Unless the Copa del Rey or Champions League say otherwise, Madrid Derby held on 20th November, 2016 was the last one at the Vicente Calderon. Memories were surging through fans’ minds, with the rivalry between the two big clubs in Madrid existing for over a century. The Calderon bearing witness to this local clash for the past fifty years. During this period the encounter has become a little tepid, and not so long ago Atlético were more like stragglers. But that pattern has now faded away. Simeone has rejuvenated this Atlético side and the city has been given back something to cherish.

It will be the 159th time Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have squared off in Spain’s Primera since the inception of the rivalry in 1928. Atlético are set to move into their new stadium, La Peineta, next season.

The Rivalry

Real Madrid and the Atlético Madrid are the clubs which are both based on different cultural stereotypes and both the teams were formed out of the Madrid’s own soil. Real Madrid had already been formed in 1902 by the Graduates of Oxford and Cambridge. It was formed with the sole aim of the promotion of the football culture in the heartland of Madrid. But, seeing this the local Basque students with the help of the local brewers and workers and local youth, the Club Atlético de Madrid was formed in 1903.

Santiago Bernabeu is situated alongside banks and businesses on the upper-class street, whereas Vicente Calderon is structured near a brewery along the Manzanares river. Real obviously has a stronger backing than the Rojiblancos as a result of their immense success in Spain and Europe while Atlético’s major fan base comes from working class or labour based fan following.

Both the clubs had contrasting histories to their fate as Real Madrid enjoyed a successful period since the 1950s and became one of the most successful clubs in the world. Real’s success brought in a lot of money for them which resulted in a one-sided affair in the Madrid derby for a long time.

The money saw a giant leap of the then Real Madrid, consisting of the players like De Stefano, Puskas, Gento, Raymond Kapa, Santamaria, considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time.

Recent Upsurge of Atletico Madrid

Real enjoyed utter domination over their rivals for 14 years but the tables have turned and they have not won a league derby since Jose Mourinho oversaw a 2-1 win at the Calderon in 2013. Atlético have won four and drawn two of the last seven league derbies, just one demonstration of how charismatic Argentine coach Diego Simeone has transformed the fortunes of the sleeping giants.

The matches have started to become more closely contested since the arrival of Diego Simeone as manager of Atlético Madrid with the Rojiblancos having the upper hand against their bitter rivals in recent seasons.

The Madrid derby has seen some memorable encounters over its long history with the two teams competing in two Champions League finals recently. Another great encounter was in 2013 when Atlético finally broke their Bernabeu hoodoo and won the Copa Del Rey final against Real.

Special Moment

One historic encounter which stands as a special one between the two is the league game in 1996-97 season where a certain Raul Gonzalez, the 19-year-old homegrown talent of Real, took the game by the scruff of its neck and turned the tide in Real’s favour. The game had added importance as Real were fighting for the league title with Barcelona whereas Atlético were the current double holders.

As a 14-year-old, Raul was released by Atlético Madrid in 1992 and deemed not good enough for the team. Within five years of his exit from Atletico, the young Spanish sensation was back to haunt his youth side as he did on many occasions and establish himself as one of Real Madrid’s greats.

Though Real Madrid-Barcelona is a more historic rivalry, the recent history of Real Madrid – Atlético Madrid is one that has had repercussions both in La Liga and European football’s premier competition.

The derby receives similar regards as that of the Milan derby or the Manchester Derby or the London Derby.

But even if everything changed, both the clubs have carried out the legacies of the cultural differences of the same city in a unique way. Real Madrid and Atlético are clubs with contrasting identities and very different fates. Historically, Real have long been seen as the established club. On the other side, Atlético was always characterized by “sentimiento de rebeldía” (feeling of rebellion).

Picture Courtesy: World Soccer

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