Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are clubs with contrasting identities and very different fates, a divide similar to other crosstown football rivalries such as the Manchester derby and Milan derby, but far more skewed than the latter due to Real's sporting success compared to Atlético. Historically, Real have long been seen as the establishment club. On the other side, Atlético was always characterized by a "sentimiento de rebeldía" — "a sense of rebellion" — although during the early Francisco Franco years, it was Atlético that was the preferred team of the regime, being associated with the military airforce. Franco, however, sought to make political capital out of Real's European Cup titles at a time when Spain was internationally isolated; said one minister, "Real Madrid are the best ambassadors we've ever had." Thus, Atlético fans regularly chanted that Real was "el equipo del gobierno, la vergüenza del país" — the team of the government, the shame of the country — and allegedly adopted a more left-wing slant (tempered by the rise of ultras culture, and Rayo Vallecano's presence as the "true" leftist club in Madrid). The Santiago Bernabéu, Real's stadium, is alongside banks and businesses on the classy Paseo de la Castellana street, and the Vicente Calderón can be found besides the new and really expensive park along the Manzanares River, near the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. Real draw greater support because of their historically greater resources and success, while Atlético claim to have a more working class fan base, which comes particularly from the south of the city.
cortesia wikipedia.org
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