Real Madrid During Francoist Spain and Fuel to the Fire of the El Clásico Rivalry:

General Francisco Franco seized power from the Spanish Republic in 1936 amidst the wave of fascist movements across Europe, forming a dark spot in Spain’s history.  While Franco’s reign from the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 until his death in 1975 was undoubtedly a dictatorship with paramilitary influence and mass centralization, it is not entirely seen as fascist in many contexts due to its focus on Christian religion and its more heterogeneous ideology that did not implement racial eugenics like Nazi Germany did.  However, the majority of Franco’s supporters embodied fascism, as the Falange preached ideals of corporatism, extensive land reform, and the nationalization of banking services.  As Franco implemented these practices throughout his 36-year rule, widespread oppression and human rights violations plagued the culturally diverse region that is Spain.  Since Franco ran his authoritarian operations through the nation’s capital of Madrid, Real Madrid often receives pushback regarding favoritism from and association with the regime, mostly from their Catalonian adversaries, FC Barcelona.  

Real Madrid has always been subject to bureaucratic support, given their name, which was granted to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920.  Although Real, or “royal” in Spanish, was dropped from the club’s title in 1931 after the Spanish Republic was instituted, Los Blancos restored their previous emblem and name in 1941, coincidentally, when Franco was in power.  During the Republic in Spain in the early 1930s, Catalonia and the Basque region practically obtained self-autonomy, which was reverted during Francoist Spain, creating further tension with the capital city.  Thus, Real Madrid became further linked to the regime by being at the forefront of Spanish and Madrid football, creating a complicated narrative the club is still scarred by.  

Contrary to popular narratives, Real Madrid struggled during the early years of Franco’s rule, as the club was subject to bombings and players forced into exile by the regime in the 1940s.  When Santiago Bernabéu took over as club president in 1943, he sought to revive the famous squad and soon positioned it as a European powerhouse in the 1950s when they began to amass European Cup championships.  Compared to other prestigious Spanish clubs such as FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid won 14 league titles during the Franco era, relative to Barcelona’s 8 and Atlético’s 7.  Furthermore, the Copa del Rey, which became the Copa del Generalísimo under Franco, further fueled the fire of Barcelona’s beliefs of governmental bias and even referee partiality.  The rivals matched up in the 1943 semifinals, and Barcelona left victorious after the first leg with a 3-0 result.  However, the second leg is a different story.  Madrid went up 8-0 at halftime, and ended the semifinal notching three more goals.  The final on aggregate was 11-4.  As one of the most notable games in global football history, Catalonia used this match to transcend football, becoming a mark of political and cultural tension. 

As commonly stereotyped by Barcelona supporters, Real Madrid was successful because of Franco’s sponsorship, but the reality is flipped.  Franco favored Real Madrid because they were the best.  The club received criticism because its image reflected what the Franco regime wanted to represent– that being robust and centralized power in the Castilian region of Spain.  However, Real Madrid had to deal with similar, if not, intensified experiences of the regime, since they were located at the epicenter of the dictatorship.  The club’s reputation was manipulated by Franco to idealize his vision of a Spanish national identity.  The Catalonian independence in the present day is a different political story, but the pettiness between the two rivals has perpetuated from both club’s origins.  Barcelona fans still express their loathing for Real Madrid through their political dissension and cultural differences.  

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol played their first official match against FC Barcelona on May 13, 1902, in honor of the coronation of King Alfonso XIII.  Madrid lost the match 3-1, but the narrative of favoritism from monarchies or authorities formed a symbol for the Catalans for the following decades.  To this day, Real Madrid’s elitism is bashed, as they are suspected to have the referees on their side or that matches are fixed in their favor.  The opposite of that narrative presented itself in the 2025 Copa del Rey final, as a dive from Barcelona’s Eric Garcia in the final minutes of the match effectively granted the title to the Catalans.  As the heated rivalry currently continues, Real Madrid is still depicted in a dark light regarding the Franco era.  This narrative is exaggerated, and represents football’s ability to inform politics, identities, and cultural phenomena.

Citations:

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Kelly, Ryan. “General Franco, Real Madrid & the King: The History Behind Club’s Link to Spain’s Establishment.” Goal.Com US, Goal.com, 19 Sept. 2023, www.goal.com/en-us/news/general-franco-real-madrid-king-history-behind-clubs-link-spain-establishment/fcoqldp8h2bb1841o2rspmuhe. 

Kevin Passmore:Fascism: A Very Short Introduction(Oxford: Oxford University Press,

second, revised edition, 2014)

“The Twenty-Six Point Program of the Falange” (1934)

Grez, Matias. “A Corruption Scandal, Accusations of Favoritism and Franco’s Regime: Real Madrid and Barcelona in War of Words over Spain’s Fascist Past.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Apr. 2023, edition.cnn.com/2023/04/19/football/real-madrid-barcelona-referee-scandal-franco-regime-spt-intl/index.html. 

Meher, Shehzan. “General Franco’s Real Madrid? Debunking the Myth of ‘Regime’s Club.’” General Franco’s Real Madrid? Debunking the Myth of “Regime’s Club” -, 19 Sept. 2024, footytimes.com/general-francos-real-madrid-debunking-the-myth-of-regimes-club/. 

“History of Real Madrid CF.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 May 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Real_Madrid_CF. 

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