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FC Bayern Muenchen v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: First Leg
Lionel Messi takes on Franck Ribéry in the first leg of the Barcelona v Bayern Munich semi-final. Photograph: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
Lionel Messi takes on Franck Ribéry in the first leg of the Barcelona v Bayern Munich semi-final. Photograph: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images

It's Spain v Germany – in football as in life

This article is more than 10 years old
The Champions League semi-final clashes mirror Europe's political tensions in uncomfortable fashion for Spain

After many years of untenable economic growth, the current crisis is slowly but surely turning my home country of Spain into a place where average families struggle to get to the end of the month due to a deadly combination of shrinking wages and disproportionate inflation.

The situation is far from ideal, to say the least. The Iberian country has been in recession for three consecutive years; unemployment has now reached a whopping 27% (including a desperate 50% within the 18- to 29-year-old bracket); wages have dropped by 30%; foreign investment is 35% lower than in any other major eurozone country. The list of disheartening facts is endless and, to be honest, I'm sure you get the idea: day-to-day life isn't as easy as it used to be.

It is in difficult moments like this that people distract themselves in an attempt to not overly worry about daily miseries and pressures. For some, that may possibly be enjoying a relaxing walk on gorgeous beaches. Others opt for enjoying quality time with their loved ones or, for the younger generation, go out clubbing until the early hours of the following morning. Unfortunately, criticising the latest government changes and complaining about its below-par performances is also becoming one of the country's favourite pastimes.

But, above all, there is one topic that the majority of Spaniards either have a passion for or at least have sufficient knowledge of to express an informed opinion on: football. The way in which the beautiful game sparks lively conversations is second to none.

The top two teams in La Liga have managed to progress all the way to the Champions League semi-finals, only to be faced with a double-header against two remarkably powerful German heavyweights: Barcelona v Bayern Munich; Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund, making these semi-finals a Spain v Germany affair.

While I would normally be against mixing politics and sport, the undeniable truth is that the economic crisis is the background to these clashes.

Real Madrid proudly represents the view of Spain as a united nation firmly faced towards the guidance of the central government. In the not-so-distant past, the team's successes were astutely used by former leaders to turn the masses' attention away from controversial political decisions and towards more, let's say, trivial matters. Los Blancos' tremendous achievements at European level in the late 50s and early 60s were definitely welcome by those in charge of the country at the time.

On the other hand, there's the Catalan nature of FC Barcelona. For many decades now, the Blaugranas have carried the region's flag tall and proud, often using it as a symbol to show their disagreement with the centralised vision that the central Spanish government has shared over the years. The recent success at domestic and European level, together with the omnipresent shouts for independence both in and around the majestic Camp Nou stadium, have certainly helped to promote their supporters' strong views on what steps Catalonia should take in the future.

Germany are calling many of the shots within the European union, driven by the determined views of chancellor Angela Merkel. In clear contrast, Spain's role on the continent is becoming less influential by the minute, with the president, Mariano Rajoy, dealing with ferocious criticism from virtually every sector of his country on a regular basis, and feeling exceedingly powerless to improve the situation as quickly as he would have hoped for when he took office in December 2011.

Beating the powerful Germans in a Champions League semi-final would definitely not solve the country's problems, but it would bring a much-needed morale boost to millions of Spaniards who have seen their quality of life unexpectedly worsened in recent times.

Would an El Clásico final have further united or divide Spain? With Barcelona facing a 4:0 deficit tonight and Real Madrid unable to clinch their tie on Tuesday, we will have to wait until next season to find out.

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