Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso admitted that taunts from Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal only added to the excitement of the Clásico.
Ahead of a match that rarely requires extra preparation, Yamal sparked a wave of controversy by accusing Madrid of “stealing and complaining” when it comes to refereeing, before intervening with a final dig by reminding fans of Barcelona’s 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu last season.
Unsurprisingly, the teenage winger’s comments didn’t impress the Madrid side at all, adding an extra layer of intrigue to Sunday’s meeting between the two sides.
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“It’s a pretty big match, it has a lot of ingredients, and that’s what excites us the most for tomorrow,” replied a diplomatic Alonso when asked for his verdict on Yamal’s comments.
Pressed further, the Real Madrid coach said: “I’m not going to go into details. There are a lot of statements from people at Barcelona, and I can’t analyze them all.”
After watching the match for the rest of the press conference, Alonso was asked one last time about Yamal’s comments.
This time, the focus has been on the impact of his comments on the Spanish national team, amid widespread reports that Madrid defender Dani Carvajal is considering confronting Yamal over his behavior.
“What I have in mind is that it will be an intense and hard-fought match,” Alonso said, once again brushing aside the controversy. “We need to be prepared, compete at the highest level and have the energy to play a high-level match.”
Madrid enters Sunday’s match with the advantage in the La Liga standings. Alonso’s side are two points clear at the top of the table and will be hoping to extend that lead to five with a big win at the Bernabéu.
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