Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that his Real Madrid team have no intention of giving Barcelona a guard of honour when the two teams clash on the 6th of May.
It has been an old tradition for the rivals to acknowledge the achievements of one another once top honours are secured.
In this case, it seems that Barcelona will have wrapped off the title by the time they play Madrid and under normal circumstances, the Madrid team would have been obligated to give Barcelona a guard of honour.
But, Zidane has said he would not be doing this, noting that Barcelona didn’t do it after Real’s World club cup win.
“I don’t know how much you are going to ask me but my response is very clear,” Zidane told reporters at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Madrid derby date with Atletico.
“It is my decision and that is it.
“I don’t understand the guard of honour and it won’t take place, although we are far from the end of the season.
“Barcelona broke the tradition.”
Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona’s boss had explained why his team didn’t do a guard of honour for Madrid, saying;
“A [guard of honour] was something done years ago as a symbolic tribute, as recognition between players, when football had not acquired this nuance that is contaminating everything.
“We do have recognition towards Madrid, for what they have achieved this year.
“On the notion of a guard of honour, I wouldn’t do it for anyone, nor would I want it to be done for us. It has now lost the essence that it had a few years ago.”