Spanish football, Vadodara: Spanish football, which boasts of some of the greatest footballers of all time and produces fascinating matches between iconic giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Monday.
PM Modi touched upon Saturday's 'El Clasico' clash between traditional rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid in the ongoing La Liga, saying that the match and Spanish football in general attract a lot of discussion among Indian football fans. and the fervour of the fans of both the clubs was same in India as it is in Spain.
"Spanish football is liked a lot in India. Yesterday, the match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the discussions were held in India, too. Barcelona's spectacular victory was a subject of discussion here as well. I can also tell you that there was as much banter between the fans of the two clubs in India, as it would've been in Spain," PM Modi said in Vadodra.
He said this in his address after innagurating the TATA Aircraft Complex with visiting Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez.
Further the Prime Minster spoke about yoga and its popularity in Spain. "I have heard that yoga is also very popular in Spain. Spain's football is also very much liked in India."
Touching upon India and Spain's multifaceted partnership, the Prime Minister said, "Whether it's food, films, or football, our strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened our ties."
The Prime Minister expressed happiness that India and Spain have decided to celebrate 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI.
"Food, films, and football all connect us through strong people-to-people ties. I am happy that India and Spain have decided to celebrate the year 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI..." PM Modi said.
PM Modi and Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara on Monday.
A total of 56 aircraft are there under the C-295 programme, of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and the remaining 40 are to be made in India. Tata Advanced Systems Ltd is responsible for making these 40 aircrafts in India. This facility will be the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
PM Modi and President Sanchez also witnessed cultural performances and greeted people during their roadshow in Vadodara.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that today's event will inspire many new joint collaboration projects between India and Spain. He extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged them to come to India and become partners in the country's development journey.
Meanwhile, during the the highly-anticipated 'El Clasico' clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night, a brace from Robert Lewandowski and fine performances from young sensation Lamine Yamal and Raphinha helped Barcelona secure a 4-0 win over Real Madrid to extend their lead over arch-rivals in the La Liga points tally.
Kylian Mbappe, playing his first-ever El Clasico match, had his attempts at scoring in each half ruled out for offside in an absolute shocker of a match for Real Madrid at their home venue.
Lewandowski opened the goal tally for himself and Barcelona in the 54th minute thanks to a fine pass from Marc Casado. A fine header just three minutes later stunned the home crowd into absolute silence. These took his goal tally to 17 this season. However, he missed a chance to score a hat-trick.
After the Polish star, it was 17-year-old Yamal who rifled a shot from an angle over goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, hitting the roof of the net in the 77th minute to triple the lead. He scored his first-ever El Clasico goal.
Mbappe and Jude Bellingham missed chances to bring Real Madrid into the game.
Raphina finally delivered the fourth and final blow in the 84th minute to end an embarrassing night for the hosts.
With 10 wins and a loss in 11 games and 30 points, Barcelona sits at the top. On the other hand, Real Madrid is at number two with 24 points, after winning seven, drawing three and losing one in 11 matches.
—ANI