The town of Gràcia against the village of Sant Andreu de Palomar
When talking about the derby of Barcelona, most football fans will think of Barcelona – Espanyol. However, there’s another important rivalry in the Catalan capital: Europa – Sant Andreu, two historic teams representing different parts of the city. This is…Barcelona’s second rivalry.
Two unique neighborhoods
Barcelona is full of neighborhoods with a story to tell, and Gràcia is definitely one of them. Located above the city center, Gràcia was an independent town until it was annexed by Barcelona in 1987, keeping its distinct identity. The district is known for its Catalanist identity and for its Festa Major, one of the most emblematic festivities in Spain.
Another neighborhood with a strong identity is Sant Andreu de Palomar, located east of Gràcia. Sant Andreu de Palomar also used to be an independent village until 1897 but now forms part of the district Sant Andreu. The zone is known for its well-conserved historical center and is less touristic than other neighborhoods, allowing it to maintain its identity more.
Europa
Club Esportiu Europa was founded in 1907 after the fusion of Provençal and Madrid de Barcelona. The club developed well and became one of the strongest Catalan teams in the 1920s, winning the Catalan championship in 1923. In the same year, the europeistes reached the final of the Copa del Rey, losing only 0-1 to Athletic in the final. Moreover, Europa was one of the founding teams of the Primera División in 1929. Europa was, without a doubt, one of the best Spanish teams at the time.
After three seasons in the top tier, Europa was relegated to the amateur leagues in the 1930s and would never recover their spot in the Primera. The escapulats were close after a third place in the Segunda División in the 1960s, but in the rest of the 20th century, Europa usually competed in the third, fourth, or even fifth tier.
In the 21st century, the graciencs played the vast majority of the time in the Tercera División. However, the Catalans returned to the Segunda Federación in 2021 after a 25-year-long absence, a motive of much euphoria in Gràcia. Europa was relegated that season, but that was seen as a minor setback after bouncing back to the fourth tier in 2023.
Sant Andreu
In 1909, FC Z was founded, a club that would be known as Andreuenc. Some years later, some players decided to leave this club due to political differences, creating L’Avenç. However, in 1925, they put their differences aside and, together with other clubs from Sant Andreu, merged into UE Sant Andreu, a team that would unite the neighborhood like no other club before.
Sant Andreu turned out to be one of the stronger neighborhood teams in Barcelona, reaching the Segunda División in 1950. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the santandreuencs played a total number of 11 seasons in the Segunda, climbing into the top 100 of the all-time ranking of Spanish football clubs.
However, the 1970s were the last years of splendor. Since this period, the quadribarrats have played many seasons in the Segunda División B, but even more in the Tercera División. The last promotion of Sant Andreu happened in 2023, returning to the fourth tier after many years in the Tercera.
The rivalry
Before anything, it should be made clear – if it wasn’t already – that the rivalry between Europa and Sant Andreu is based on the rivalry between Gràcia and Sant Andreu de Palomar, as both teams magnificently succeed in representing their respective neighborhoods. Europa, for example, presents itself as ‘the team of Gràcia’ and is involved in many Graciean cultural activities. Sant Andreu, on the other hand, is ‘the team of Sant Andreu de Palomar’, carrying its name and displaying the neighborhood’s coat of arms in its badge.
This way, the clubs have succeeded in creating relatively big, loyal, and involved fanbases. Two fanbases whose rivalry goes decades back, a ‘hot’ rivalry that’s still very much alive. This can be proven by banners, chants, and other concrete manifestations of rivalry or even hatred toward the other team in the second derby of Barcelona.
The future
In 2022-23, the ‘most decisive’ match ever between Europa and Sant Andreu was played. Both teams had the same number of points in the Tercera Federación, and the derby was one of the last matches of the season. The result? 1-1. Europa ended up as the champion, and Sant Andreu reached the fourth tier after playoffs, meaning that the derby had also achieved promotion and will be played in the 2023-24 season. Europa – Sant Andreu is a rivalry with much history and with enough dimensions for it to last for many years in the future. This was…Barcelona’s second derby.
Sources
- Borchers, L. (2021). GOLAZO. Self-published.
- Borchers, L. (2022). CARA O CRUZ. Self-published.
- http://lafutbolteca.com/club-esportiu-europa/
- http://lafutbolteca.com/unio-esportiva-sant-andreu-s-a-d/
- https://www.ceeuropa.cat/el-club/historia/historia-del-club
- https://www.uesantandreu.cat/historia/
Modest Spanish Football 
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