Barcelona summer signing excited ahead of his first Clasico – ‘The biggest match in the history of football’

Marcus Rashford arrived at Barcelona in the summer as a player who was out of touch, not match-fit and far from his best version.

Confidence from the manager, regular playing time and the right dressing room environment, however, have helped him bloom exceptionally and he is now one of the team’s most in-form players.

Earlier this week, the Englishman scored a brace in Barcelona’s win over Olympiacos and already has four goals to his name in the UEFA Champions League. Needless to say, eyes will be on him for the weekend’s Clasico.

Rashford’s pre-Clasico interview 

Speaking to the media in a recent interview, the star forward expressed that the team were optimistic about El Clasico, and previewed the grand fixture, which he will be a part of for the first time.

“We want to maintain as much positivity as possible. There’s no better way for us than to win the match and score lots of goals.”

“We are ready. We are looking forward to the match. For me, this is my first Clásico. I’m looking forward to this match,” he added.

Continuing his preview of the game and speaking on what he expected of the first El Clasico he will be a part of, Rashford said,

“It might be the biggest match in the history of football. It will be a great moment to play in. Definitely, definitely great.”

“I think the team is great, so all I have to do is be in the right places and try to make the right decisions,” he added on what his role will be.

The new signing then made it clear that the team was still not in full flow and that they had to keep going to hit the right gear.

“I’ll keep trying to do that, but for me, the team isn’t at its peak yet, but it’s in a good position, so we have to keep going and pushing to be the best version of ourselves.”

“I believe that our best version will be among the best teams in the world, so we have to keep striving, and the coach demands that strongly, so we have a lot to achieve this season,” he added.

Rashford was then asked if he was excited for the weekend’s blockbuster clash, to which he honestly said,

“Someone asked me before, were you excited or nervous? And I told him, listen, as a player, your career isn’t that long, and the first thing you’ll miss is these big matches.”

“So for me, it’s full of excitement. Yeah, I just want us to do everything we can to win the match. But yeah, it’ll be a special moment,” he added.

The winger was then asked what his best moment was since joining Barcelona, and he named his first goal as that golden moment.

“I think it’s my first goal, to be honest. I think that’s the special moment. Maybe not the best goal, but the first goal is always special.”

“So yeah, I hope to score more goals. Definitely. But yeah, I’ll keep working hard to achieve that. I was thinking about that,” he added.

While the player has largely played on the left wing for the club so far, recent situations have forced him to take a more central role and the player responded to which position he preferred.

“I think it changes sometimes because it depends on the team we’re playing against. And I like trying to occupy the spaces that the defenders don’t want me to be in.”

“So sometimes the space is in the middle and sometimes it’s on the flanks. So it’s hard to choose. I think most of the time I prefer playing on the wing, but sometimes when I’m on the wing, I wish I were in the middle,” he added.

Rashford was then quizzed on his first memory of El Clasico, and he responded by naming an incident from his childhood.

“Of course. It’s hard to recall one specific memory, because if you’re a football fan, like I was when I was young, you watch all the Clasicos throughout history, they’re that significant.”

“It’s important, if you want to learn and try to learn from the best players, especially how to stand out in the most high-pressure moments, to study these matches,” he added.

When forced to choose a single game or memory, he said,

“I don’t have a specific moment, but I remember, for example, Messi’s hat-trick in his early days in El Clasico. These matches are great to watch.”

“And the great thing is that you don’t have to be a Barcelona or Real Madrid fan to enjoy this match. It’s a special match,” he added.

Having already participated in several high-stakes games in the Premier League including the Manchester derby, the player was then asked how he expected the Clasico to compare to them.

“I expect, like any derby or big match, the atmosphere will be absolutely fantastic. But in the end, what matters is the quality of football on the pitch.”

“In matches like these, I always try to stay as calm as possible, because staying calm can sometimes be tough in such an atmosphere.

“But for me, it’s important to maintain that calmness, and for the team, it’s also important that we control the game as much as possible,” he added.

“But yes, we’re here for these moments—they don’t scare us; we’re excited for these kinds of matches. So we’ll do what we always do—try to win,” the forward concluded.

Towards the end of his interview, the player was asked about how he was finding life in Spain.

“I really enjoy life here. What I like most is the weather; that’s the biggest difference for me. A big change from England! Yes, a big difference.”

“But I enjoy everything related to the culture here. I’m still learning; every day I learn something new, but so far I can say that I’m enjoying it a lot. And I hope to stay here for a long time,” he added.

He then named Roony Bardghji as the player he was closest to in the dressing room.

“Who is closest to me? I think Roony, because we arrived at the same time. And also Koundé and Frenkie.”

“There are many players, but the whole team is close to each other; everyone mixes with everyone all the time, so it’s hard to pick just one person,” he added.

He explained the feeling of camaraderie by recalling how it felt when Ronald Araujo scored the winner against Girona in extra time.

“Honestly, it’s one of the best feelings in football, and I don’t think it was our best game against Girona, but in that moment, nothing else matters—not the performance, not the stats—just the joy. It’s a very special moment.”

Concluding the interview with a rapidfire question, the player was asked if he would prefer a hat-trick or a last-gasp winner in the Clasico, to which he said, “I’ll choose a hat-trick.”

On whether he would prefer a 6-2 win at the Bernabeu or a 5-0 win at the Spotify Camp Nou, he said, “I choose 5-0, yes, on our home turf, a clean sheet, in front of our new fans.”

When asked if he would choose the Manchester derby or El Clasico, Rashford said,

“I’ve always thought that El Clasico is the biggest match in football, so I’m really excited to find out what it feels like to be on the pitch for it.”

“Of course, I’ve played in the Manchester Derby, and it was an incredible feeling, it’s great to be on the pitch. But for me, I think this match is the biggest in world football,” he added.

Source: Barça One