Racing Santander contrast Real Madrid stance with guard of honour for Barcelona | OneFootball

A guard of honour is a tradition in football afforded to teams when they lift an important piece of silverware. It is a gesture of class that most teams make to show appreciation to the champions, and it is something Real Madrid failed to do.

Despite recently sacked coach Xabi Alonso instructing his players to form a guard of honour for Barcelona to acknowledge their Spanish Super Cup title, Kylian Mbappe overruled him and rallied the team not to do so on the night.

According to Mundo Deportivo, unlike Los Blancos, Racing Santander will form a guard of honour for Barcelona ahead of kick-off in their Copa del Rey clash. It will be a nice moment for Hansi Flick’s team before the game.

Football is a game of mutual respect that always has winners and losers. Losing with class is a virtue that not many teams possess, and being bitter about someone else’s success is not a good reflection of a club as an institution.

Despite Racing Santander’s gesture tomorrow, there is no doubt they will be competitive and will line up to try to cause an upset and progress to the next round of the Copa del Rey. It remains to be seen how things play out on the night.

Although the Spanish Super Cup is not the most prestigious piece of silverware, it has given Barcelona a mental edge over Real Madrid that they can carry for the rest of the season. Let us see how things play out on the night.