"Barcelona, esport, culture, coexistence." These four words, literally written in letters of fire as the culmination of the fireworks with which the Barcelona city council celebrated the first day of the 1982 World Cup, perfectly summarized what a few hours before had been the opening ceremony at the Camp Nou and the first match of the competition.
With a spectacle worthy of a major international event designed by the Catalan publicists Víctor Sagi and Leopoldo Pomés, the World Cup began in Barcelona with clear messages of reconciliation that offered the image of a new Spain that had not only emerged from a dictatorship, but had overcome a coup d'état.
The first of them, a ceremony held without any discussion in Barcelona that brought together different Spanish cultural manifestations, placing as its axis the figure of Pablo Picasso and his dove of peace. The second, the great senyera arranged both on the grass at the beginning of the event and on the stadium masts next to the Spanish flag throughout the day.
Although the third was probably the most remarkable: the words in Catalan that the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Pablo Porta from Barcelona, used in the middle of his brief speech, which we offer in full. All this in a ceremony supposedly without anthems or political representatives, since after the representative of Spanish football only the president of FIFA, João Havelange, and King Juan Carlos I intervened.
Of course, the president of the Government, Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, was also in the box; that of the Generalitat, Jordi Pujol; the Minister of Culture, Soledad Becerril; the president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, and already in the second row, Prince Felipe and the children and the mayor, Narcís Serra, among other authorities.
Porta's first and unexpected words in Catalan – the vilified Pablo, Pablito, Pablete on the airwaves by José María García – received a standing ovation from those attending the stadium, who also applauded the other two interventions. In his speech, the federation president did nothing more than welcome the participants, although his gesture represented a complete change of direction.
The ceremony thus became the perfect culmination of a long path opened during the Franco era, when Spain and Germany negotiated in 1966 the presentation of their candidacies for the 1974 and 1982 events based on continental rotation. Created in the death throes of the dictatorship, the Royal Organizing Committee of the World Cup knew how to adapt to the political vicissitudes and add to the support of the State – which assumed the cost of infrastructure and facilitated investments in stadiums and venues through pool money – that of city councils and emerging autonomous communities.
The only notable political tension was experienced in San Sebastián, a frustrated candidate to become one of the venues after PNV and Herri Batasuna added their votes to reject the project to build a stadium in Zubieta, since the historic Atotxa stadium did not It met FIFA parameters.
“Your Majesties, Mr. President of FIFA, ladies and gentlemen:
”It is with deep emotion that I address not only those present here, but also the millions of fans who will be listening or contemplating this opening ceremony of the '82 World Cup, to send you the most friendly and cordial greetings on behalf of Spanish football.
”We have put all our effort and the best dedication to achieve a World Football Championship that fully satisfies those who trusted us.
"We wish the best for all those who will participate in this championship and we hope that when they return to their countries they will feel satisfied to see that football, once again, has rendered a service to friendship and peace between all peoples.
"Barcelonians, Catalans, Spaniards all: thank you, thank you very much for welcoming our visitors.
