13.12.2008 11:19
“The clásico has an amazing, unique atmosphere”
Jaume Marcet
Luis Enrique wore both the Real Madrid and the Barça shirts and so for him playing a clásico was a more special occasion than ever.
In the early 1990s, Luis Enrique Martínez was one of the stars at Real Madrid. In 1996, he signed
for Barça and soon became one of the most symbolic players thanks to the way he so quickly adapted
to his new colours and showed such dedication to the cause. Not surprisingly, every time he
returned to the Bernabéu he was given a hostile reception by his former fans. Now he is the coach
of Barça Atlètic and told us what it is like to play in a game in which 100,000 voices scream at
you in a different way depending on which of the two sides is the one they support.
You spent five years at Real Madrid and eight with Barça. Is it very different to play in
the game wearing the Madrid colours to the Barça colours?
I got the chance to see it both ways, but I think it depends
on how each team is playing. If you are a Madrid player, going to the Camp Nou when Barça are
leaders with some terrific players and on form, it’s much more difficult. But on the other
hand, if you play for Madrid and you are top, playing incredibly and you have to travel to a more
off-form Barça with problems, the thing changes.
Do the reserve team players get into it the same way?
A clásico is always clásico and it doesn’t matter that a lot of the players
are foreigners. Here at Barça we have a lot of reserve players that know what it’s all about
and what it means to play against Real Madrid. When you join a club, you know who your direct
rivals are, the ones you have to beat, the ones the supporters most want you to beat. A clásico
always means the utmost rivalry and means a lot to the players.
How does a player’s perception change depending on whether the game is at the Camp
Nou or the Bernabéu?
They are both stadiums that hold almost 100,000 spectators, with the eternal enemy against
you … It is an amazing, unique and marvellous atmosphere to experience, with the home side
being supported by its people. They are unusual supporters on every level. The people of Madrid and
Catalunya, or of Gijón or Cadiz, have nothing to do with each other. They all have their own
outlooks on life, football and everything. These games mean much more than a football match between
Barça and Madrid. They mean boasting to your friend from Madrid and saying ‘ we got four
against you!’ If you go to play at the Bernabéu as a Barça player you are up against 100,000
people in a tense atmosphere, supporting their team, if you go to the Camp Nou as a Madrid player
it’s exactly the same. All in all, it’s marvellous, it’s an amazing football
atmosphere.
What personal memories do you have of clásicos?
As a kid I supported Barça and I went to Madrid
because my teacher decided that. When I came to play at the Camp Nou, I had no desire for revenge
or anything to prove to anybody. It was the opposite, when I joined Barça, playing at the Bernabéu
meant a lot to me, for Barça fans to feel proud of me. I wanted to show that I was a worthy
footballer. I have find memories of those games. For me, on a motivational level, those games were
unique.
How do you think Barça will deal with the clásico?
Evidently, for this game there is conviction that Barça can neat Madrid quite easily. But I
would steer away from getting too euphoric about it. That happened two years ago, when it looked
like we’d thrash Capello’s Madrid but it was a draw. And although in theory Barça are
the favourites, you always have to keep a professional attitude, which is what would be expected of
any FC Barcelona player. I am convinced there will be no over-confidence because Pep will stamp
that out from the start. I hope to see a great game and for Barça to shine like we have seen in
other recent games.