El Clasico: The Day the School Beat the Bank

As the dust finally settles on El Clasico and as the Camp Nou is emptied, the festive atmosphere of Barcelona will continue well into the coming days.

As questions are cast over managerial tactics, mercurial talents and the eternal debate over who is the better team in Spain (and potentially the world) one thing is certain, these two clubs are definitely not as similar as we thought. 

Yes, the names of Puyol, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi all come to mind when one thinks about the Blaugrana, but which names come to mind when one thinks about the core of Los Blancos?

Gone are the days of the legendary Raul and his companion Guti, and it seems almost alien to think of the club without their former constants. Surely, Iker Casillas remains, but who else is present to pass on the culture that is Real Madrid?

We have all grown accustomed to the “Galactico Era,” conceived by Supremo Florentino Perez, but is this unit, of extraordinary talent, a team at all?

We all saw on Monday night what the majority of us did not expect, victory at the widest of margins.

But why?

Apart from the advantage of Barca playing at home, WHY could the teams ever be more different?

Both teams could not peak any further in recent times, with resounding victories both domestically and in Europe. This brings us to the questions most of us already have the answers to. Mourinho was right when he stated, “I've always said that the club [Barcelona] is a finished product and Madrid are a long way.”

As simple as it can be put, Barcelona plays as a single entity on a football pitch. It’s not just 11 against 11 anymore, it’s 11 against ONE.

ONE smooth running, efficient, fast and effective machine.

This is not however an overnight assembly of players on the field. It has been a work in progress—which extends its roots deep within the heart of the legendary youth academy of La Masia in Barcelona, reaping its benefits like never before.

It has been well established that the majority of Spain’s World Cup winning squad hail from the club, but it is even more astounding to recall the number of them that have been bred in the youth ranks.

Valdes, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and even Csec Fabregas have all come through this common rite of passage.

These players have had certain qualities instilled through the ranks, and it shows week in week out. This almost telepathic understanding, of fast fluid movement, has been retained and passed on to this current team—via Pep Guardiola, a product of the academy.

If your team keeps the ball, the other team cannot score.

But is it really that simple?

Is simply starving Real Madrid and other teams of ball possession enough to cause the breakdown of a team at its peak form? Surely if it is that simple everyone should be doing it right?

Wrong.

As Mourinho put it, Barcelona is a finished product. Some members of this current team have known each other since their pre-teen years, be it from the Xavi-Puyol era or the Pique-Messi era.

The fact is, they all are familiar with a certain style of play and have grown accustomed to Guardiola’s techniques: pass the ball from the back, keep moving it forward and maintain possession. This, accompanied by their fierce Catalan pride, especially against their eternal rivals, rarely ever has a negative outcome in terms of the scoreline.

This brings me to my point. Where is the culture of Real Madrid? Where does its passion lie on the pitch?

By no means can one doubt the individual talents of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Alonso and the list goes on. But does their talent as a team hold its ground?

If not, then why not invest towards the future of the team by looking towards their youth, rather than splash millions on imported talent looking for immediate results?

Is the current lack of trophies due to Madrid’s poor form or due to lack of consistency?

Definitely the latter, as last season we saw newly instated coach Pellegrini lead the Blancos to a record 96 points, placing second tp their rivals before being sacked to make way for Jose Mourinho and a new talent.

It seems every time Real Madrid seems to gel as a unit new variables are thrown into the mixture, thus disrupting the process they so desperately need.

We all know Monday night’s result, and we all know it could have ended with a greater margin. The “Special One” may be rocked, but refused to be toppled, even though he sustained a very special defeat.

With Blaugrana palms stretching towards the Barcelona night sky, it was not only a finger for each goal but a finger for each encounter won under the helm of Josep Guardiola himself.