Barrika's roared, America trembled, and Europe triumphed. Do you know what I'm talking about? Those who don't follow golf, no idea, I guess. Those who do follow him, maybe. I explain it to you. "The one from Barrika" is Jon Rahm, the Basque golfer with a brilliance that was decisive for Europe's conquest of the Ryder Cup at the weekend.
I am intrigued by the habit of Spanish journalism to identify athletes both by their places of birth - "the one from Santpedor", "the one from Manacor" - and by their names. Or, especially in the case of footballers, that they are identified by a team in which they previously played. For example, Leo Messi, "the ex of Barcelona".
I very much doubt that there is another country where this phenomenon exists. At least I don't know him. It's curious. Why do they do it? Maybe for fear of being repetitive, maybe to show off that they know a lot. In any case, it is a practice that starts from the premise that Spanish fans have an admirably Wikipedia-like knowledge of the biographies of golfers, footballers, tennis players and others.
I don't know... I consume sports in the press, on TV and on the radio fervently, but I must confess that I do not reach the level of erudition that is required of me, that I often get confused, especially when I hear the live narrations of a fast-paced sport like football, in which several players participate in the space of a few seconds.
I doubt that I am the only one who makes a mess, and that is why I propose here an exercise for the readers that could be entertaining and of educational value at the same time. I offer you a ten question quiz with the answers (don't cheat) at the end.
1. Which player who fell asleep and scored a decisive own goal this weekend is called "El de Camas"?
2. Who is the viking they call "the one from Leeds"?
3. Who is known as "the ex-Borussia Dortmund" or "the one from Birmingham"?
4. Which famous athlete, loved and hated in equal parts, is "the one from Funchal"?
5. Which crac is "that of Sant Pere de Ribes"?
6. Who is the one who doesn't clap, but is "the one from El Palmar"?
7. Which footballer-golfer is “the one from Haverfordwest”? (Definition I swear I read in the Spanish press).
8. Who is the young bride of Arab origin identified as "the one from Esplugues de Llobregat"?
9. Which footballer who has promised everything for 12 years and won nothing is called "the one from Walthamstow"?
10. Who is "the one from Las Palmas", the most famous Spanish football manager in the history of the world?
Answers:
1. Sergio Ramos
2. Erling Håland
3. Jude Bellingham
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
5. Aitana Bonmatí
6. Carlos Alcaraz
7. Gareth Bale
8. Laminated Yamal
9. Harry Kane
10. Luis Rubiales
