Barcelona have dominated Spanish women’s football for numerous years.
They have won eight league titles and are the reigning champions of Spain after yet another successful campaign.
However, Caroline Weir believes, while it will be hard, Real Madrid can eventually topple Barca.
The Scot moved to Real last summer in a life-changing transfer from Manchester City.
The 27-year-old attacker certainly has her sights on getting her new club to the top of Spanish and hopefully European football.
“It has been good,” Weir said of his debut season in the Spanish capital. “I knew that Barca were the more established team before I came and they have some great players. But we are fairly close, I think.
“We play each other four times a season and it is good for me to see how they play, a team that made it to the Champions League final. The games against them have been interesting and everything around El Clasico is amazing.
“There is a lot of history around the game and I think the atmosphere at the game and in the build-up reflects that. It definitely feels a bit different.
“On the day itself, there is something in the air when Madrid and Barca play.
“I am not Spanish, obviously, so I think it removes a bit of the emotion for me which I think can be a good thing as it means my focus is all on the football.
“It helps to manage emotions within the game. But I have definitely learned so much and being part of a different playing culture from the WSL has given me another perspective.
“I think the biggest thing has been the people and how passionate they are about their football. That isn’t just the players, it is everyone at the club who is connected in any way. I think it is a little bit more reserved in the UK.
“Here you always know what people are thinking and feeling. I think that has actually brought me out a bit and helped me to be a bit more outward with my emotions.
“Before I made the move last summer everyone I spoke to who had gone to play abroad all said very similar things; that it would be very difficult at first but that it is also incredibly worth it and I think they are right.
“I think I have learned as much about football as I have about myself as a person. I had to grow up a bit more and experience new things and there were a few really tough situations when I first came over.”
Adapting to a new culture is notoriously difficult, whether it be British players heading abroad, or foreign players coming to these shores.
But Weir insists, despite challenging beginnings on her Spanish adventure, it’s all paid off now.
She added: “This is the kind of challenge that I wanted and this has been the kind of season that I wanted.
“I have worked very hard and in terms of making an impact in games and in big games, I feel that I have done that so I am happy.
“It has been very different. It is similar in lots of ways obviously in terms of the day-to-day training and then most afternoons are free so the schedule is very similar to what I was used to.
“I live with my boyfriend, Josh, and my dog, Skye, and although I find it incredibly boring to talk about the weather it definitely does lend itself to a different kind of lifestyle than being in Manchester.
“The pace of life is a bit different and we are outside a lot. I have not seen a whole lot of the city because I have been working so hard but we are very lucky to live near a beautiful park and there are lots of nice cafes and restaurants around where we can stop and have a coffee while we are out walking the dog.
“It has been a tough season because there has been so many games and when I have been off a lot of time has been spent recovering or focusing on what has been coming up but I have definitely felt that the pace of life has been a bit slower. I have enjoyed it. The people have been very welcoming and friendly.”
Weir is looking forward to Scotland’s Nations League campaign, where they will come up against England, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
And she insists there is no more looking back on what could have been with the country’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.
She said: “I am bored talking about not making it. We need to move on now and focus on the Nations League and the Euros. I lot of my friends are in the World Cup so I will support from a distance. I think it is set to be the best tournament so far in the women’s game.
“I am buzzing, to be honest. I think it’s great - bring it on. I want to play the best. Of course, it is tough. But for me it is what we need, to go and play against the very best.
“I think we are on the right path. We have brought some young players into the squad and it does take time but we are getting there. We will be playing against the best in Europe and that is what I wanted.”
Caroline Weir was speaking as she was announced as the Glen’s SFWA Women’s International Player of the Year.
