Four years ago – July 2017 – the Clásico (friendly) was played in Miami, at Hard Rock Stadium. There was nothing at stake, if not a stratospheric collection: 12 million dollars, to be divided in two. Pack your bags now and go. The challenge had a high-sounding name – “International Champions Cup” – and it was Miami Dolphins boss Stephen Ross who wanted it. The idea was that of a football “Superbowl” to be played in Miami every year. Then nothing came of it and the experiment was not followed up. In Italy it was broadcast late at night. However, it was a real match, as per tradition, in Barca there was Neymar who was eager to leave (and in fact that was the summer of the transfer to PSG for the unsurpassed figure of 22 million), while at Madrid – just think – there was talk of the imminent arrival of the very young Mbappè (who instead ended up at the PSG from Monaco). Valverde had just arrived on the Barca bench, he had taken the place of Luis Enrique. It ended 3-2 for Barca, a match decided by a goal from Piqué at the beginning of the second half.
In reality, the first Clásico played outside Spain dates back to May 31, 1982 and took place in Venezuela. Barcelona and Real were invited by the then President of the Republic, Luis Herrera Campìns, together with Inter and Porto. Barca and Real challenged each other at the Farid Richa of Barquisimeto, not in Caracas, as had been initially foreseen, in front of just under a thousand spectators, 700 say some sources. It was the 3rd place final. The football season was over, that summer the national teams were taking a run for the 1982 Mundial, which was to be played in Spain. Barcelona had just closed a great deal, with the signing of 22-year-old Diego Armando Maradona, who was in fact preparing for his first World Cup. Real sent the reserves to Venezuela, the most representative veteran was the median Vicente Del Bosque, pillar of Madrid, who a little less than thirty years later would become the coach of world champion Spain: it was he who scored the winning goal but – recently interviewed – he said he does not remember anything of that match. Same story at Barcelona, who showed up with some young people – Salva, Valor, Clos – who then didn’t have a career up to expectations. Nobody wanted to play that game. There was crazy humidity, the players reported that they were forced to shower 5-6 times a day. There was also the Danish international Alan Simonsen (Golden Ball in 1977), but he had a long nose: he would have been “cut” shortly thereafter to make room for Maradona. Final curiosity: as mentioned there was also Inter, who won the summer tournament dedicated to the President of Venezuela, beating Real 1-0 (Serena’s goal), and then Porto on penalties, after the 2-2 of the times regulation (Juary brace). The Nerazzurri were joined by Tacconi and Vignola dell’Avellino and Giovannelli from Roma.
Finally, it must be said that Clásico played – between 1959 and 1968 at the Carranza Tournament – also in Cadiz, then at the Mestalla in Valencia, at the Romareda in Zaragoza and in the home of Atletico Madrid. Tonight the curtain rises on another new field, Di Stefano.
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