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11.12.2008 11:29
Van Bommel: “The clásico is an incomparable game”
Txemi Terés / Vanessa Forns
One season with Barça, 2005/06, was enough for Mark van Bommel to appreciate the significance of a game between Barça and Real Madrid, something he describes as “incomparable”.
The Dutchman spent a short but successful period with FC Barcelona, for in his single
season at the club, 2005/06, he was in the squad that won the Liga title at a canter and also won
the Champions League in Paris – where he himself was among the starting eleven.
Regretful of his gesture
The Dutch international has since gone on to enjoy three successful seasons in the ranks of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. But in Catalonia, he soon picked up on the meaning of the rivalry between Barça and Madrid. And it stuck with him, for when his new club met Madrid in the 2006-07 season, Van Bommel could not resist making an uncouth gesture to the Bernabéu terraces after scoring a goal.
The former Barça man remembers the incident with some regret. “Perhaps it wasn’t quite the right thing to do. I went a bit far and UEFA ended up suspending me, though it was only a one-match ban” said Van Bommel.
No game like it
But the rivalry between Barça and Madrid struck a nerve with
Van Bommel. “It is a very special game, one of the big games in world football between the
two most potent sides in the Spanish league” he explained. In fact, he went as far as to say
that he was not aware of any game that quite matches FC Barcelona v Real Madrid.
Barça favourites
Van Bommel has no doubt that FC Barcelona “is the current favourite” to take the three points at the Camp Nou. “Considering the way they are going in the league and the nine-point difference, I think Barça should win, and that’s what I’d like” he said.
No room for mistakes
But Van Bommel also knows that Real Madrid have a number of his
compatriots in their ranks. “All of them, Drenthe, Robben, Van der Vaart, and others, are
good players, I know them well and they are capable of leading their side to victory at the Camp
Nou”, said the former Barça star. His message was clear, there is no margin for error because
“Real Madrid can always make like hard for you”.
His Barça v Real Madrid
Despite the success story that was the 2005-06 season, Mark van Bommel did not get to enjoy a win
against the eternal enemy. In the first game he was injured and missed the 3-0 win at the Bernabéu
that will always be remembered by that stunning performance by another player who has since moved
on, Ronaldinho, who scored twice, after Samuel Eto'o had opened the scoring.
Then in game 31 back at the Camp Nou, the match ended one each. The Dutchman got to play in that game, and in fact, it was a penalty on him by Roberto Carlos that led to Ronaldinho scoring from the spot in the 20th minute to give Barça a 1-0 lead that would be neutralised by Ronaldo sixteen minutes later in the only other goal of the match.
Then in game 31 back at the Camp Nou, the match ended one each. The Dutchman got to play in that game, and in fact, it was a penalty on him by Roberto Carlos that led to Ronaldinho scoring from the spot in the 20th minute to give Barça a 1-0 lead that would be neutralised by Ronaldo sixteen minutes later in the only other goal of the match.
