Real Madrid icon reminisces Clasico battles from Guardiola-Mourinho era – ‘Our obsession was to stop Messi’

Speaking in an interview with MARCA, former Real Madrid and Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira took a journey down memory lane, reminiscing the Clasico battles between his ex-employers and Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

Khedira, 37, spent five years at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2015 and was part of the heated rivalry between them and Barça under Jose Mourinho and Guardiola, respectively.

El Clasico – The best in history

And, the retired former midfielder remembered the iconic El Clasico matches between two clubs from his time in Spain as “the best in history.”

“It was Mourinho against Guardiola, Cristiano against Messi, the capital against Catalonia… They were matches of maximum intensity, playing at an incredibly high level,” said Khedira.

Continuing he admitted: “When we started in 2010, Barcelona were superior, and in one or two years, we closed the gap. Barcelona were more technical, yes, but we had a mentality and tactical discipline….

“We were warriors on the field, and in every match, we felt like gladiators in Rome.”

Stopping Messi the biggest obsession for Real Madrid

The German did not hold back when confessing that his and his teammates’ biggest obsession at that time was finding a way to neutralise the most important player in the greatest Barcelona team in history: Lionel Messi.

“And of course, our obsession, the big problem, was to stop Messi. But it was everyone’s obsession, not just Mourinho’s,” he reminisced.

When asked about the changes in Barcelona’s project since the Guardiola era, with how the current team under Hansi Flick operates, Khedira mentioned:

“I am surprised by the style of play (of Barcelona), yes. I was at the Bernabeu on the day of the Clasico, and I had the doubt of whether they would play with such a risky style. And they did. They went for many goals.

“As for mentality, it did not surprise me because I know Flick and I know how he communicates, he is perfect at this. I support Madrid, but it is good for La Liga that Barcelona are is at a high level.”