Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday his side will not offer runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona a guard of honour before the 'Clasico' next month if the Catalans are crowned champions before then. Barcelona famously formed a guard of honour in May 2008 for newly confirmed champions Real at the Santiago Bernabeu but they refused to repeat the gesture before their last Liga meeting on December 23, days after Madrid had lifted the FIFA Club World Cup.
"Soon I'm going to be asked about this and my answer is very clear. It's my decision and it's final. I don't understand the concept of the guard of honour and so we aren't going to do it. Barca broke with the tradition," Zidane told a news conference ahead of the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.