Barcelona and Real Madrid: two of the most powerfuland popular clubs in world football, and one of the world's most bittersporting rivalries. Going far beyond the boundaries of just sport alone, thisis a rivalry at the heart of Spanish life, taking in politics and culture andsplitting a country in two.El Cl'sico gets to the heart of that rivalry, investigatingthe intrigue, the larger-than-life characters, the key flashpoints and theirconsequences. From civil war bloodshed to 40 years of fascism and links withGeneral Franco, the clubs' shared history is the stuff of a Robert Harris noveland includes: murdered presidents from both clubs, player kidnappings, acts ofhooliganism - and that's before you start thinking of the volatile football matchesthemselves.The book contains numerous interviews with key figuressuch as Lu's Figoand Hristo Stoichkov (two of the main hate figures from both clubs), JoanLaporta (Barcelona's most successful president and, having entered politics,Catalonian separatism's poster boy) and various ex-players, ex-managers,agents, referees, hooligans, editors, historians, sociologists, filmmakers,novelists, photographers, TV presenters and celebrity fans.The two clubs are packed with international superstarplayers - including the world's two best players in Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - and 10 of thestarting 11 players from Spain's 2010 World Cup final victory play with either Barcelonaor Real Madrid.This is a storywith resonance around the sporting world, with many instantly recognisable figuresto an international audience such as Jose Mourinho. But it is also a tale of acountry divided by a bitter rivalry.