MADRID, 15 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former Real Madrid player Fernando Morientes assured that the white team “has more to lose than FC Barcelona” in El Clásico, since the merengue team arrives as “favorites” to the duel, after lifting the League and Champions League last season.
“Real Madrid has more to lose than Barça. Barcelona is a recently built team, they have to adapt, show many things, and Madrid are the favourites, they are a very accomplished team, which has just won the League and the Champions League”, said the former striker in an interview with Europa Press after the La Barra de los Encuentros event organized by Mahou.
Morientes, scorer of two goals in the 12 games he played against FC Barcelona, commented that ‘puncturing’ in the match prior to El Clásico could affect him, so he prefers to arrive at the game “with a clean week”. “If you’ve lost the week, it’s a long week, but with El Clásico, the previous one, the controversy, the debate, in the end you forget the rest. But winning the previous match is always important”, he commented.
The ex-madridista, with a record in the Clasicos of three wins, three draws and six losses, understands that, after Karim Benzema’s physical problems, it is “complicated to regain confidence” when you return from injury. “He affects a lot emotionally and when making movements on the field, but he doesn’t lose quality and if you ask me if I want him to be on the field, I prefer him to be,” he said.
Finally, the former soccer player responded to the words of the FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, who assured that the Champions League champion is not always the “best”, since the luck factor acts. However, Morientes pointed out that “in all facets you have to be lucky.” “In the Champions League, in the League, in walking and not getting hit by a car…” he said ironically.
“But when you reach the final and win it, it’s because someone has done a tremendous job and that’s what is not valued. It makes me very sad that former players do not value that work, there is luck, but also a lot of sacrifice behind it,” he settled. .