There is no doubt that Barcelona are the top team in Catalunya, yet for the first
time in several decades Real Madrid hold a trio of players from the region in
their squad.
Kiko Casilla, the former Espanyol goalkeeper, hails from the
city of Alcover in the outskirts of Tarragona, whilst fellow backup
shot-stopper Ruben Yanez was plucked from hometown team Girona as a teenager.
In addition to these two is Mariano Diaz, newly added to the
first-team squad after rising through La Fabrica's ranks, and although the
striker is a Dominican Republic international, he was born just north of
Barcelona in Premia de Mar and began his footballing life at Espanyol.
Not since the 1951/52 season have Los Blancos boasted three
Catalonian talents, when Joaquin Oliva, Joaquin Navarro, and Gausi
turned out for
Real, and not for 68 years has a quintet of players from
the north-eastern
region been part of the capital side's senior squad.
In fact, the
record could soon be broken as Madrid's Castilla squad currently contains three
more Barcelona-born talents; Victor Campuzano, Mario Hermoso, and Lleida-native
Aleix Febas.
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