"Down with Real Madrid" and "Down with Barcelona" are some of the mottos which became so familiar for Iraqis to be seen on walls recently instead of those against the government, some parties or the occupier. This matter doesn't mean that the Iraqi people don't like Spain or they have enmity with sport or they became in love with government or the occupier to have these new mottos. In fact, Iraqi people are fond of sport and especially soccer despite all disasters they passed or pass through which wouldn't give them time.

    For the last five years, the Spanish league fans increased enormously. We have family members sit together watching and arguing about the Spanish league. People are divided into two parts; Barcelona fans and Real Madrid ones. For instance, my family has three Real Madrid fans and seven fans of Barcelona including me. The next match between them will be on Wednesday and the house, as the other houses, schools, offices and even walls, will have its reflection. I bought seven Barcelona T-shirts and mugs for Barcelona fans including my nephew whose father in fond of Real Madrid. It is good to have the sportsmanship among Iraqis in loss or winning.

I congratulate my brothers when their team wins as they do with me, but sometimes we have jokes and mocks in loss. Sometimes, SMS plays a role in loss when the fan wouldn't answer the phone calls. All these things came on surface when Iraq has got the satellite service and as the Iraqi national league of soccer had been abolished for three years due to the lack of security and having thousands of people in one place (in stadiums) motivate the criminals to kill as many as they could which forced the Iraqi football association to abolish it first and then, have the league in Kurdistan region in the north of Iraq where peace is found.

When the national league was abandoned for three years, dozens of Iraqi players fled abroad looking for safety, money, fame and experience. Though the Iraqi national association for football started the league last year in Kurdistan where people can find peace and discipline, but it wasn't good enough to have the league players and fans' wishes. It also lacked the fans that represent the main feature in any kind of sport. As you know most of the popular teams in Iraq are from Baghdad Zawra, air force (Jawiyah), police (Shurtta) and students (Talaba) while we have one famous team club from Basra in the southern part of Iraq. Those fans used to go to stadiums in or around Baghdad with no difficulties, but in 2007, the fans suffered a lot due the long trip from Baghdad to Kurdistan, the procedures taken to let them be in the north and the heavy expenses coming from the long distance between Kurdistan region and the fans' locations; besides the lack of security on the way between Baghdad and Kurdistan.

    This year, the association had divided the teams according to geography or the place where the club locates to have the fans enjoy their teams. Thus, we have three groups; one in the north, the second in Baghdad and the third in the south.

  Despite that ,the Iraqis become fond of the Spanish league due to the best players its has and the interesting matches the spectator can watch which might compensate the lack of the best Iraqi players among them and on their on land .Also the repression people have made its real reflection on the written words on public walls.