Table-toppers Barcelona has refused to give their arch-rivals a guard of honour after Real Madrid had won the Club World Cup this week. Real return to the domestic league, after playing two games in the Club World Cup, where they were successful.
The Spanish side has won the tournament for the third time in the last four years, with Barcelona being the other side to win the tournament.
ALSO READ : Has Jose decided to sell his star midfielder?
Zinedine Zidane’s side has to scrap through to win the finals 1-0, thanks to a wonderfully taken free-kick from the Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real will show off the Club World Cup at the Bernabeu ahead of Saturday afternoon’s fixture against Barcelona. However, there will be no guard of honour from their rivals Barcelona in the encounter at Bernabeu.
Barcelona’s director had his say:
“In this club, the guard of honour is usually made when we participate in the Champions League or La Liga – and this is not the case,” Barcelona director Guillermo Amor said, following his side’s 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Either way, the Catalan club might not have acknowledged their rivals due to their past history. In the recent past too, the Catalan club did not appreciate the side from the Spanish capital after their Super Cup win against Manchester United.
Perez’s comments:
Following the Super Cup win, Real played Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana at Camp Nou. However, there was no guard of honour there for Zidane’s side.
On a potential guard of honour, Real president Florentino Perez said: “If there isn’t, it won’t devalue our title, I see great morale in the players, it’s been very good ahead of Saturday’s game.”
In the history of El Clasico’, there has been only one guard of honour when Barcelona decided to applaud Madrid after they had wrapped up the La Liga title in style back in 2008.
