Stereotypes about Catalonia - “FC Barcelona, that is what I relate with Catalonia. Visca el Barça i visca Catalunya!”, says Bosnian Rusmin Terzic
Motorbike world champion of 125cc Marc Márquez answers: “More than just football, there are other sports such as hockey, basketball and motorcycling that we are very good at”.
Berlin / Barcelona (ACN).- When thinking about Catalonia, the first thing that comes to mind for Bosnian Rusmin Terzic are two colours: blue and red. The 29-year-old lives in Berlin, where he has created a group along with his friends. “There is always good humour and we always watch big games”, he explained. They do not just watch Barça on the screen. Terzic has visited Barcelona many times to visit the football stadium FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou. But for motorbike champion Marc Márquez, Barça is not the only sports symbol of Catalonia. Márquez is the youngest motorbike champion in the history of Spain. He says, “More than just football, there are other sports such as hockey, basketball and motorcycling that we are very good at”.
Every week, Rusmin Terzic gets together with his friends to watch their favourite team: Football Club Barcelona. “There is always good humour and we always watch big games”, explained Terzic. The Bosnian has been to Barcelona’s Camp Nou football stadium many times. Last year, he had the opportunity of catching one of the biggest games of the season, Barça vs. Reial Madrid. “It was a dream-like city and environment”, he said. Terzic spontaneously concluded his interview with the phrase “visca el Barça i visca Catalunya! (Long live Barça and long live Catalonia!)”
“Catalonia is a country that is dedicated to sports”
Born in Cervera (in Central Catalonia) in February of 1993, Marc Márquez is the current motorbike champion in the 125 cubic centimetres category. Marc knows that football has more world recognition, and he admits that he is a Barça fan. “But there are many other sports that Catalans are good at, like motorcycling, for example”. Marc believes that Catalonia has many good circuits. “Jorge Lorenzo and Toni Elías are also known internationally, as they are world champions of the Moto GP and the 250 cc, respectively. Lorenzo is Mallorcan and Elías is from Manresa. In fact, the Formula 1 pilot Fernando Alonso, worldwide runner up for Formula 1, also trains in Catalonia”, said Márquez.
But it’s not just motorcycling either. “Hockey and basketball are also very important. Catalonia is a country that is dedicated to sports and we have many top level sports here”. Other examples are Pau and Marc Gasol, who are having a lot of success in the NBA. “They started here”, added Marc.