According to “Varzesh3,” everything started with the claim of a “new era” when Ronald Araujo boasted after winning the 2023 Spanish Super Cup by defeating Real Madrid in the final. This move did not sit well with Real Madrid’s dressing room, but they quickly took revenge by winning their 36th La Liga title and 15th Champions League, rewriting history once again and leaving no trace of Barcelona’s “new era.”

Then Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid, thrilling the team’s fans. This transfer formed an unparalleled team of stars aiming to dominate world football. On the other side, Barcelona changed their coach and turned the tables. Hans-Dieter Flick transformed the team with the same players his predecessor had, altering the players’ mentality. The result? A Champions League semi-final, leading La Liga, and winning two trophies. This time, Barcelona truly began their new era and put Real Madrid under pressure.

Bitter Taunts
Three victories in El Clasico (four including the preseason match) with a humiliating 12-4 goal difference plunged Real Madrid into a crisis of confidence and performance, while Barcelona reached the peak of self-assurance—a team deprived of European glory for years.

Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old star, said after defeating Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final: “I was talking to Ronald Araujo in the hotel and said if we concede one goal, it doesn’t matter. If we concede two, it still doesn’t matter. This year, they simply can’t beat us.” These confident remarks were a dagger to the heart of Real Madrid’s dressing room, drowning in the pain of defeat.

Inigo Martinez also taunted after the final that Real Madrid couldn’t finish: “Today, football won, and that’s what matters. We had to show we were better, and we did.” This bitter taunt further angered Real Madrid’s dressing room.

Barcelona players continued to fuel the rivalry before the most important match of the year.

Martinez, after the bitter elimination against Inter, added another sarcastic remark: “La Liga is ours, and the next match will be ours too. I have no doubt. We’re going to face Real Madrid without any problems.”

These words further wounded Real Madrid’s pride, and the response from Real’s camp was: “We all know how this story always ends.” Some Real Madrid players even gathered to watch Barcelona’s dramatic semi-final, not wanting to miss any details of their arch-rival’s physical and mental fatigue. They hope to exploit this psychological blow in El Clasico and respond to Barcelona’s taunts with a heavy punishment.