"It's been quite a few years" - Ex-Barcelona star makes bold comment on Real Madrid ahead of El Clasico

Former Barcelona star Luis Garcia shared his take on Real Madrid's philosophy ahead of the much-awaited El Clásico this weekend. The two LaLiga rivals will face each other for the fourth time this season on Sunday, May 11, at the Montjuic Stadium.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are known to share an age-old rivalry that has its roots in multiple socio-cultural and geo-political factors. In the current season, Los Blancos lost to their bitter rivals three times, two of which were finals. Barcelona, meanwhile, won the Supercopa de España and the Copa del Rey after beating Real Madrid 5-2 and 3-2, respectively. The upcoming Clasico will be crucial in determining the LaLiga race, with the Catalans being four points ahead of the Merengues in the table.

In an interview with GOAL, former Blaugrana midfielder Luis Garcia made bold comments about Los Blancos' philosophy. He said:

"For Real Madrid. It's been quite a few years, and we haven't seen an idea or philosophy or something that you could say, 'OK, this is a Madrid team.' We have got used to this: 'They're gonna come back because of the history or the background or the badge or whatever.'"

The stakes are high for Los Blancos for Clasico this weekend, as this is their only chance to stop Barcelona from winning LaLiga. The Catalans freshly suffered an exit from the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after a 7-6 aggregate loss to Inter Milan. Flick's side will also do everything to win the Clasico, as it could give a major boost to their title hopes.

Former Barcelona star Luis Garcia opens up on the club's performance this season ahead of El Clásico against Real Madrid

In his aforementioned interview with GOAL, ex-Barcelona star Luis Garcia shared his thoughts on the Catalans' performance this season. He said:

"I think they surprised us all. I think that we could expect them to do well, because the team is there. They had the talent last year, they did a good job, even though they didn't win La Liga. They did well in the Champions League and European competition. But you can see that there was something there."

Garcia named some of the players who caught his attention and continued:

"Talents like Gavi, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, obviously, Alejandro Balde. You could say that right now, they are probably top stars in Europe or rising stars. You could see that there was something. But I think they surprised us all, because they picked up very well what Hansi Flick has made them do, this new style of Barcelona."

Hansi Flick has introduced a new brand of attack-focused football at the Catalan club. This is starkly different from the tiki-taka style of football usually associated with them, originating from the Johan Cruyff school of thought. This style worked wonders for the young team, and they'll hope to create the same results against Real Madrid for the fourth time this season.

About the author

Pratyasha is a Pop Culture and a European Football writer for Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and has over 3 years of experience in the pop culture industry. Throughout her career, Pratyasha has always emphasized detailed background checks, and believes in verifying all information regardless of how correct it may seem.

Pratyasha is an ardent admirer of Lionel Messi and has followed his journey since she was a kid; he inspires her with his hard work and dedication. She has grown up watching, living, and breathing Satyajit Ray's cinema, which she believes is timeless. She loves Taylor Swift’s music and thinks she's a lyrical genius, and also admires Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

When Pratyasha's off the clock, she enjoys reading books and listening to music. During the football season, she is usually busy watching football matches late at night when Barcelona are playing.

Know More

Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar