Ok since I've seen many comment reference politics and rehash the tired Franco-Madrid connection and these are clearly from people who aren't familiar with either Spain's history, much less Real Madrid's or Barcelona's, I'm going to set something's straight:
-Catalonia is a North Eastern Autonomous Region in Spain.
-Franco was GALICIAN of ANDALUSIAN parents.
-Catalan is one of many Spanish Languages, Galician, Basque, Asturian, Aragonese and of course, Castilian, are some to name a few.
-Catalan is also spoken in the Valencia Region, which has historically never desired its own Independence.
-Franco prohibited the use of languages that were not Castilian--again-- he himself was Galician.
-Real Madrid was founded by two Catalan brothers, the Padros brothers-- Barcelona was not founded by Catalans.
-Madrid was the Capital of the Republic of Spain and was subsequently the last city to fall and where the Spanish Civil War ended.
-Franco's forces executed President of Real Madrid, Colonel Antonio Ortega in Alicante and tortured Rafael Sanchez Guerra, another former President.
-Unlike Sunol, the Barcelona president killed at the beginning of the War, when Ortega was executed and Sanchez Guerra tortured, the war was at its end and there was no Republican propaganda that used either of them to inspire the Republican cause.
-Real Madrid didn't win its first league title under Franco, its 3rd overall, until 1953-- Barcelona had already won 5 under Franco and had 6 overall. In other words, 15 years of Franco's regime went by and Real Madrid won nothing. In fact, Barcelona, Atletico, Athletic and Valencia had more league titles than Madrid at that point, Barcelona being the most successful, during those years.
-Real Madrid has won more titles after Franco than during his regime: See teams like "la Quinta del Buitre"
-ALL CLUBS during Franco's reign praised and revered Franco because if you didn't he murdered you, Barcelona are no exception.
-Barcelona being a fierce opponent of the regime is a myth. In fact they are the only team in La Liga's history to reward Franco with 2 special medals, appreciating the regime's intervention when it aided in both forgiving the clubs debt and in the construction of the Camp Nou--they also hold the record for most Copa del Generalissimos.
-This is probably this most important fact: Franco did not like Football.
-Real Madrid and Barcelona are both owned by their fans and are more alike than Barca supporters let on.
-Real Madrid has been a victim of a fierce propaganda and historical manipulation campaign by Barca's Catalan supporters who aim to paint their own club as victims and paint the Spanish State and the Spanish Capital's team as oppressors. Barcelona is politicized by these supporters and this is politicization is done because Spaniards of all languages and regions have been historically oppressed by absolutism and Barcelona has always been one of the richest regions in Spain-- portraying Catalan independence as black and white and diverting the economic argument, helps sidestep the fact that all of Spain has suffered equally. This is also the reason these very same people ignore that Real Madrid was founded by Catalans and ignore their equal suffering due to the Civil War. Madrid supporters, on the other hand, don't care so much about their teams past and are more focused on winning in the present., since they consider their club a Football club first, Barcelona, on the other hand, label themselves as "More than a Club"--again--due to politics.
Everything I stated can be looked up and confirmed quite easily. I don't do this to disparage any team, I do it in order to attack a myth head on. People aren't familiar with Spain and thinks its culture and nationality is easily summed up, when in fact their are multiple cultures and nationality's-- hell, the original definition of Spain itself included the entirety of the Iberian peninsula. That's why this deal with Catalonia is extremely complex. What should always remain firm in people's mind is that Real Madrid and Barcelona are Football Clubs not Political Parties.