‘Mbappe signing doesn’t guarantee Real will have the best team’

Former Atletico Icon Raul Garcia Looks Ahead To Sunday’s Madrid Derby

Panaji: Raul Garcia has faced Real Madrid more times than any other side in his two-decade long professional football career that ended last summer with the third highest appearances in LaLiga.

The attacking midfielder played Madrid a record 45 times, first with his boyhood club CA Osasuna, then Atletico Madrid, with whom he won LaLiga and Europa League, and finally Athletic Club, where he ended his career after nine seasons.

Garcia’s most memorable games were those involving Atletico Madrid and eternal rivals Real Madrid. He won the 2013 Copa del Rey against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, undoubtedly the highlight of his career, while the Madrid Derby also provided him with one of the most painful moments, the 2014 Uefa Champions League final in Lisbon, which they lost in heartbreaking fashion in extra time.

“I’ve experienced several derbies (across clubs), but the Madrid Derby is really intense as two best-supported teams from the same city clash,” Garcia, 38, said during a global media interaction on Thursday. “The rivalry is significant and a week before the clash, you can feel it everywhere. You can sense that a big game is around the corner. It’s a special occasion, it’s something that gets the city excited.”

Madrid, and the rest of the football world, is buzzing as the much-awaited first Madrid derby of the season unfolds on Sunday. It’s a game that is sure to provide drama and tension.

Given the financial muscle and spate of star signings every season, Madrid enjoy an upper hand. Adding to their strengths this season are France superstar Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian starlet Endrick, so does that hand over the advantage to the Galacticos when they come calling at the Metropolitano?

“Fortunately, not everything is about money, not everything is about finances,” Garcia told TOI during the video call. “You cannot just sign (expensive) players and have a better team. Real have signed Mbappe, one of the leading players in the world, but that does not guarantee that Real will have the best team. I’ve always been with sides that are very strong (as a team), trust their coach and match the level (of stronger opponents).”

Plotting Atletico’s win at home will be coach Diego Simeone.

It is the Argentinian manager who has instilled new life into these derbies; prior to his arrival in 2012, Atletico were without a win against their famous rivals for more than a decade. Since his arrival, they go into the match believing they can get a result.

Nobody knows this better than Garcia, who carried his manager’s characteristic ferocity onto the pitch, during his five-year stint at the club.

“The term calm or take it easy does not exist for Cholo during the derby week. He is a passionate guy, really works hard and he knows how to get the best out of his players. When playing Real, you don’t really need any motivation, and the manager has different approaches for these special games. Sometimes, he will focus on the group, sometimes on individuals. He understands important moments and deals with them,” said Garcia, a former international with Spain.

Mbappe has sustained a thigh injury ahead of this weekend's Madrid derby with Atletico, his club has announced.



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