The Ideology of Regionalism in Football in Spain

Sa？etak Over the last ten years football has become one of most popular sports in Spain while certain autonomous communities' demands for independence have remained high since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s. The ideology of regionalism has manifested in football stadiums built mostly across the Basque County and Catalonia, less so in Galicia. The loudest advocates for Basque and Catalan independence are the faithful football fans of FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. They continue to fight against the centralism imposed during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. In Galicia, the desire for independence is weaker due to the unfavourable economic situation in the region. The author attempts to explain the connection between regionalism and football and the consequences it entails through a historical overview of the emergence of regionalism and an analysis of the events and opinions of three clubs (FC Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coru？a) and their fans