114 years

This Tuesday 28th of October RCD Espanyol, my club, has celebrated its 114 anniversary. Wow! I really think it is incredible. A lot of clubs in Spain would like to be in our situation. Today I have been in a meeting with other clubs and we are the third oldest in the First Division behind Athletic Club and FC Barcelona. The third team in the First Division! I think that it is something incredible and that we have to feel proud of it.

114 years! Thanks to a group of students, RCD Espanyol became a reality. We have never been a winning team, we haven’t had the best players even though Zamora, Di Stefano or Kubala have played for us. Of course, we haven’t won many titles (four Spanish Cups) but I do think we have something different, something that makes us unique.

In a city like Barcelona where most people support FC Barcelona or even Real Madrid, for Espanyol’s supporters it is not easy. Normally at school you are the only one that supports RCD Espanyol. Usually, on Monday, when you go to work or to school you are unhappy because the team didn’t win. However, you still feel proud because is not everything about winning.

First rule: If you want to support a winning team don’t go for Espanyol. We normally finish the League with more defeats than victories, our best players have to live because the club needs to sell and we are not usually very lucky. But, as I wrote before, is not everything about winning.

I think that supporting RCD Espanyol gives you your own personality, it makes you stronger in front of those that think they have the power; we have to feel proud of what we are. A lot of clubs in Spain would like to have our stadium, our players, our history, and our professionals.
 

I don’t really know if the motto ‘Meravellosa Minoria’ (Marvelous minority) is the best to define us. I do know that we are different, that we are not millions like the big clubs but that is not something bad. The first thing to grow is have clear who we are, where we want to go and what makes so special.

In football you can win, lose or draw. A lot of teams are accustomed to lose; not many win titles but they have their unconditional fans that are always there. It looks like a lot of pericos have lost their passion; a lot look tired of losing... I can understand, but I would also ask them to remember, to have a look inside and see what makes us feel proud of supporting RCD Espanyol.
 

This Tuesday we have celebrated 114 years. It is not easy, because we find a lot of problems, of difficulties but we are still here and we want to stay forever. Obviously, we could do better, we could try to win more but I think that we have to insist in what makes us special. Not many clubs have lived what we have, not many of them would have survived. I know it is difficult I am 33 years old and I have lived FC Barcelona’s best performance. But that makes me stronger, prouder of being an Espanyol’s supporter. Pericos, remember, 114 years! Why don’t we celebrate and try to build a better future?

These things can’t happen

On Saturday I woke up and read this piece of news. Once I finished, I really felt sorry for that eight year old child. Children can be very cruel and they don’t have any problem to go against that person who is different or has different ideas. I really think it is terrible that kind of behaviour, and I am sure parents are responsible because children of that age usually repeat what they listen at home or hear from their parents.

Poor girl! Espanyol supporters are used to these type of things, but when you get to an age, it doesn’t affect you too much. However, I imagine that for an eight year old girl it has to be really terrible.

There are few things I would like to point out. First of all, I think it will not be fair that we say that in Catalonia Espanyol supporters live apartheid. Some of my best friends are FC Barcelona supporters and I don’t have any problems with them. I have always been the only perico supporter until I got to University and I didn’t have any problem.

It is true that Barcelona supporters are not able to understand what we feel and some of the situations that we live are totally unfair, but I do believe in respect. The good thing of being perico is that you grow stronger and, in a way, you become special but I also think that you can find stupid persons irrelevant which team they support.

What I really think that is disappointing and terrible is the teacher’s reaction. “They are only kids”. How can a teacher say that? He should address to all the class and explain that people are free to support any team they want, that it doesn’t make you worst or better and he should tell them that in life there are different opinions and feelings and all of them are respectable.

In this case, we are talking about football, but this is an example for many situations in life. I know that they are young; however, we have to build a society where everybody respects the other. What will these children think about someone gay? Or someone that doesn’t believe in a independent Catalonia?

As I said I haven’t had any problem for being an Espanyol supporter. It is something I am proud of and I always say when I talk about football. However, I am worried because I think that many times the big majorities forget that there are a lot of people that do not think alike and, in this sense, parents and teachers have a very important rol because they have to teach and explain that one of the best things in life is to find people who have other feelings thoughts or views.

It is true that lately if you are not with the majority you feel alone and IT shouldn’t be like that. In a world that is getting more and more global, people should be more open minded and respect the other. As you can read in the article, we have a lot of work to do.