Gerard Pique, a Barcelona defender, has revealed that he prefers playing against Espanyol over Real Madrid.
"I'm glad Espanyol was promoted to the first division because that's how we play at their stadium. I enjoy going there because I am constantly whistled at. You laugh, and the fans become even angrier. Nothing else in the world compares. It's better than sex, in my opinion. It's a lot more fun than playing against Real Madrid."
Due to their proximity within Catalunya, Barcelona and Espanyol have a long-standing city rivalry.
They are the two most successful Catalan clubs, though the Blaugrana are far more well-known around the world due to their illustrious history.
The rivalry was temporarily put on hold when Espanyol was relegated in 2020. The Catalan derby was revived after their immediate promotion back to La Liga after one season.
The rivalry between the Blaugrana and Real Madrid is arguably the most popular game in club football. However, as Pique revealed, some Catalans consider their local rivalry with Espanyol to be more important than El Clasico.