These are staggering figures for any football teams. But for Spanish super clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona, they are normal, even expected.
When the two La Liga teams face off for the first time this 2010/11 football season tomorrow at 7am AEDT, up to 500 million people across the globe will sit in front of television screens in awe, watching every kick, every dribble, every tackle.
The importance of this fixture cannot be overestimated. El Clasico - in fact, scrap that, it's now called El Gran Clasico - is unparalleled in terms of viewers and passionate rivalry.
The seeds were sowed at the beginning of the 20th century with the birth of the clubs. Real, through its location in Spain's capital city Madrid, was associated with Spanish nationalism. Barcelona, home of the Catalan semi-determination movement, represented just the opposite.
Such is the bitter rivalry between the cities and its teams, Spaniards were the first to express surprise at the "red effect" - the seeming unity of support their national team received during the World Cup.
Spain went on to lift the trophy in July.
But in August, when the Spanish league season kicked off, attention swung back to the rivalry and the two mega-clubs.
Messi v Ronaldo
The showdowns between the clubs are mouth-watering for football and non-football fans.
And there is no bigger showdown than the one between the world's two best footballers - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi, of Barcelona, is arguably the world's best player at just 23 and the 2009 winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year.
Squaring off against the Argentinian is Ronaldo, 25, the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year.
The Real player, formerly of Manchester United, seems keen to prove himself against his more popular counterpart.
"I'm the bigger player ... at least I'm taller and broader," ESPN reports the Portuguese star as telling Spanish television.
"Messi is in a phenomenal moment right now - loads of goals and exhibition football.
"The whole world seems to want to talk about Messi and me, but Barca and Madrid are not one-man teams. We are very different types of footballers, but I'm quite sure that during my years at the Bernabeu I'm going to be one of the best players in the world."
Mourinho v Guardiola
If Ronaldo's confidence borders on the arrogant, then his manager, Jose Mourinho, would be the most arrogant of them all.
Mourinho, who called himself the "Special One" when he joined Chelsea in 2004, is also Portuguese and has a cabinet overflowing with trophies.
Fresh from winning Serie A, Italy's league championship, and the European Champions League, Mourinho moved to Real in the European summer for a bigger challenge.
His reputation for turning everything he touches into gold preceded him and there was initial disappointment when Madrid started the season with two 0-0 draws in three games, wrote Spanish football expert Sid Lowe on The Guardian's sports blog.
Then his charges turned on the magic, winning 6-1, 4-1 and 6-1 in the next few matches. Real now sit at the top of the league, leading Barcelona by one point, having scored 33 goals in just 12 games.
It's a dream start for 47-year-old Mourinho, who was dubbed the "Michael Jackson of coaches" by Spanish newspaper El Pais, Lowe noted.
But Barcelona's fans are not known for understating their dislike for Real. In 2003, they threw a severed pig's head onto the pitch to protest Luis Figo's move from Barcelona to Real.
So what does the "Special One" think of his first El Gran Clasico? Is he daunted?
"I am totally tranquilo," he tells London's Daily Telegraph.
"It's very special ... I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.
"I know I'll get a hostile reception. That's just football. I beat them with Chelsea and Inter and now I'm coaching their rivals. That's too much. But it's the way it works. It will still be Tuesday the next day."
His opposite number, Pep Guardiola, also betrays no nerves.
"I expect it to be a marvellous game against a very good rival," the 39-year-old says in a pre-match press conference.
"Mourinho knows we will go out to attack them and they will attack us when they can. If we lose I want to be able to say that we have been Barca."
Guardiola has won the last four El Gran Clasicos. Whether he will make it Barcelona's fifth straight win tomorrow morning, or Mourinho will notch up his first, remains to be seen.
"Madrid has always had a good team and they always will have, but we have a formula that is the same as always," the Spaniard stresses.
"That is what has won us titles and also the admiration of so many people.
sumber : Sumber : sydney morning herald
Sumber : kompas.com
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