Mesut Ozil has touch on the El Classico, expressing that the encounter has lost its intrigue due to the downward spiral of Barcelona.
The former Real Madrid man made this assertion ahead of Los Blancos’ La Liga encounter against Barcelona on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
During an interview with Marca, Ozil shared that Barcelona have lost their star power.
The German legend said: “At that time, it was the most important match in world football. Unfortunately for us, Pep’s Barça was perhaps the best Barça in history. It was at another level, certainly different from today’s Barça.”
More attention is put on matches like Manchester City Vs Liverpool – Ozil says
Mesut Ozil added that he thinks presently attention is fixated more on games like Manchester City Vs Liverpool or other top Premier League fixtures.
He said: “I think that right now worldwide attention is more focused on games like Liverpool-Manchester City or other Premier League duels. Here, I think the Clásico has gone down and that’s a shame.”
The ex-Arsenal midfielder then proceeded to say that El Classico’s drop in allure is not due to the fault of Real Madrid.
He tagged his former side as “one of the best teams in the world”, but stressed that the problem is Barcelona.
The Catalan giants have struggled in recent years and have failed to reach the level they previously were during the dispensation of players like Ronaldinho, and Lionel Messi, and managers like Pep Guardiola amongst others.
Mesut Ozil reason on why the El Classico has lost its allure
Ozil added: “But that’s not Real Madrid’s fault, as they are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the world.
“The problem is Barça, who have lost potential. Barcelona are struggling; they are trying.
“They have good players in all positions, but they have had too many injuries this season and maybe they should look a bit more at themselves and their mistakes and stop complaining about the referees all the time.”
When was the peak of the El Classico?
The El Classico was all fire and brimstone during his spell in Spain, as it coincided with what many might term the peak of the Ronaldo and Messi era.
Fans were eagerly ready on many occasions to lap up all the excitement and the drama that the encounter would unfold.
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho also went head-to-head during the early 2010s and the clash was basically a showdown that had everything a football match should have.
Ozil left Real Madrid on September 2, 2013, to join Arsenal for a fee of €47 million, having accentuated brilliance at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner made 159 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 27 goals and providing 81 assists in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Barcelona clash on Sunday, April 21, 2024, for another installment of the El Classico.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit at the summit of the La Liga table, with 78 points from 31 league matches, 8 points than 2nd-placed Barcelona, who have picked up 70 points from 31 matches.
It will be interesting to see where the pendulum would swing, with stars like Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr set to feature for Real Madrid.
For Barcelona, they will be looking up to players like Pedri and Robert Lewandowski to deliver the goods at the Santiago Bernabeu.
