The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is one of the greatest in the world, let alone in Spain. It’s much more than just a big derby of the two most prominent sides in the football-oriented country. Much more than a clash of two clubs who share more than a dozen UCL crowns and tens of domestic championship titles.That’s impressive! World record broken as Barcelona and Real Madrid women dish out a memorable match at Camp NouIt’s a collision of different, mostly antagonized parts of Spain, a duel between Catalan separatists and the state-capital unionists. Between those who were always pro-republican and the Royals. Between that ‘joga bonito’ and ‘win by all cause’. Between Barca and Real Madrid.Xavi’s coronation in El Clasico, as ruthless Barca embarrass Real on their soilAnd that larger-than-life rivalry continues to spark even in 2022, even when the two are in different European competitions, with both close to the showdown, respectively.In such a setup, less than 24 hours after Madrid eliminated Chelsea to reach the Champions League semifinal and less than 24 hours before Barca’s Europa League 1/4 return leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Blaugrana coach Xavi (un)intentionally poured in some more divisions among them.THU: 22.00: (1.37) BARCELONA (5.60) EINTRACHT (8.50)The impeccable tactician talked in his pre-match press conference comparing the two clubs. Or, to be precise, he drew the line between Barca and everyone else, Madrid included.🧨🗣️ Xavi: “A nosotros nos exige la historia del Barça, no el Madrid”👉 “Johan Cruyff nos puso un listón, que es ganar jugando bien, si no no estamos contentos, así somos los catalanes. En Madrid no sé, allí ni he vivido ni sé la idiosincrasia del club….” pic.twitter.com/TJGbm2h6It— MARCA (@marca) April 13, 2022 “The history of Barca demands it from us, not the Madrid’s. We don’t look at Madrid to see what is our goal. And our history in the last 40 years, since the Johan Cruyff’s arrival, has set the bar. And that threshold is to win by playing nice. And if it’s not like that, then we’re not satisfied. Us Catalans, we’re like that. And Madrid folk… I don’t know. I’ve never lived there and don’t know the club’s idiosyncrasy, nor a lot about their history. They are our spectacular rival, have a very competitive side, a team to admire, but Barcelona is a whole other story that has nothing to do with them, “concluded Xavi.Huh, it takes some… courage… to go public with these words.
