The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has always been an intense one. When El Clasico comes around, things reach boiling points even as the rivalry had damped a little in the last few years. The political context of Catalonia cannot be avoided either in these matches as banners before the game showed. The footballing rivalry does not take a back seat with intense matches played between the two giants of Spanish football. A pig’s head was thrown at Luis Figo once for leaving Barcelona and joining Real Madrid.
For all the rivalry, the players do have respect for each other and that was on view in yesterday’s match at the Camp Nou. The crowd was especially bitter about Sergio Ramos and his tough tackling and hurled abuse at the Real Madrid defender during the game. Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, who has played alongside the Real Madrid captain for Spain national side reacted to the crowd’s gesture, telling them to stop.
Pique and Ramos share a friendship and a rivalry. The two have competed to play for the national team and also played alongside each other. There have been banters, and there have been words exchanged in anger. In the heat of a Clasico match however, Pique remembered that football is about respect.
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