Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (R) walks past Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: REUTERS/Albert GeaReal Madrid host Barcelona on Saturday (1200 GMT) in a match more laced with political tension than normal in the aftermath of local elections in Catalonia on Thursday called by the Spanish government to try and dissuade a drive for independence in the region.
Here, AFP Sports looks at five other matches where political influence has hung over El Clasico.
Barca’s record defeat
In June of 1943 Barca travelled to Madrid holding a 3-0 first leg lead in the semi-finals of the General’s Cup, a precursor to today’s Copa del Rey.
Barca didn’t just not make the final, they were smashed 11-1 in a record El Clasico defeat that remains to this day.
As the name of the trophy suggests, it was in the early years of General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship after Spain’s brutal civil war (1936-1939).
Five Political El Clasico Clashes
