The biggest and most prestigious Spanish soccer clubs usually sign contracts with several players from other countries, which generates a culturally diverse team.
Such is the case of Real Madrid, a club that hosts players of different nationalities. The mix of ethnicities and cultures experienced in the club’s locker room is unique, starting with Carlo Ancelotti, the coach from Italy.
But there is even more; several soccer stars have another nationality, such as Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, and Rodrygo, who comes from Brazil. We can also count Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper from Belgium; the French captain, Karim Benzema; and several others from other countries, such as Croatia.
With this in mind, many people wonder how communication within the group occurs, which is fundamental in this type of team sport; the answer is that most of the players communicate with each other in Spanish, the language spoken in Madrid.
Foreign players who sign contracts with Real Madrid try to learn Spanish to communicate more fluently with their peers. Most of them take courses with language schools such as Expanish to incorporate Spanish as a second language (or third, in the case of many who already speak more than one language).
The basis is Spanish.
As we have been saying, many nationalities are within the same team, so many languages are spoken. However, the predominant language in the group is Spanish. All players adapt to the local language or care to do so because the honest conversations and team tactics are in Spanish.
A curious fact is that in the Real Madrid dressing room, the least spoken language is English, which is contrary to what happens in the world in general. This is because practically all the team players know how to speak Spanish well. As we have mentioned before, those who join the team as new players take care to learn the local language by attending a Spanish language school Madrid.
Of course, it takes a little longer for newcomers to be able to communicate, which is logical since they need time to learn the language.
Spanish in international soccer
Spanish has not only climbed the list of the most spoken languages in the world, but it is also arguably the mother tongue of today’s professional soccer.
This is because, according to FIFA’s “top 10 teams” ranking, four of them are Spanish-speaking. We are referring to the Spanish national team (in sixth place), Argentina (in seventh place), Uruguay (in eighth place), and Mexico (in ninth place).
As can be seen, many of the world’s most essential teams speak Spanish, which makes the language one of the main languages in the field.
In addition, we must count the leagues that speak Spanish. Among the 23 major world leagues, 8 of them speak Spanish. And not only that! Records show that Spanish is the language that has won the most World Cups (two titles won by Argentina, two by Uruguay, and one by Spain). Only Portuguese equals this achievement, with the difference that the same country won all the titles: Brazil.
The Spanish language is also one of the most spoken in the list of European Champions League-winning clubs since 18 trophies of this championship were won by Spanish-speaking teams: 13 titles by Real Madrid and five by Barcelona. The English follow this with 14 medals won by Liverpool (6), Manchester (3), Nottingham Forest (2) and Aston Villa, Celtic of Scotland, and Chelsea (1 each).
With these data, we can understand the weight and magnitude of the Spanish language in international soccer.
Foreign players in the Spanish League
There are more and more international exchanges of soccer players between different teams. The number of foreign players traveling to the Spanish League continues to increase.
The level of play of the Hispanic teams and the cultural exchange promote Spanish as one of the main languages in international soccer.
This is why any player from another country who arrives at Real Madrid is faced with the need to learn the language, a fact that is taken as a subject that is part of the job.
This is how foreign players are encouraged to study Spanish since physical preparation is not the only important thing. Still, the clubs must also take care of the interconnection between players, both at a professional level and a personal level.
Understanding is much more significant when a group of people speaks the same language. That is why it is essential to encourage learning Spanish in this case.
A good Real Madrid coach should be concerned that his players understand and can speak fluent Spanish. It is essential that the players can understand the motivation that the coach intends to transmit, and if language is a barrier, this becomes more complicated to carry out. Coaches should be aware of this and the first to set an example.
For example, when Pep Guardiola was a coach in Munich, he realized how important it was for him to learn German to understand the local culture better and then be able to convey his message to the players effectively.
Managing a group of players of many different nationalities is a big challenge, so it is essential to unify the group through language. Otherwise, certain players may become isolated, or divisions may develop within the group because they do not feel part of the local customs.
The coach and the players should take the time to learn the local language. It is not only a matter of training and doing their jobs well; it is also necessary to be willing to integrate. This also benefits each individual professionally. Those who speak several languages easily integrate, understand, and make themselves understood.
