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Showing posts with the label El Classico

Top El Classicos with Englishman as the Protagonist

  A few El Clásico games have been decided by English players in the matches’ history, especially during modern times. El Classico 2025 is set to be held this weekend on Sunday, October 26. This would be the first time ever when two sides have English players in the same season. Both teams have a long history with Englishmen, but they belong to different eras and seasons. In the past, prior to World War II, Barcelona had 10 Englishmen in the squad, with Jack Greenwell as one of the most notable ones, whereas their archrival in the capital only had one name. However, things went the opposite in the modern era. Los Blancos went ahead and became more English-friendly with seven players since the 1980s, while their Catalan counterparts have only had two names ever since. The Englishmen in Madrid were even top names in the era, especially in the 2000s when the superstars David Beckham and Michael Owen joined the Los Galacticos after Laurie Cunningham in the 1980s and Steve ...

The Most Memorable El Classico Duel in Copa del Rey Final

  The El Clásico duel has been contested a number of times in the Copa del Rey final, but some are more memorable than the others. El Clásico is set to be held again in the Copa del Rey final this weekend. It is the first one since 2014. This upcoming duel marks the new era of El Clásico. Blaugrana, as usual, counts on their own academy product with Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandre Balde, Fermin Lopez, Ronald Araujo, plus several experienced global stars such as Raphinha, Frankie de Jong and the two-time Ballon D’Or winner, Robert Lewandowski. Their counterparts, Los Blancos, rely more on A-list global stars, from Kylian Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Federico Valverde to the veteran Luka Modric. This classic clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona has always been filled with stars from both sides. From the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano and Co against Ladislav Kubala and Co in the 1950s and 1960s to Cristiano Ronaldo and his Galact...

The Managers who have taken charge both Archrivals in the European Top Leagues

  A number of well-known managers have been in a unique situation by being at the helm of both archrival sides. Each league in the world, whether in Europe or South America, always has two teams that have been involved in a long, heated rivalry. Some even had turned ugly as the diehard fans could be dangerous fanatics off the pitch to show their support to their team. The likes of El Clásico, Argentina’s Superclásico, or Scotland’s Old Firm derby are examples of such rivalries. Their fans could become brutal should they find their star cutting ties with their team and joining their archrival. Perhaps the most notorious one was Luis Figo’s move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000. He had to taste the Catalan fans’ fury in his first return to Camp Nou as a pig’s head was thrown nearby him just before his corner kick. The tale of a player in-between such vengeful rivalry is probably more well-known and exposed to the media than the managers. There have been gaffers who have b...

Top players who failed in both Real Madrid and Barcelona

  Several top players had attempted to thrive in both Real Madrid and Barcelona in their careers but failed. Real Madrid and Barcelona are undoubtedly two of the most famous elite clubs in the world. Thus, a chance to play in either one or even both of them is too good to turn down. Such would not only improve their career but also their level of performance, winning mentality, and even exposure. Some players managed to shine in one of them, whereas a few were even able to thrive on both sides. The likes of Ronaldo Luiz Nazario, Luis Figo, and Michael Laudrup are the perfect example of the latter. Unfortunately, some others have not succeeded in neither team, despite having the rare opportunity to play for both La Liga powerhouses in a star-studded squad. Here are several top players who had failed stints in both Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou. Two of them were even considered legendary figures in their home soil and Eastern Europe. Alfonso Perez Alfonso Perez was one of ...