Clasico: Former Barça player takes aim at Real Madrid ahead of showdown | OneFootball

Clasico

Just hours before the Clasico, tensions are running high between Madrid and Barcelona camps. A former Catalan player has just taken a shot at Los Blancos.

The Clasico won't just be played on the pitch at the Santiago Bernabéu; the battle has already begun off the field. In recent hours, Marca brought together two iconic former Spanish players for a dinner at Pulpería Casa Lampazas: Luis Milla, representing Real Madrid, and Julio Salinas, a figure of FC Barcelona. Discussing the history of Clasico encounters, the two men touched on refereeing and the perception of a possible media imbalance between the clubs. And Julio Salinas didn't pull any punches.

"From my point of view, referees should be foreign. Throughout my career, I always felt disadvantaged when facing Real Madrid. Real Madrid supporters will say the opposite and bring up the Negreira case, but the statistics speak for themselves. The media pressure exerted by Real Madrid Television in Spain is huge and has an impact," he declared.

Luis Milla responded in a more measured tone: "Neither Barcelona nor Madrid should consider themselves systematically disadvantaged. What is clear is that referees work under constant pressure. That's why I wouldn't hesitate to bring in foreign referees."