[This morning, upon arriving at Hotel Juan Carlos in Barcelona ahead of the El Clásico derby, the Real Madrid squad was attacked by a group of Barcelona fans.
The hotel parking lot turned into a scene of chaos, and it was reported that some windows near the players were shattered.
Enraged Real Madrid fans are now bombarding the LFP headquarters with calls, voicing strong protests.]
As this news spread across the world, it sent shockwaves through football fans.
[There are hooligans everywhere.]
└Still, they're more civil than the Brits. Didn't they kill a cop with a brick during an away trip to France?
└Compared to that, this was relatively mild.
└I wonder how Real Madrid fans will respond in the next El Clásico. Madridistas always act like nobles, preaching "restraint and dignity."
└Nobles or not, Messi better hope his head's still on by the end of it.
Though such incidents happen now and then, this time the public response was significantly stronger due to the intense attention surrounding the match.
Especially since it could have resulted in serious injuries, it wasn't something that could be brushed aside.
The media room at Camp Nou was buzzing with activity.
"Coach, there was an unfortunate incident this afternoon. What are your thoughts on that?"
"As a fellow football professional, it's regrettable. I hope Real Madrid's players are in good health and can compete without issue," Guardiola replied in his signature raspy voice.
There wasn't much more to say on the matter.
He wanted to end the interview quickly.
He had already informed them he would only give five minutes for questions.
As a result, the reporters wasted no time firing off more.
"Coach, football fans around the world have their eyes on you. You're drawing enormous attention. Barcelona currently stands at 12 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, holding a 3-point lead over Real Madrid. Many attribute this success to your influence since taking over. What changes did you implement to bring the team this far? And how have you prepared for this El Clásico?"
"Nothing special, really. I removed all vending machines at the training ground, enforced strict car access hours, prohibited soda and fruit juice, kept players away from pizza and hamburgers, and so on. It's all about optimizing player growth and performance. El Clásico is no different. We prepared like we always do. And we'll give it our all. That's it."
"Hahaha."
A burst of laughter filled the room.
If that wasn't special, what was?
Very few managers go as far as restricting vehicle entry at training grounds to keep players focused.
Many reporters wanted to dig deeper into such behind-the-scenes stories, but time was short, and questions about the match followed immediately.
"This is your first El Clásico as manager. That must be quite the pressure. Given recent form, many believe Barcelona has a clear advantage. Do you think you can take all 3 points?"
Recently, Real Madrid and Barcelona had been heading in opposite directions.
Since October, Real Madrid had been on a downward slide, while Barcelona had been on a sharp rise since September.
Even looking at the squads objectively, most agreed that Barcelona had the edge.
Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Eto'o...
They had a younger, more technically gifted squad than Real Madrid.
"I agree. We have a strong tactical foundation. And we have the players to execute it."
Guardiola gave a straight answer, without sugarcoating anything.
The final question came quickly after.
"Barcelona's midfield is highly rated, but Real Madrid has Zinedine Zidane. Do you think you can outplay him?"
Guardiola's tactical system, based on a 4-3-3, was built around his midfield core of Xavi and Iniesta.
Currently, they were considered one of the best midfield lines in the world.
Guardiola himself agreed with that assessment.
"We are strong. Of course, Zidane is undeniably a legendary player. The fact that he's still playing at this level is astounding. But he's also aging. Many believe he's not fit for a starting role anymore. And currently, that position has been taken over by Ho-young. We've prepared accordingly."
He didn't give away any tactical details.
As soon as time was up, he left the press room promptly.
He walked onto the pitch and inspected the turf.
'No issues.'
Seeing that everything was in order, he returned to the manager's office.
One hour before kickoff.
"Damn it."
When Real Madrid's lineup was announced, Guardiola frowned.
'That old fox.'
Bernd Schuster had struck first with a tactical surprise.
'What the hell is he up to?'
Both Ho-young and Zinedine Zidane were named in the starting eleven.
Guardiola had assumed there was little chance they would both start, so it was a surprise.
But only for a moment.
Guardiola began dissecting the potential plan.
'He's likely dropping Zidane deeper into midfield to handle the build-up, pushing Ho-young up into the second line as a playmaker. He's used that structure a few times before. Or maybe he's placing Zidane and Robben on the wings, with Ho-young as the attacking midfielder in a highly offensive setup.'
Guardiola was a perfectionist.
He had prepared countermeasures for every single formation Real Madrid had used this season.
He and his tactical team had poured in countless hours.
The tension in his face began to ease.
After a while, a confident smile appeared on his lips.
'Schuster. If you think you can beat us with that, you're gravely mistaken.'
Confidence overflowed.
It felt like he could finally avenge last year's two defeats to Ho-young's Castilla.
9:45 p.m., Camp Nou.
Spain's largest stadium, and one of the biggest in Europe, was already showing off its grandeur before kickoff.
Nearly 100,000 tickets had sold out long ago.
When the gates opened, fans poured in like schools of fish, taking their seats.
A stunning card display unfolded, with yellow, red, and blue cards filling the stands.
At that moment, in the tunnel.
Players in white kits stood in a line along the right wall.
They were Real Madrid's starting eleven, already waiting in position.
The bench players and coaching staff passed through, exchanging high-fives with the starters before heading to the pitch.
Next came the players in blue kits, walking down the left staircase.
Leading them was Barcelona's captain, Carles Puyol, with his signature long curly hair.
As soon as he reached the bottom, he high-fived Real Madrid's captain Raúl, displaying their strong camaraderie.
Standing right beside Zidane, Ho-young could hardly believe his eyes.
He expected El Clásico to be brimming with fiery tension, but there was none of that.
Players from both sides casually approached one another, offering high-fives and pats on the chest in warm greetings.
While they might trade insults on the pitch, off it, it was nothing like that.
Fans might not like it, but before being fierce rivals, they were all fellow footballers.
Messi, however, didn't seem to be particularly friendly with Real Madrid's players.
The only one who extended a handshake was Zidane.
"Zizou, let's have a good game."
"Let's."
The two shook hands.
Watching from right next to them, Ho-young stood tall with confidence.
He didn't want to look intimidated in front of Messi.
It was instinctive.
And Messi felt the same.
Neither extended a hand.
At that moment, the referees walked through the center and separated them.
The players were then busy exchanging handshakes with the officials.
From that point on, a solemn atmosphere took over.
Eyes sharpened as both sides prepared to walk onto the pitch.
A silent psychological battle was in full swing.
And it reached its peak just as the players lined up to shake hands on the field.
"Whew..."
Ho-young felt like he was under a spell.
Tens of thousands of fans waving blue and red flags.
The vast stadium, packed with nearly 100,000 spectators, made his head spin.
'Focus. The goal is to score and secure points. If I succeed, I'll acquire Messi's talent. Everything else can wait. Focus on the match.'
Tweet!
That's when the game kicked off.
[Real Madrid have come out with a 4-1-3-2 formation.]
[It's slightly unexpected. It seems like they're going for an extremely aggressive approach.]
Carlos, Cannavaro, Pepe, and Ramos formed the back four, pushing the defensive line high.
Diarra was stationed in central midfield.
Just ahead of him were Robben, Ho-young, and Zidane occupying the second line, supporting the two strikers, Raúl and Van Nistelrooy.
That made it five attacking players.
[Hmm. At this rate, they might get overwhelmed by Barcelona's powerful midfield. We'll have to see, but the gaps between lines are too wide. There's too much space between Diarra and the second line. He needs a supporting midfielder.]
It was a highly aggressive tactical approach.
Everything was going exactly as Guardiola had expected.
Madrid had taken kickoff and were holding possession, trying to slow the tempo.
'They don't want to concede possession.'
At least, that's how Guardiola saw it.
'Schuster is unpredictable, but this much I can handle.'
Guardiola smirked slightly.
With the opponent's strategy figured out, he was now in a strong position.
'Good. We just need to stick to our plan and we'll win.'
He was brimming with confidence.
But that confidence began to fade barely a minute later.
That's when Real Madrid's ruse ended.
"What the hell!"
A sudden shift in formation.
Real Madrid finally revealed their true hand.
Guardiola's previously calm face twisted with tension.
'You've got to be kidding me.'
What Madrid shifted into was something he had not anticipated at all.
Not a second line, but the midfield.
There stood Zidane and Ho-young side by side.
And just behind them, Diarra.
They were set to go head-to-head with what would later be known as "The Three Idiots" — the legendary midfield trio of Xavi, Busquets, and Iniesta.
(To be continued.)