Barcelona and Real Madrid legends Gaizka Mendieta Guti Hernandez spoke to Soccer Laduma ahead of Sunday's El Clasico between the two fierce Spanish rival clubs.
Click through the gallery above to relive some iconic moments from previous El Clasicos during the 21st century!
A technically gifted and creative midfielder during his playing days in Spain, Mendieta carved out an illustrious career for himself. First, starting at Valencia where he led Los Che to back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals between 1999 and 2001.
Mendieta would become the sixth-most expensive player in football history in 2001 when he moved from the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula to join Lazio in Rome for €48 million (R793 million). While in Italy, the Spanish international would be loaned out to the Catalan giants during the 2002/03 season.
Speaking exclusively to Soccer Laduma ahead of the 282nd El Clasico on Sunday, the 2001 UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year explained which attacking duo between Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ousmane Dembele has the most responsibility ahead of this weekend's clash.
"Both need to rely on those that work. So, Vinicius [Junior] and [Karim] Benzema. Xavi has more options I'd say with Pedri and Auba playing on the wing.
"I think there are a different association of players that can work and thanks to the work of the coach we will need to see in games like this, you expect the duo to work and to reap results. They will try exploit their good things in different parts of the pitch, Barca will do the same."
Guti Hernandez, meanwhile, played exclusively at the Santiago Bernabeu for 15 years. The former Los Blancos captain is regarded as a cult hero at Real, having won three Champions Leagues and five LaLiga titles during his playing career.
The Spaniard is regarded as one of the most gifted passers of his generation but often found himself being moved around to accommodate some of the Galacticos.
Soccer Laduma asked the Real legend if he had any regrets about being so tactically adaptable.
"No, I am not sorry about anything. I knew in the Madrid team there were great players, so I had to adapt to different positions to be able to continue to be able to play for Real Madrid, so that's what happened.
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"I really enjoyed playing for Real Madrid and I've always said it. It's the club that saw me from a very, very young child and I'm really fond of the team."
