News
VIE 02.12.2016
Penya Barcelonista Washington DC
Penya Barcelonista Washington DC have over 200 members and have met regularly to watch Barcelona matches in downtown DC since they were founded back in 2010.
“Washington is a very transient city but we have a great core group of fans,” says Vice-President and co-founder Aaron Plantenberg in conversation with www.laliga.es. “For big games like El Clasico we often have almost 300 fans in the house. And, of course, we’re always keen to welcome Barcelona fans who are passing through town.”
“I didn’t grow up playing football or watching it on television but I lived in Spain for a while,” he continues. “It was during the mid-2000s, the Ronaldinho era. It was hard not to be drawn to them! When I moved back I met some Catalans and we started watching games together. Eventually we decided to move through official channels and we made the trip over to Barcelona for the inauguration of our plaque at the Camp Nou in 2011.”
“The profile of LaLiga has really grown as the league becomes increasingly competitive,” he says. “Even smaller sides like Alaves and Eibar have a lot of quality and can cause upsets – as we’ve seen first-hand this season!”
“Playing on multiple fronts takes its toll but I’m optimistic about this weekend’s match against Real Madrid,” he adds. “Obviously it won’t be an easy game – it never is – but if we can keep it tight at the back I think we’ll edge the game. I’ll go with 2-1.”
Peña Madridista La Casa Blanca
Not far across town, the appropriately named Peña Madridista La Casa Blanca has over 170 members and meets regularly just a few blocks away from the White House. The group usually attracts around 30 fans for regular games but, as president Rafael Hernandez tells www.laliga.es, “our headquarters turn into a mini Bernabeu during big games!”
“We started out as a couple of separate groups watching Real Madrid in a few random bars across Washington,” says Hernandez. “One day we bumped into each other and we started working together to form an official peña, something we achieved in 2012.”
“Since then we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying great victories and even meeting players and staff during their visits to the United States,” he continues. “Being based in Washington DC offers us an amazing and diverse group of fans from all over the world, something we pride ourselves on. Our peña board alone has had members from Spain, Colombia, India, Egypt, Puerto Rico and, of course, the USA. In a sense it represents the mosaic that is the United States and a statement of the universality of Real Madrid.”
Saturday’s match with Barcelona at the Camp Nou is obviously the first thing on everyone’s minds as Real Madrid look to extend their six-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table. “It’s a tough call,” says Hernandez. “We’re still dealing with injuries to key players like Gareth Bale but I’m sure that whoever comes in to the side will come through for us. I predict a tight game – definitely low scoring – but Real Madrid will come out on top.”
Photos: Penya Barcelonista Washington DC/Mark Roth; Peña Madridista La Casa Blanca DC.
© LALIGA - 2016