Sunday 25 May 2014

Morbo

Coca-Cola launched a new advertising campaign a couple of weeks before the 2014 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Athlético Madrid. Here it is (link to Marca.com/Youtube):



Below is a transcription and following that a translation, but I know, being the serious student you are, you'll be doing all that yourself...

Transcription:

Papa, Podemos tener una charlar de hijo a padre?
Sí, claro.
Veras, papa, aunque para mama y para ti,
siempre seré vuestro pequiñín, ya he crecido.
El mes pasado cumple doce,
Me hago la cama, 
eligo mi ropa
Y hasta me quedo con Marco
cuando salís.
Solo quiero que entendáis que
soy capaz de elegir mis cosas.
Si, Jose
Se nota que has hecho mayor.
Y, bueno, en fin, lo que queria decirte es que,
me he hecho del Atleti.
Como?
Sé que tendré que aprenderme una alineación nueva,
Que ya no podremos ir juntos a la peña que fundó el tío
que tendré que regalar el carné de socio que me hiciste cuando nací.
Pero, no hay nada que pueda hacer,
Mi corazón ahora es de Athlético, papa.
Santi! Vienes a jugar?
Ya veo que has crecido,
supongo que no puedo hacer nada?
No, y ahora, cómo se lo decimos al abuelo?
Tranquilo ya sé nos ocurrira algo. 

And now the translation:

Dad, Can we have a chat, son to father?
Of course.
You see, dad, although for mum and you,
I'll always be your little one, now I've grown.
Last month I was 12 years old.
I make my own bed,
Choose my clothes.
And I even babysit for Marco when you two go out.
I only want that you understand that
I'm able to choose my things,
Yes, Jose,
I've noticed that you've got older.
And, well, to sum up, because what I want to say to you is,
I now support Athletico (Madrid).
What?
I know I'll have to learn a new lineup,
And that we can't go any more to the club that uncle founded,
And that I'll have to give away the membership card 
that you got me when I was born,
But, there's nothing that I can do.
My heart now is with Athletico, dad.
Santi, are you coming to play?
Now I see that you've grown
I suppose that I can't do anything.
No, and now, how are we going to tell grandad?
Relax, I know we'll think of something.

Great ad. But now for the morbo...

Phil Ball's excellent book on Spanish football of the same name (Morbo, When Saturday Comes Books Ltd, 2003) spends 21 pages trying to define this elusive Spanish word. This ad, and the background to it, will illustrate morbo nicely.

Real Madrid and Athlético Madrid are city rivals, but the real rivalry in Spain is, of course, Real and Barcelona. Atleti are very much the poor relations in terms of Madrid inter-city rivalry. Real had won the Champions League (European Cup) nine times before the 2014 final. Atleti had never won it. But the tale was twisting (a central element in morbo) as Atleti had just been crowned La Liga champions the week before. So, Real going for their tenth title (their elusive décima), Atleti going to break their duck. And this is where the non-footballing part of the story (another morbo ingredient) raised its head...


There is a long-running dispute in Madrid between the workers in four Coca-Cola factories and the company which is planning to cut the workforce. The top leaflet translates as 'If Madrid doesn't make it, Madrid won't drink it'. 

So, you see, a Coca-Cola/Atleti tie-up has a lot more to it than just a sponsorship deal. Real Madrid fans filled the web with vitriol, half of it against their footballing rivals, the other half in solidarity with the workers and against coca-cola. 

Check out this measured comment on the Marca site:

Este anuncio de la marca que es boicoteada en Madrid, demuestra lo chaqueteros que son los atléticos, no les importa nada el Atlético, simplemente son del Atlético por alguna otra razón... esta de la nivieta es buena, pero la principal causa de"hacerse" del Atlético, es la madriditis. Llevar la contraria y ser unos chaqueteros es lo habitual entre los del "pateti", salvo pequeñas excepciones.

Note also that Marca is the daily Real Madrid supporting football newspaper which outsells nearly all other newspapers in Spain. Note also the contributers own version of the 'Atleti' nickname (pateti).


Este anuncio de la marca que es boicoteada en Madrid, demuestra lo chaqueteros que son los atléticos, no les importa nada el Atlético, simplemente son del Atlético por alguna otra razón... esta de la nivieta es buena, pero la principal causa de"hacerse" del Atlético, es la madriditis. Llevar la contraria y ser unos chaqueteros es lo habitual entre los del "pateti", salvo pequeñas excepciones.
#195 09.may.2014 | 18:45 Este anuncio de la marca que es boicoteada en Madrid, demuestra lo chaqueteros que son los atléticos, no les importa nada el Atlético, simplemente son del Atlético por alguna otra razón... esta de la nivieta es buena, pero la principal causa de"hacerse" del Atlético, es la madriditis. Llevar la contraria y ser unos chaqueteros es lo habitual entre los del "pateti", salvo pequeñas excepciones.


Leer más: "Mi corazón ahora es Atlético, papá" - MARCA.com
#195 09.may.2014 | 18:45 Este anuncio de la marca que es boicoteada en Madrid, demuestra lo chaqueteros que son los atléticos, no les importa nada el Atlético, simplemente son del Atlético por alguna otra razón... esta de la nivieta es buena, pero la principal causa de"hacerse" del Atlético, es la madriditis. Llevar la contraria y ser unos chaqueteros es lo habitual entre los del "pateti", salvo pequeñas excepciones.
(But before you join the 'Real' indignation, check out the Real Madrid website for a list of their sponsors... Real Madrid sponsors ...)

So, all set for an explosive game of football with plenty of morbo. Well, not quite. Spanish morbo tends to keep twisting and turning over and over. Three days before the final, this:


But not for any of the reasons you might imagine. According to this latest twist in the morbo tail, the actor involved in the ad, Gotzon Sánchez, has been linked with organisations which are linked to other organisations which offer support to terrorist groups.

And you thought this was all about football.

By the way, in the final, Atleti led 1-0 until the last 2 minutes, then Real equalised and went on to win 4-1 after extra time. And even in that painful detail there is more morbo. 40 years previously, Atleti played their only other final. With a minute of extra time to play they led the great Bayern Munich 1-0 but then they conceded and went on to lose the replay.

Glass of water, anyone?