Cristiano Ronaldo is excited to collide with FC Barcelona for the first time this season, but the Real Madrid superstar insisted that the focus should be on both teams, not on certain players.
Ronaldo, who has been on a tear in the early goings of the current season, said that the upcoming La Liga Clasico match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona on Saturday is not about his rivalry with Lionel Messi.
"I won't be playing against Messi. I'll be playing against Barcelona," said Ronaldo, who has already scored 15 goals in just seven La Liga appearances this season.
But while he is looking forward to Saturday's match, Ronaldo blasted league officials for scheduling the match on a Saturday, few days after both teams played in the UEFA Champions League.
"They don't take care of the details - El Clasico is the most important game," said Ronaldo, whose team scored a 3-0 win against Liverpool on Wednesday. "I don't get it. Big games like El Clasico need to be looked at in another way -- it should really be played on Sunday, not Saturday. Any professional will tell you that it's not the same having two days to recover from a game like this than having three days."
FC Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said in an interview that they will just have to adapt to the situation, saying that they should remain focused on the upcoming match, pointing out that it is not just like an ordinary game.
"It's not just any other game -- it never is. If you win, it makes you feel great," Iniesta said.
Iniesta added that they will come very prepared to take on their El Clasico rivals, but he admitted that Saturday's match will not be easy for them, predicting a close fight against Real Madrid.
"The Clasico is always a battle in footballing terms. You have to be the best in everything to win We have to go there with the mentality to win - not thinking about what will happen afterwards, no matter what happens," Iniesta said. "That would be a mistake. It will be a closely fought game. Madrid have a lot of potential and it's never easy to go there and win."
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