Quique Setién and Ronald Koeman lost in all the matches against Real Madrid and Xavi has won one of three
MADRID, 17 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona has gone from joy to tears in a matter of weeks and the defeat (3-1) this Sunday in the Clásico increases its doubts, in a duel with the Madridistas that shows the change in trend after losing six of the last eight official matches played between both teams.
The Catalan team has handed over the keys to its eternal rival in their clashes. Since 2020, with the departure of Ernesto Valverde from the bench, the ‘culés’ have only been able to celebrate one conquest of the Clásico in the last three years – not counting preseason, where they won last July with a solitary goal from Raphinha in Las Vegas-.
In fact, both Quique Setién and Ronald Koeman lost all their matches, while Xavi Hernández, since he took the helm last year, has made up the statistics with joy in three matches, albeit by 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabéu .
This change in trend began after a disastrous 2018-2019 campaign for Real Madrid in these duels, of which they lost three, two of them by landslide (5-1 in the League and 0-3 in the Cup), and only tied one , in the King’s Cup. However, since then, he has only lost the one from last season in his fiefdom.
Even with Ernesto Valverde, Barça drew goalless at the Camp Nou in the 2019-2020 season and from there he entered a free fall that had already begun with Quique Setién in his unsuccessful stage at Can Barça. The Cantabrian only had one opportunity to experience the Clásico in the front line of fire. At that time his counterpart in the white team was Zinedine Zidane, who won the game with solvency (2-0).
In the following season, Ronald Koeman unsuccessfully tried to reverse the situation. For this reason, Real Madrid would continue its hegemony against its main opponent by assaulting (1-3) the Camp Nou, something that it had not done since 2015 and that has become a regular tonic until today.
A joy that would be repeated at the Alfredo Di Stéfano with another win (2-1) and, again, already in the 21-22 season, in Barcelona by 1-2. A condemnation for the Dutch coach, doomed to failure after leading his team to exile in the Europa League and unable to fight in LaLiga Santander. As a consequence, a pronounced end that would give the opportunity to a pupil of the ‘Blaugrana’ fans like Xavi Hernández.
The man from Terrassa experienced the Clasico for the first time from the bench in Saudi Arabia, although his individual battle with Carlo Ancelotti did not get off to a good start either. In fact, the illusion in his first title at stake did not last long, when he fell in extra time (2-3) in the ‘Final Four’ of the Spanish Super Cup.
However, the revenge of the azulgranas would come in March with a lofty victory (0-4), which silenced the Santiago Bernabéu. A feat that he has not been able to repeat this Sunday in his first sports crisis at the head of the bench.
On the contrary, the statistics are opposed to the previous stage with Ernesto Valverde as coach of FC Barcelona. In fact, the ‘Txingurri’ only lost two direct duels and in the Spanish Super Cup. A fact that shows his good streak in the First Division at the head of the ‘culé’ bench.
Thus, the current coach of Athletic Club, in his nine Clásicos managed, won four, three of them in the League and one in the Cup; with three draws, two in the domestic championship and one in the knockout tournament. His only two defeats were consecutive in the Spanish Super Cup of the 2017-2018 season (1-3 and 2-0), back and forth at the time. A bad start that, in this case, was able to reverse to the joy of Barcelona.
In total, both teams have played 250 official Clásicos, with Real Madrid leading the statistics with 101 wins and 418 goals, while FC Barcelona has 97 wins and 409 goals.
