Real Madrid vs Barcelona: The Last Barça Coach to Win Their First ...
Since Argentine coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino triumphed in his first Clásico on October 26, 2013, with a 2-1 victory, no other Barcelona manager has managed to win their first match against Real Madrid.
In that memorable match at Camp Nou, Carlo Ancelotti, also making his Clásico debut, led the opposing Real Madrid bench. Neymar opened the scoring for Barcelona at 18 minutes, and substitute Alexis Sánchez added a second goal in the 78th minute. Jesé Rodríguez pulled one back for Madrid in the 88th minute.
Since then, five successive Barcelona managers have failed to win their first Clásico, marking an 11-year drought. Luis Enrique was defeated 3-1 in LaLiga, during Luis Suárez’s debut as a Barça player. Ernesto Valverde lost 1-3 in the Spanish Super Cup first leg, during the summer Neymar left for PSG.
Quique Setién, who took over mid-season, suffered a 2-0 loss at the Bernabéu, which also cost Barcelona the league lead. Ronald Koeman was defeated 1-3 in the pandemic-era Clásico, and Xavi Hernández lost 3-2 in extra time during the Spanish Super Cup semifinals in Riyadh.
This Saturday, Hansi Flick has the opportunity to break this streak and follow in Martino’s footsteps. The German coach has already emulated Martino this season by winning his first seven LaLiga matches, just as the Argentine did during his time in charge.
