Share

Garcia to kick off El Clasico

Cape Town - Sergio Garcia will perform the ceremonial kick-off at Sunday's El Clasico clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Kick-off is at 20:45 (SA time).

The Spaniard is a lifelong Real Madrid fan and was promised the ceremonial honour at the iconic Estadio Santiago Bernabeu by the club after his first major victory.

Well, it took him 73 attempts, but Garcia claimed the Masters in thrilling fashion earlier this month and now Madrid president Florentino Perez will make good on the club's promise.

"Florentino Perez promised me I could do it many years ago, that when I won a major he would let me take the kick-off, and now it has coincided with a Clasico," Garcia told El Pais.

"Couldn't be anything better. I'll have to be careful and breathe slowly so I make good contact with my foot!

"I'm a bit nervous. For me, as the superfan of football that I am, to be able to take the kick-off in a Madrid-Barca is something incredible. And to do it with the green jacket on, and that everyone can enjoy it, is something very nice."

Garcia also revealed that he is friends with Madrid playmaker Gareth Bale, who is currently under an injury cloud ahead of Sunday's match.

"I'm good friends with Gareth," he added.

"He congratulated me, he sent me a message saying how happy he was for me and that I deserved it. We always send each other messages. I also sent him a message when he got injured."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
66% - 524 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
34% - 275 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE