Picture of Don Santiago Bernabeu and Don Francisco Franco. 7 december 1960.
In this web site (http://www.footballderbies.com/stadium/index.php?id=13) you can find this text:
“ Barça's Nou Camp stadium ('New Ground' in Catalan) is the biggest stadium in Europe. It's a Catalan monument, you could say it's the national stadium of Catalonia. In Franco's days this was the only place where people could speak Catalan (which was forbidden) and where they could show their flag. The Bernabeu is also among the biggest stadia in Europe.”
If during Franco’s dictatorship Catalan was only allowed in the stadium of FC Barcelona, today, in our ‘democratic’ Spain, Franco’s dream to prohibit Catalan has a rebirth as Catalan has been forbidden in the stadium of FC Madrid.
The fact is, that Santiago Bernabeu is the only Stadium of the Champions that prohibits Catalan language. Catalan citizens can hear Catalan announcements in their mother tongue in any other match in Italy, UK, Ucraine, or any other country.
The reasons given for this prohibition are quite interesting:
First they said that there was nobody in the Stadium who understood Catalan, which is simply incorrect, as in a match with FC Barcelona thousands of Catalans travel to Madrid to see the match.
Then they said as both clubs are Spanish, it is not necessary to use another language than Spanish. Well, technically speaking this is also incorrect. Spain has 5 official languages and none of them can technically be seen as THE Spanish language. It is as incorrect as to speak of THE European language. But well, if we have to accept that they mean their language (the Castillian language) it still is no reason to prohibit Catalan as they allow any other language, even foreign languages.
The last reason they gave proves the hatred in Spain against Catalonia, its language and its culture: Madrid pressed UEFA and warned them of the riots that could arise if the public would hear the Catalan language.
Not a single foreign language is prohibited in Bernabeu. Not a single other language could lead to riots. Spain shall only accept us if we are an independent country. As long as we are part of Spain they shall try to assimilate us, to destroy our language and our culture and to turn us into Spaniards. And I am not saying that there is anything wrong with being Spanish, but you cannot ask a French citizen in his own country to abandon his language, culture and identity and become a German or British citizen. Exactly in the same way you cannot expect a Catalan citizen to abandon his language, culture, identity and adopt one that is not his.
Therefore, and unfortunately, one can take the conclusion that only if Catalonia becomes an independent state Bernabeu will not prohibit the Catalan language.
It is difficult to understand how on earth something like this can occur in a European country in the year 2011.
If you understand Catalan you can read it here:
http://www.racocatala.cat/forums/fil/141780/catala-prohibit-bernabeu-catalanofobia-no-racisme-pura-quotidianitat
If you understand Spanish you can read it here:
http://www.blaugranas.com/liga_de_campeones_el_catalan_prohibido_en_el_bernabeu-noticias_del_f_c_barcelona-ispyp-166621.htm
I did not find any English information on this matter.
