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Why Barcelona will not mount Guard of Honour for Real Madrid

Barcelona has ruled out mounting a Guard of Honour for Real Madrid ahead of El Clasico, despite Madrid winning the Club World Cup.

Real Madrid host Barcelona in a crucial El Clasico match at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with a win helping to close the gap to Barca.

However, Real Madrid’s forward, Cristiano Ronaldo said his club deserves a Guard of Honour, having won the Club World Cup, an idea which Barca’s director, Guillermo Amor ruled out.

“We make it clear that we only do this when we participate in the competition when we compete in the competition, we will do it but that is not the case. That’s the way it is,” Amor said.

Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde said he is yet to consider the possibility of a Guard of Honour.

“We’ve only just finished this game, I haven’t even paid it a thought,” he said.

Unbeaten in 16 league games this season, Barcelona holds a six-point advantage over second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Instances Rivals performed Guard of Honour

In European football, newly crowned champions are given a Guard of Honour with their excellence throughout the season acknowledged by the other teams.

This is not the first instance when a top rival has given a Guard of Honour to the newly crowned champions. Top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and even Barcelona too have done so in the recent past.

Liverpool vs. Chelsea (2014/15)

A season after Jose Mourinho’s men had hindered Liverpool’s hopes of winning their first Premier League title; they rubbed salts on Liverpool’s wounds by winning the league in the 2014/15 season.

When the Reds visited Stamford Bridge, they had missed out on a Champions League spot and had to give a Guard of Honour to their arch-rivals who had won the title beating Crystal Palace the previous week.

The game ended 1-1 as John Terry and Steven Gerard scored a goal each for their sides, in what was a dead rubber, which would go on to be remembered more for how it started than the actual game itself.

Arsenal vs. Manchester United (2012/13)

When Robin Van Persie left for Manchester United in August 2012, Arsenal fans were livid with the Dutchman’s decision of having departed for an arch-rival.

And it didn’t get any better for them, when they saw their side give a guard of honour to Van Persie, along with the rest of United team in a season where his goals almost single-handedly guided them to their 20th Premier League title.

The striker scored in this game too, slotting away a penalty to hand the Red Devils a 1-1 draw. Arsenal finished fourth that season, 16 points behind their old foes.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid a guard of honour (2007/08)

Barcelona and Real Madrid share one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, but when Real Madrid players thanked their Barcelona counterparts for giving them a guard of honour back in 2008; it was definitely a sight to behold.

It was a highlight of their season, but the sight of them shaking hands with their rivals from Catalonia proved that football is a game of respect, before anything else.

The Catalans finished third that season under Frank Rijkaard, ten points behind Sevilla and 18 points behind Los Blancos in what was a highly frustrating campaign for a club that desires to be the greatest in the world.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea (2004/05)

When Chelsea won its first ever Premier League title, a season after Arsenal had won the title in the previous campaign, the celebration could not have been better.

The Blues traveled to Old Trafford on the 11th of May, 2005, with Sir Alex’s men greeting them with applause, as they strode down the famous tunnel.

The team from London had accumulated the highest number of points ever by a Premier League club that season – 95, and had done so during Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United finished third that season, 18 points behind the champions.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea, 2006/07

Manchester United proved that karma always comes back to haunt you. After two seasons of going after Chelsea and failing at it, United came out on top and it was the Blues who had to give them a guard of honour, that too at Stamford Bridge.

The Red Devils won the title in the 2006/07 campaign, seeing the Blues finish six points behind them. It wasn’t a record or anything too special, but it was revenge in the perfect sense for Sir Alex’s men.

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