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This time last year I wrote about my love of Barcelona, in advance of the el clasico marathon.

Soon we will have had the second La Liga match of the season between Barca and Real Madrid, and know the finalists of the Champions League, which might include at least one of those great opposites. However, my latest offering focuses on the rivalry between the two cities as well as the football clubs, as I was lucky enough to experience both over the Easter holidays.

As part of my preparations for the wedding I had first planned a weekend away with my best man. After toying with the intriguing prospect of a PSG match, we settled for Barcelona. I took a trip to a friendly game at Camp Nou  in the summer of 2006, and had yearned for a return visit to another game. This seemed the last real opportunity before married life takes over, so arrangements were made and thanks to the uncertainty of the Department for Education and the disconcertingly vague planning of La Liga games, the only weekend available was the last before the wedding.

When I met Johan Cruyff at the airport I knew it was the right decision.

I first noticed him at the easyjet Speedy Boarding desk and took a quick photo, amazed that nobody else seemed bothered that one of the giants of World Football history was in their presence. After checking in, I thankfully had a copy of Graham Hunter’s excellent Barca on hand for him to sign, I explained that he was one of my heroes and what I was doing that weekend and and after politely giving me the autograph, he was on his way. The fact that I then saw him again in the queue for security, on the bus to the plane, on my flight and getting his bags at the airport made the whole experience all the more surreal. Read the full story »