FC Barcelona and Real Madrid share one of the biggest rivalries in the world of football. This rivalry not only results in some of the most heated matches every season, but the enmity between the two clubs, their players, and their fans is also frequently on display off the pitch.
Los Blancos and Blaugranes last met in their USA pre-season tours, as the two clubs faced off in Dallas in a match that ended in a victory for Barcelona. These arch-rivals are not expected to face off one another again before the end of October, but both are competing directly against each other for La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid midfielder fascinated by Barcelona defender
However, some of the players playing for these two clubs share national teams with each other, and are friends off the pitch. Two such players who are rivals by virtue of the club teams, but teammates in national teams are Ronald Araujo and Federico Valverde.
As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the Real Madrid midfielder, Valverde, appeared in an informal interview where he was asked about his favorite player in Barcelona. Naturally, Valverde chose his international teammate, Araujo, as he commented:
“I’m fascinated by Ronald, I’ve always said it. I love him, and he’s also Uruguayan and a very good friend of mine.”
Valverde refrains from picking the worst player in Barcelona
Following this question about his favorite player in Barcelona, the midfielder was also questioned about who was the player that he most disliked in Barcelona. However, Valverde refrained from picking a player for such an undesirable role:
I won’t say any player is bad because they all deserve to be where they are and work for it. I respect them all.”
Thus, despite the rivalry on the pitch and the heated emotions that the players of Barcelona and Real Madrid have for each other, they still respect one another off the pitch.
At the end of the day, football is only a game, and being humans, having respect for one another is what actually matters for both the fans and the players of these two historical clubs.
