Barcelona Fullback Says Madrid Should Give Them a Guard Of Honour

Barcelona pocketed their 25th La Liga title in the last weekend, which is also their 7th in the last 10 seasons. Leo Messi scored a hat-trick as they beat Deportiva La Coruña 4-2 at the Riazor. The home side, coincidentally, gave the unbeaten Barca side a guard of honour following their Copa Del Ray triumph over Sevilla.

Previously, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had said that his side would not give a guard of honour to their arch-nemesis as they had not done the same after the Galacticos won the Club World Cup in December. Speaking on the issue, Alba said,”The Club World Cup was a competition we didn’t play in. At the [Santiago] Bernabeu, in the league, we have previously performed a guard of honour. If they don’t want to give us a guard of honour it will be because it comes from upstairs.”

Alba was also vocal in his defense about coach Ernesto Valverde and said that the players were equally to be blamed for the travesty that occurred in Rome a few weeks back. The Spanish side led 4-1 after the first leg but lost 3-0 in the second one and went out on away goals. He said,” It’s an embarrassment, the players have to show our faces, we all make mistakes. Valverde deserves it more than anyone, he’s the sixth coach to have won a double. He’s managed the dressing room perfectly.”[The double] has only been done eight times in Barcelona’s history and we have to be very happy.

The Spanish international added, “Everyone would have taken it, although we know that in the Champions League we were knocked out badly. The double has been won eight times and the club was founded ages ago.”