When there is Real Madrid-Barcelona the world stops for 90 minutes. Everything, beyond football faith. Few matches in the world offer the spectacle that the Clasico offers. Maybe none. On Sunday there will be a new chapter in the rivalry between the two teams: 8pm, King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Spanish Super Cup final. In Italy the match will also be broadcast on the Cronache di Spogliatoio Youtube channel, commentary by Marco Cattaneo with technical commentary by Federico Balzaretti.
A few hours after the big match Cattaneo told us about the emotion of commentating on such a match, 15 years after the last commentary: “I’m also wondering what it means to comment on a Real Madrid-Barcelona match – he explains in our interview – I’ve done a lot of commentary on Spanish football but the last one dates back to about fifteen years ago. Talking about the Clasico has always been a dream, I won’t deny that during the two semi-finals I was rooting hard for Barça and Real Madrid to come through.”
15 years without commentary.
“In the last month, when I watched a match at home, I trained by lowering the volume on the TV and doing the commentary myself, like when I was 15 years old and dreamed of being a journalist. Since I will have Federico Balzaretti next to me during the commentary, at home I have asked my son to do the second voice.”
How do you prepare for a big match like that?
“Let’s say that I’ve seen a lot of Real Madrid-Barcelona even without doing commentary, everyone knows the stories of Vinicius, Mbappé or Lewandowski. I hope there’s no need to even draw on notes.”
What are your thoughts on the situation linked to the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor by Barcelona?
“It’s a big mess. The position of Tebas and La Liga was quite clear: they wondered why Real Madrid remained silent, as if to underline that there is a broader collaboration between the two clubs aimed at other”.
For what do you think?
“The common interest could be the Super League, but if I were a club from third position down in the La Liga I wouldn’t take it well: the rules must be the same for everyone.”
Are you in favor of the Super League?
“Not as it was designed at the time, the meritocratic part must be dominant. It must not correspond to the model of the basketball Euroleague, otherwise we would not be able to talk about realities like that of Brest, Atalanta, Leicester…”.
There is also a bit of Italy in this match with Carlo Ancelotti on the Merengues bench.
“I have the feeling that once the criticisms at the beginning of the season, also due to some missteps in the Champions League, have been overcome, with his usual resilience he will redeem the 0-4 suffered at the Bernabeu in the league with lots of interest. As the two teams stand, Real I see him as a favourite.”
Who are the two irreplaceable players in the two teams?
“If I wanted to be refined in Barcelona I would tell you Casadò, but it would make little sense… I choose two super stars: Yamal on one side and Vinicius on the other, the match needs to have them in the best conditions to put on a show.”
We are in the transfer period: a player you would take on either side?
“It’s difficult to find realistic objectives, almost impossible. But maybe he’s there in Real Madrid: I say Dani Ceballos, I’d try to relaunch him. Among the Barcelona players I really like Cubarsi, if you sign him you’ll fix the defense for the next twenty years.”
Is Vinicius really a Ballon d’Or winner as many think?
“If today I had to make my dream team I would start with him: so I say yes, he is the strongest in the world. I don’t know if he is the most functional, but the strongest is the one who makes you win matches alone, who he entertains you, which justifies the price of the ticket… I also prefer him to Mbappé.”
Did you expect Yamal to reach these levels?
“I expected it and hoped for it. One of the last commentaries I did was a Barcelona-Getafe match in the Copa del Rey in 2007, in that match Messi, 18/19 years old at the time, scored a goal similar to that of Maradona with England at the ’86 World Cup. I hope that Yamal can do something similar too.”
Today Lamine is 17 years old: is there an Under 21 player stronger than him?
“If for Under 21 we consider the 2003 class, I believe that Wirtz, Musiala and Bellingham are inevitably more complete and ready having been a year older, but if we talk about the 2004 class, he is definitely the best.”
Who will make the most progress between Endrick and Arda Güler?
“I prefer players like Güler, that’s why I take him. And in my opinion Ancelotti also thinks so…”.
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