The dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona over Real Madrid remains one of the most defining chapters in modern football history. Few rivalries have been as one-sided during specific periods, and G...
The dominance of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona over Real Madrid remains one of the most defining chapters in modern football history.
Few rivalries have been as one-sided during specific periods, and Guardiola’s era produced several painful memories for Real Madrid, including iconic defeats that still resonate with supporters today.
Speaking on the podcast Bajo los palos, hosted by Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas, former assistant coach Aitor Karanka revisited those brutal Clasico encounters and offered a candid assessment of why Madrid struggled so badly during that phase.
Guardiola’s Barcelona repeatedly disrupted Madrid’s rhythm, most notably in humiliating scorelines such as the 2-6 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu and the 5–0 thrashing at Camp Nou in 2010.
Discussing the thrashing
Casillas opened the conversation by referencing the most intense stretch of that rivalry – the four consecutive Clasicos played in May 2011, which included one league match, the Copa del Rey final, and two Champions League semi-finals.
Reflecting on that relentless schedule, the former captain posed a direct question to his ex-assistant coach,
“Do you think we were prepared for those four games in such a short space of time?”
With the benefit of hindsight, Karanka admitted that Madrid may not have been fully ready for what they faced.
“Looking back now, maybe not,” he said, suggesting that better preparation could have changed the outcome of some results.
He went on to expand on how time has altered the way those matches are viewed.
“Looking at it with perspective, you think that maybe there were some bad things, but also some very good things.
“But after 15 years, people still remember those Clasicos,” Karanka added.
For Real Madrid, the one bright moment amid the storm came in the Copa del Rey final.
They managed to overcome Guardiola’s side thanks to a decisive goal from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even so, Karanka acknowledged that mistakes were made. “There were things we all would have done differently and better,” he admitted, before pointing to a deeper structural issue.
Madrid, he explained, were still a team in transition when Barcelona hit their peak. “It happens in the third year, or the second… but it happened as soon as we arrived,” he said.
Category: General Sports
