Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2 to claim the trophy in the Spanish Super Cup final.After the match, manager Xabi Alonso spoke to Camel Live in an interview.
After the match, according to tradition, the runners-up Real Madrid should have lined up to pay tribute to the champions Barcelona. However, surprisingly, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé not only refused to participate personally, but also persuaded his teammates and coaches on the spot not to take part in this ceremony, bringing this interaction that could have highlighted sportsmanship to an abrupt halt.
Interestingly, just as Mbappé chose to "skip" this tradition, Barcelona’s next opponent in the Copa del Rey took the initiative to show their respect. This Thursday night, Racing Santander, a team in La Liga 2, will host Barcelona at the El Sardinero Stadium for the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey. Although they did not participate in the previous Spanish Super Cup and were not obligated to line up to pay tribute according to convention, the club still decided to express their respect to the Super Cup champions by lining up and applauding before the match. This move is also regarded as a silent response to Mbappé’s approach.
The match itself has attracted much attention: it is Barcelona’s first return to the El Sardinero Stadium since 2011, while the home team Racing Santander currently tops the La Liga 2 standings with an excellent chance of promotion to La Liga. Fan enthusiasm is unprecedentedly high, with tickets already sold out, all of which were prioritized for season ticket holders.
More notably, facing the powerhouse Barcelona, Racing Santander did not take the opportunity to raise ticket prices. Adult tickets are only priced at 30 to 70 euros, tickets for teenagers aged 14 to 17 are 18 to 34 euros, and tickets for children aged 6 to 13 are as low as 12 to 27 euros—far lower than the price-gouging ticket prices of over 100 euros that other teams often charge when facing Real Madrid or Barcelona.
