really?
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Jeez HotSauce23, you asked a deep question for a footy thread.
Think of Catalonia to Spain like Scotland is to England. Also Catalan the language is much different from Spanish. Catalan is not a dialect of Spanish. If I remember correctly, Catalan has more in common with French then it does the Spanish language. There are 9 or 10 million people that speak Catalan. Also, those that speak Catalan also speak Spanish.
The roots of Catalan nationalism actually date back to the 1600-1700s or so & intensified under the fascist rule of Franco who outlawed any Catalan cultural identity including Catalan celebrations & the language itself. There were periods of time Barcelona were barred from playing in competition for as long as six months under the Franco regime.
There were referendums some time ago (2007, 2008, or 2009?) that granted Catalonia some autonomy. They even have their own police force. The movement to actual independence is growing stronger. I think I read there is another referendum coming in 2014.
How does this relate to FC Barcelona? The club was started in 1899 made up of the team & club supporters that were registered members that helped the team economically (funding everything from the team salaries to it's first large capacity stadium in 1922). These members were comprised of Catalans.
During the civil war in the early or mid 1900s, some players, executives, & members for the Blaugrana & Athletic Bilbao went on to fight against the military uprising that occurred in Spain. There were times where the team was shut down by the Spanish government for long periods of time.
It's this history that gave birth to the club motto "Més que un club" (More than a club).
There is a lot of detail I didn't go over, but that's kinda of it in a nutshell. If I left anything out or if any NTers feel they need to clarify anything I wrote, please feel free to.
So not to derail this thread & since I mentioned Athletic Bilbao, here are their new shirts for 2013-2014.
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Nike Premier Soccer Boot: Vintage Aesthetics, Innovative Tech
by Sir Lucas Leftfoot May 31, 2013
Nike continues a rather impressive week of association football footwear today, with the unveiling of the innovative new Nike Premier soccer boot, a model that blends vintage aesthetics with cutting edge technology.
The Nike Premier’s classic look is inspired by two timeless boots: the 1971 model called simply “The Nike,” the very first shoe that the Swoosh ever adorned, and the Nike Tiempo Premier, a boot so well-regarded that 10 players in the 1994 World Cup final laced it up.
In terms of performance, the shoe features an almost barefoot level of touch and feel, thanks to the anatomically-designed foot last also seen on the new Hypervenom boot. The last eliminates excess material, bringing the foot closer to the ground and the ball than ever before.
And then there’s that beautifully premium upper, which sets a new standard for leather soccer boots thanks to its superlative level of softness and feel.
Below that, a sole plate perfectly combines a flexible forefoot with a stable midfoot, enabling a perfect range of motion and ideal traction on any surface.
The Nike Premier soccer boot releases in North America June 1st and globally July 1st.
Inspired by:
Nike Tiempo Premier
“The Nike” Soccer Boot
I hate what Nike did to Umbro but I can't front, those England Aways are sick
