Edited sentence: A supporter of Real Madrid seems a very distinct creature from a supporter of FC Barcelona.During the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and (especially) of Francisco Franco, all regional identities were openly suppressed (e.FC Barcelona became more than a club (més que un club) for Catalonia because of its connection to the democratic ideas.Fashions, whether in clothing, philosophy or art, have tended to take root in Barcelona before they gained acceptance in Madrid.However, during the Spanish Civil War itself, members of both clubs like Josep Sunyol and Rafael Sánchez Guerra, suffered at the hands of Franco supporters.It might not be going too far to say that the strife and struggles between the two clubs onwards accurately mirror the very essence of twentieth-century Spanish history.It was built on and is sustained by the notion of 'pure spanishness' and centralism - exemplified by Franco's obsessive opposition to Spain's multicultural identity.Madrid is the seat of government and of the royal family.On the contrary, for most of the Catalans and many other Spaniards, Real Madrid was regarded as the establishment club.On the other hand, almost all the ideas that have shaped Spain's modern history - republicanism, federalism, anarchism, syndicalism and communism - have found their way into Spain by way of Catalonia.The whole city seems very active, and is at ease with itself.the peripheral languages were officially banned)