.athletic-club.net
Atletico de Madrid (Madrid)
Stadium: Vicente Calderon (55,000)
From main station: Metro, Line 1 to Callou, then Line 5 to Piramides or Marques de Vadillo
Closest airports with UK links: Madrid
Closest Spanish clubs: In city: Real Madrid, Getafe, Rayo (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.clubatleticodemadrid.com
http://www.clubatleticodemadrid.com/en/index.asp
Reviews:
http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2008/01/atletico-madrid-v-espanyol.html
Eurofootballcities review
FC Barcelona (Barcelona)
Stadium: Camp Nou (98,000)
From main station: Metro, five mins on L5 from Sants Estacio to Collblanc
Closest airports with UK links: Barcelona
Closest Spanish clubs: In City: Espanyol; and Gimnastic (Segunda Div, Girona (Segunda Div), also Valencia, Villerreal, Zaragoza
Club website: www.fcbarcelona.cat
Reviews:
Eurofootballcities.com
http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2009/01/barcelona-part-1.html
Espanyol (Barcelona)
Stadium: Estadio del RCD Espanyol (40,000)
From main station: Metro, L5 from Sants Estacio to Cornella Centre.
Closest airports: Barcelona
Closest Spanish clubs: In city: Barcelona; and Gimnastic (Segunda Div), Girona (Segunda Div), also Valencia, Villerreal, Zaragoza
Club website: www.rcdespanyol.com
Getafe CF (Getafe, Madrid)
Stadium: Coliseum Alfonso Perez (14,000)
From main station: From Madrid Atocha, Line 1 to Tribunal, Line 10 to Purta del Sur, Line 12 to Los Espartales. Or train to Las Margaritas - Universidad.
Closest airports with UK links: Madrid
Closest Spanish clubs: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Rayo (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.getafecf.com
RC Deportivo de La Coruna (Coruna)
Stadium: Riazor (33,597)
From main station: cc
Closest airports: A Coruna, Santiago, Vigo
Closest Spanish clubs: Sporting Gijon, Celta Vigo (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.canaldeportivo.com
Malaga CF (Malaga)
Stadium: La Rosaleda (29,000)
Closest airports: Malaga or Granada, Cadiz
Closest Spanish clubs: Xerez, Cadiz (Segunda Div), Sevilla, Real Betis (Segunda Div), Almeria
Club website: www.malagacf.com
CA Osasuna (Pamplona)
Stadium: Reyno de Navarra (19,000)
Closest airports: Pamplona, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Logrono.
Closest clubs: Real Sociedad (Segunda Div), Bilbao, Real Union (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.osasuna.es
http://www.osasuna.es/dev/?lang=3
RCD Mallorca (Palma de Mallorca)
Stadium: Ono Estadi (24,000)
Closest airports: Palma (Mallorca)
Closest Spanish clubs: None
Club website: www.rcdmallorca.es
Eurofootballcities review
Real Madrid CF (Madrid)
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu (80,000)
From main station: Metro, Line 1 to Tribunal, then Line 10 to Santiago Bernabeu
Closest airports: Madrid
Closest Spanish clubs: In city: Atletico Madrid, Getafe, Rayo (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.realmadrid.com
http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/Home.htm
Reviews:
Eurofootballcities.com
http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2008/03/magnificent-madrid.html
R Racing Club (Santander)
Stadium: El Sardinero (22,000)
Closest airports: Santander, Bilbao
Closest Spanish clubs: Bilbao, Gijon
Club website: www.realracingclub.es
Sevilla FC (Sevilla)
Stadium: Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan (42,000)
From main station: 5 mins walk from Santa Justa train station, or Tram T1 to Prado De San Sebastian, then 15 minute walk
Closest airports: Seville, or Cadiz, Malaga.
Closest Spanish Clubs: In city Real Betis (Segunda Div); Xerez, Cadiz (Segunda Div), Huelva (Segunda Div), Malaga.
Club website: www.sevillafc.es
Sporting Gijon (Gijon)
Stadium: El Molinon (26,000)
From main station: cc
Closest airports: Asturias, or Santander or Bilbao
Closest Spanish clubs: Santander
Club website: www.realsporting.com
CD Tenerife (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
Stadium: Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez (23,000)
Closest airport: Tenerife
Closest Spanish clubs: None
Club website: www.clubdeportivotenerife.es
Valencia CF (Valencia)
Stadium: Mestalla (52,000)
From main station: From Norte station, bus Line 10 in Ayuntamiento Square to Aragon Avenue, or Metro 5 to Aragon
Closest airports: Valencia, or Alicante or Murcia
Closest Spanish clubs: In city Levante (Segunda Div); Villarreal, Castellon (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.valenciacf.com
http://europeanfootballweekends.blogspot.com/2008/07/past-efw-classics-part-7.html
R Valladolid (Valladolid)
Stadium: Jose Zorrilla (26,000)
From main station: Bus station take F1 bus to stadium
Closest airports Valladolid, Burgos, Salamanca, Madrid
Closest Spanish clubs: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Getafe, Rayo (Segunda Div), Numancia (Segunda Div), Salamanca (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.realvalladolid.es/
Villarreal CF (Vila-real)
Stadium: El Madrigal (25,000)
Closest airports: Valencia, Alicante, Albacete.
Closest Spanish clubs: In city: Castellon (Segunda Div); Valencia, Levante (Segunda Div), Barcelona, Espanyol
Club website; www.villarrealcf.es
Xerez CD (Jerez)
Stadium: Chaplin (20,000)
Closest airports: Jerez, Rota, Sevilla, or Malaga
Closest Spanish clubs: Cadiz (Segunda Div), Sevilla, Real Betis (Segunda Div), Huelva (Segunda Div)
Club website: www.xerezcd.com
R Zaragoza (Zaragoza)
Stadium: La Romareda (35,000)
Closest airports: Zaragoza, Madrid, Barcelona
Closest Spanish clubs: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Getafe, Rayo (Segunda Div), Huesca (Segunda Div), Barcelona, Espanyol
Club website: www.realzaragoza.com
When's kick off? The season and game times
La Liga starts that bit later than England with the first round of fixtures kicking off te/ August/ early September. It's then games all the way through to the middle of May.
The vast majority of league games are played at weekends but keep an
eye out for an occasional round of midweek league matches. The Spanish
Cup, Copa Del Rey, is held in midweek but isn't as big a competition
as, say, the FA Cup.
The regular kick off time is 5pm local time on Sunday. However, at
least four matches will be scheduled for other times - 7pm and 9pm on
Saturday, and 7pm and 9pm on Sunday, for TV - most are screened on Sky
in England.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are televised as a matter of course.
However, the exact kick off times are not confirmed until little over a
week before the game. For this reason, bearing in mind the vast
majority of games are in Sunday and one late on, you would be advised
not to arrange your return until Monday.
One clue as to what the kick off times may be can come from European
games. If sides are in UEFA Cup action on the Thursday evening their
game is most likely to be on the Sunday - likewise if they are in
Champions League action the following Tuesday, you may find they play
on the preceding Saturday. This isn't set in stone though ...
On rare occasions, such as Easter, there
may be fewer games and the big two may be at home at 5pm on Sunday. One
note - whilst tickets for Barcelona games are usually easily available
(the Real Madrid clash excepted) due to the vase size of the Camp Nou,
families do turn out in force for 5pm Sunday kick offs so get there
early for ticket, and be prepared for the fact you may not get seats
together.