They were little short of ideological warfare between clubs and managers with conflicting philosophies. Both believed they were the best, not just in Spain, but anywhere. The sense of excitement and anticipation was almost too much to bear.
“It was probably the biggest fight in football since Wenger’s Arsenal and Fergie’s Manchester United. It was a huge fight. We had different plans. We both had great players, probably the best players in the world at that time,” former Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero tells Goal.
“We had different identities, but we were two clubs who were made for winning and only one could win. It was like (Anatoly) Karpov and (Gary) Kasparov battling to be the world champion in chess. It was a huge battle. Of course, it was very stressful but also very fun.”
皮克调侃：少年队的时候，裁判就开始帮着皇马了 - 足球话题区 hupu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hupu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.