Zinedine Zidane explains why Real Madrid won’t give Barcelona a guard of honour before El Clasico.
Barcelona, who are still unbeaten in the Spanish top flight under Ernesto Valverde, were crowned champions last week ahead of Sunday’s clash Madrid. Zidane’s men will face Barca in their final El Clasico of the season on Sunday night (May 6) at the Camp Nou, and Frenchman believes Barcelona do not deserve a guard of honour before the game because they refused to give Real one for winning the Club World Cup.
“I am not the one who decides if there is a pasillo,” Zidane said. “We must explain the situation – after the Club World Cup I understand it was not important for them to do it.
“Some say it is as they were not in the competition, but that is not true. You have to win the Champions League to get to the Club World Cup, and we are all in that.
“So they did not do it. We respect what Barca have done, to win La Liga is the most difficult, I have always said that. I congratulate them.
“If they had done the pasillo… I am not breaking any tradition, but neither will I do something that they did not do.”
Lionel Messi and his teammates are aiming to finish the 2017/18 season unbeaten in Ernesto Valverde’s first season as Barcelona manager, but tonight’s clash with Real Madrid that boasts a power-front with Cristiano Ronaldo would be a tough one for the newly-crowned La Liga Champions. Madrid go into the game 15 points adrift of the champions and four points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.
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