Hosts Real Sociedad walked away with the Basque Derby bragging rights on Sunday thanks to the electric Alexander Isak, who came on in the second half. But the encounter in itself was in sharp contrast to what you see or read about regarding the Premier League’s top derbies as well as something closer to home — the Kolkata Derby.
Both sets of fans started gathering near the Reale Arena four hours prior to kick-off. But what followed after was not something you get back home. Prior to arriving in the idyllic town of San Sebastian, there were expectations of witnessing a fiery contest, akin to what one reads in the newspapers. The animosity between both sides of Manchester or Liverpool is quite well known. Kolkata can get worse, especially if both clubs have a shot at silverware.
But lo and behold! Both sets of supporters arrived together, drank together in pubs, and were even seen smiling and engaging in friendly, civilised banter. “This is the norm here. The on-field contest can get quite tetchy but off the field, we are all one large family,” Javier, one of the fans who has been attending the contest for more than a decade, said outside the ground.
That didn’t stop the La Real supporters from letting their feelings known when Iker Muniain got a straight red! Fans of all ages, genders and quite a few physically challenged supporters came in to watch the game from both sides. With so many clubs in the country and giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona winning a title almost every year, these two have maintained their hardcore group thanks to their policy of trying to utilise home grown products.
While Athletic is known for fielding only Basque Country players, Sociedad have rich history of players from their youth academy of Zubieta making the first team. “The connection is built when they are kids. They know these clubs will give them a fair chance at making it to the top. Local connect can never be underestimated,” Real Sociedad academy director Luki Iriarte told this daily.
This is in contrast to what happens all across Europe and in India. While there are success stories a la Marcus Rashford, Kylian Mbappe, but seeing teams playing with so many players from the same region definitely deserves accolades. The Northeastern part of India has really done a commendable job but football in Bengal has not kept up with the times. While the price of admission to watch a live match can be a roadblock, the feeling of seeing someone from your neighborhood or even street score the winner can never be described in words. Until the next Basque Derby, which can be the King’s Cup final if things go as per plan, this reporter walks away with something quite special and with the belief that if you stick to your roots, anything is possible!