Mesut Ozil, former Real Madrid midfielder, has voiced his opinion that the allure of El Clasico has diminished due to Barcelona’s decline.
Ozil shared this perspective ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga clash with Barcelona on Sunday during an interview with Marca. According to the former Arsenal star, Barcelona has lost some of its former potential.
“At that time, it was the most important match in world football. Unfortunately for us, Pep’s Barça was perhaps the best Barça in history. It was at another level, certainly different from today’s Barça,” Ozil said.
“I think that right now worldwide attention is more focused on games like Liverpool-Manchester City or other Premier League duels. Here, I think the Clásico has gone down and that’s a shame.”
Ozil added: “But that’s not Real Madrid’s fault, as they are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the world. The problem is Barça, who have lost potential. Barcelona are struggling; they are trying. They have good players in all positions, but they have had too many injuries this season and maybe they should look a bit more at themselves and their mistakes and stop complaining about the referees all the time.”
