Many people here claim that Catalonia is not Spain. Others say that there is a silent majority who feel more Spanish than Catalan. But tonight nobody seems to want to be silent. Vilanova i la Geltrú has an unbelievable number of roundabouts and that is where people celebrate right now – driving around with Spanish flags in their hands.
Spain – Germany 1-0. What a fantastic EuroCopa it has been and what a victory - and revenge - for the Spain team and their coach Luís Aragonés. Not only the Spanish press thinks that we (am I a part of this?) deserved to win tonight. So do Swedish media, so do the Danish and, yes, even the Catalan ones. ¡Viva España!
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Goso dir-ho: ¡Viva España! És el que he sentit jo (un estranger de Suècia, un país tan petit que tampoc somiem amb victories de grans copes de futbol) durant els últims partits d’aquesta magnífica EuroCopa i és el que, obviament, han sentit altres vilanovins, persones que veig tots els dies i que normalment em parlen en català.
La selecció espanyola ha jugat d’una manera tan bona que tota Europa s’ha impressionat. Victories de països democratics, com Espanya (un fort contrast amb això que en breu veurem a Xina) no se celebren per raons polítiques, se celebren per raons esportives. Felicitem-los als jugadors i felicitem-lo al Luís Aragonés. Espanya – ara som campeons d’Europa.
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Related media: CAT: Avui 1 2; ESP: LaVanguardia 1 2 3; SWE: DN 1 2 3 4, Sydsvenskan 1 2; DAN: Politiken 1 2 3.
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3 comments:
You know, is true that we live around people with many kind of feelings regarding Spain or Catalonia, for some catalans, it gets heavy all that, as not having rights for having such a national team, for sure things would jave been different if the match would have been Germany-Catalonia. It is surprising that spanish 'patriothism' that suddenly came through out the veins of catalan inhabitants, or probably some of us just wants to be blind with the spanish feelings here in Catalonia. The truth is that I do not understand those one who declares two feelings...just like loving to women at the same time...
Carles,
A match between Catalonia and Germany would of course have stirred up stronger emotions in Catalonia, then the final as it now was. On the other hand, Catalonia - as a separate team - would probably not be as successful as the Spain team has proved to be. Compare the England and Scotland teams.
You certainly can cheer for two teams at the same time, as long as they do not play agains each other. In the group play, I wanted for Spain to win all matches except for the one against Sweden, and then when Sweden was out, my feelings with my initially second team grew stronger.
Or, a different example: According to a survey in the Danish newpaper Politiken (Denmark did not qualify to Euro2008), the Danes initially wanted for Sweden to win, and then switched to the Netherlands, when Sweden was not in the game any longer.
I was about to say that this tendency to "accept second best" probably exists in love as well, but that is to take the discussion much too far. ;-)
//Erik
You are quite right, a Catalonia- Germany game would be cool but honestly speaking who in their right mind would play for them having a Spanish shirt? Nobody. we'll end up with cases like Ryan Giggs who decided to play for Wales just to "p" off his dad. Certainly one way to waste your international career.
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