Mumbai: With an enormous smile, Fernando Morientes introduced, hand on coronary heart: “I’m 25”.
(From left) Former Barcelona stalwarts Javier Saviola and Edmilson with ex-Actual Madrid greats Pepe and Fernando Morientes at a media convention in Mumbai on Saturday, forward of a legends match in Navi Mumbai to recall their El Clasico rivalry. (HT Picture)
The previous Spain striker, typically a late intervention for Actual Madrid, soaked within the applause to have fun his forty eighth birthday in a Mumbai resort on Saturday. The Morientes who sat on the entrance of the room had a number of extra gray hairs and wrinkles in comparison with the picture of him from his enjoying days that was within the backdrop. As did former Portuguese defender Pepe, Brazil’s 2002 World Cup winner Edmilson and former Argentina ahead Javier Saviola sitting beside him.
The quartet have been attending a media convention a day forward of a ‘legends El Clasico derby’, between former gamers of Actual Madrid and Barcelona who had featured in the actual deal. The sport will happen on Sunday at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
They exuded an air of calm forward of a match that recalled a very powerful fixture of their enjoying days. At the same time as former gamers, the loyalties and rivalries nonetheless stand.
“When you’re a football player, you are always going to remain that way,” mentioned Morientes, a two-time La Liga and three-time Champions League winner with Actual, via a translator. “These matches are a little bit different and you get to enjoy a bit more, but that competitiveness will always be there between Barcelona and Real Madrid. You are representing your own team and you are responsible for that.”
On Sunday, they are going to line-up with the likes of Rivaldo, Luis Figo, Michael Owen, Carles Puyol and lots of extra former gamers of the 2 golf equipment in an exhibition sport with some scores nonetheless to be settled.
“It’s a different kind of match because it is not a professional game,” mentioned Pepe, the hard-tackling defender who gained three Champions League and La Liga titles every with Actual Madrid. “We know that Barca has been winning a bit more than Real right now, so we have to correct that (tomorrow).”
Pepe, the enforcer
Now 42, Pepe was enjoying for Portugal and membership soccer (for Porto) until final yr. The member of Portugal’s victorious 2016 European Championship workforce was part of a few of the extra heated El Clasico derbies. Particularly on the time when Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have been the top coaches of Actual and Barcelona respectively.
“Things heated up when Mourinho and Guardiola were there for both sides,” Pepe mentioned. “Taking aside those fights, people got to watch those matches in a better atmosphere. There were fights between the clubs, between the players, between the trainers, between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo… But those were incredible years for Spanish football. I saw them from the inside. Those were good matches for fans and players.”
This was a matchup that evoked emotion and drew the eye of followers from the world over. Saviola, who has performed for Barcelona and Actual Madrid (he’ll symbolize Barca in Mumbai) remembers the sport being a household affair when he was rising up in Argentina.
“Rivalries have always been important, and even in Argentina we had this big one with River Plate and Boca Juniors,” he recalled. “But people in South America know how important the El Clasico is. When I was a kid, I used to watch it with my family.”
The rivalry between the 2 groups although maybe a bit mellow now in comparison with over a decade earlier, nonetheless stays one of many largest fixtures in world soccer. It has reached some extent the place, in line with former Barcelona participant Edmilson, the El Clasico has change into greater than the Brazil-Argentina derby.
“I’m a bit critical, but I feel players play better when it’s Barca-Real than for their national team,” he mentioned.
Saviola concurred: “In South America also there is big passion. People stop their work to show their colours and watch the match. These are countries with big football traditions. But on the field, there is nothing compared to Barca-Real.”
One other model recalling the Clasico will happen in Mumbai on Sunday, albeit as a pleasant.
Not like the backdrop on the press meet, the workforce buses have been embellished with up to date variations of the gamers’ photos. The gray hair and wrinkles are there, however the faces are nonetheless very acquainted. Faces that convey again reminiscences of thrilling soccer matches from yesteryear and take one on a nostalgic journey. To after they have been 25 and had the footballing world at their ft.