© EuroFootball.com
The champion of Spain, "Barcelona," continues to be the most loved team in La Liga, while the ranks of fans who do not like Madrid's "Real" team continue to grow. This is according to a survey conducted by journalists from the sports daily "AS".
Both football giants are among the most loved and most disliked teams in the country, but "Barcelona" gains more fans' sympathies, while "Real" garners antipathy.
The Catalan club was named as the favorite team in the Spanish championship by 41 percent of those surveyed. Madrid's "Real," coming in second, received 34 percent of the votes. The same difference in sympathy - 7 percent - was recorded in 2011 when a similar survey was conducted.
Occupying the third spot on the list of favorite teams is the cup holder Madrid's "Atletico" team with 21 percent of the votes. The fourth position is taken by Bilbao's "Athletic," earning 18 percent of the participants' sympathies, while the fifth is Seville's "Real Betis Balompie" team, collecting 14 percent of the votes.
Both "Barcelona" and Madrid's "Real" lost 3 percent of their sympathies. In 2011, 44 percent of those surveyed liked the Catalan club, while the Spanish capital's team was liked by 37 percent.
The number of fans supporting Madrid's "Atletico" team has increased - in 2011, 18 percent of the survey participants spoke positively about this team, now it is 21 percent.
At the top of the list of most disliked teams still reigns Madrid's "Real." This team is disliked by 55 percent of the survey participants. In 2011, 51 percent of fans spoke negatively about "Real."
In second place is "Barcelona." 40 percent of survey participants disliked this team in both 2011 and 2013.
Journalists from the "AS" newspaper who conducted the survey emphasized that the distance between the two La Liga giants is increasing based on earned antipathies. In 2011, the difference was 11 percent, now it's 15 percent.
The third most disliked team in Spain is Madrid's "Atletico" (27 percent of the votes), in fourth place is "Sevilla" (26 percent), and fifth are the Basques from Bilbao's "Athletic" (15 percent).
A survey of specific team fans showed that Madrid's "Real" team is most disliked by 94 percent of "Atletico" fans and 93 percent of "Barcelona" fans. Following them are fans of Bilbao's "Athletic," "Mallorca," "Osasuna," "Valencia," San Sebastian's "Real Sociedad," and "Zaragoza" clubs who also dislike "Real."
88 percent of "Real" fans said that their least favorite team in La Liga is "Barcelona," while their most loved are "Espanyol," "Getafe," "Granada," "Rayo Vallecano," and "Celta."
The team with the best ratio of sympathies-antipathies is "Malaga." This team is liked by 9 percent more fans than disliked. The worst ratio belongs to Madrid's "Real" - minus 21 (34 percent sympathy, 55 percent antipathy).
