Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez used comments from Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos to motivate his players in a team talk ahead of an El Clasico match this year.
Xavi’s first match as a coach against the Spanish capital club came in January as his side were defeated in extra-time of the Spanish Supercopa semi-final. It was a game in which the Catalan giants were underdogs for due to their inconsistency throughout the campaign.
Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati twice equalised for the Blaugrana after Vinicius Junior and then Karim Benzema had given Real Madrid the lead, before Fede Valverde netted the winner in extra-time. Carlo Ancelotti’s side would go on to win the tournament by beating Athletic Club Bilbao 2-0 in the final.
