Abstract
This essay explores the "national" division of Spain, and Spanish football in particular, from the perspective of a long-distance Liverpool Football Club fan. The route to and through Spain, through its turbulent and bloody political history, is mediated by the persona of the Basque midfield maestro, Xabi Alonso. Marveling at Alonso's sublime skills, "Careless Whispers" reflects on the complicated and multiply divided nature of (international) football fandom. The path from Liverpool, England, to San Sebastian, Bizkaia, is riddled with many histories, but it is precisely because of the "diversions" and contradictions that map this journey that Xabi Alonso is able to stand as the figure of footballing explication.
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