Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood, two members of the Rolling Stones, are having a blast watching El Clasico at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona today. They have indeed picked a side, or should we say, more accurately, a side has picked them. FC Barcelona unveiled a giant version of the band’s logo, which is prominently on display in the middle of the east grandstand at the Olympic Stadium today.
And as kickoff against arch-rivals Real Madrid was drawing near, the venue’s sound system blared the Rolling Stones hit “Start Me Up.
It’s #ElClásico time. TSFP is here. So are the Rolling Stones. pic.twitter.com/BkPUYzn4UT
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) October 28, 2023
Additionally, Barca wore the Stones logo in the center of their shirts today. So there you have it- game recognizing game, right? Rock legends coming together with one of the biggest clubs in the entire world. Sounds awesome at first, but then you realize this isn’t “organic” at all.
You already knew, as soon as you clicked here that the Stones were doing this to promote their new album, but this is actually even more of a sell out (and we’re not talking about attendance here) than just that.
Los Rolling Stones rockeando en #ElClasico ?
pic.twitter.com/tvyswDUlL6— Futbolicius (@futbolicius10) October 28, 2023
The rock legends are here to promote a very large music streaming service. They joined forces with FC Barcelona to promote that app, and as you watched the game (Barca went up early as Ilkay Gundogan scored his first goal with the club/the Clasico’s only goal as of this posting) this became very apparent.
Barcelona unveiled the Rolling Stones logo in the stands before today’s Clásico ?? pic.twitter.com/Y5Bxj8lw4d
— 433 (@433) October 28, 2023
Sorry, but it’s not so cool after all, it’s just sponsored content.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.