Earlier today an article appeared in the Jordan Times (the Kingdom’s official English language newspaper) about how the soccer craze that is “El Clasico” is sweeping Amman’s streets.
According to the paper, shopkeepers and cafe owners reported that the unique four-matches-in-three-weeks scheduling anomaly between arch-rival Spanish soccer mega clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, has boosted local business. Desperate for a respite from the revolutions sweeping the region, the Clasico has allowed Jordanians to turn their attention away from home. Curious as to whether there was the same interest in Egypt, I headed out on a tour of Cairo’s downtown hours before the third game of this series – Wednesday's UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Similar to the scene described in Amman, Cairo’s streets were buzzing with an excitement one could easily confuse for a World Cup match. Vendors on nearly every corner were selling shirts, jerseys, flags, towels, and trinkets mainly supporting Barcelona and star goal scorer Lionel Messi.
In fact on one side-street lined with cafes, the overwhelming displays of Barcelona blue and red made me feel as if I had just wandered onto La Ramblas. I even found one guy who offered red and blue face paint.
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