Barca great Amor opens up about El Clasico
When it comes to the domestic calendar, It doesn't get any bigger than El Clasico and Adelaide United coach Guiellermo Amor knows first hand just how much is at stake for both sides.
The Adelaide United coach bleeds red and blue, having graduated from Barcelona's renowned youth academy, before going on to make 311 league appearances for the club between 1988 and 1998.
Amor wrote his name in El Clasico folklore when he scored the winning goal in 1994 and the experienced midfielder knows how much it means to both sides to get on up on their bitter rival.
We spoke to the Barcelona great about what it's like to play on club football's biggest stage and the highs (and lows) El Clasico has to offer.
Q. How does playing in El Clasico differ from other big games?
A. Naturally it's different because it's a game between two of the best teams in the world and it's a derby. Both of them are always candidates to win every competition they play in.
Q. What was it like in the lead up to El Clasico in training and in the dressing room before the match?
A. It's a game that you prepare for differently to other games. There is an extra motivation for it and people talk about it for weeks leading up to it. It's a game that you live for during the whole week in training.
The fans, media, football in general talk about this game. In the dressing room, we were all concentrated and focused on what we had to do much more than normal.
Everyone had the same objective and that was to win. They are games that all professional players would like to play in.
Q. What was it like to score the winning goal in 1994, what was going through your head?
A. In that moment, I thought of how important the goal was for the team because it is always difficult to win against Madrid away from home. That win gave us more options to win the title, which was the most important thing.
Q. What was your best and worst El Clasico moment?
A. The victory against them in 1994 was probably one moment against Madrid, or when we played home in the same year and won 5-0 at home. The worst moment in El Clasico was when we lost the next year 5-0 away.
Q. What does it mean as a player to win El Clasico?
A. It means a lot, but it means even more when your team is Barça and when you have played against Madrid since you were young in the academy.
Q. What are your thoughts about players in the past who have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona? (e.g Figo, Ronaldo)
A. The only thing I can say about them is that when they played in Barça they gave everything. Ronaldo was only in Barça for one year, but he had an amazing season. Figo was there for five years and also had five great seasons.
Q. Who was your toughest opponent in El Clasico and why?
A. Whoever played more as a team ended up getting the win. In teams like Barça and Madrid there are always players who can change the game by themselves. I can't tell you one specific player, but there were always many good players in Madrid.
Q. Who’s your tip to win next El Clasico and why?
A. I think Barça because it's my team and they will play at home. They need the win if they want to be number one again, so I can see them doing everything to win this game.
Q. Is this current Barcelona side the best you have seen?
A. It's difficult to say that. They have a very good team now, but Barça have always had many good teams during different years.