San Lorenzo boss Edgardo Bauza has admitted he is a Barcelona fan ahead of his side’s Club World Cup final against Real Madrid.
The 56-year-old saw his side scrape through to Saturday’s clash with an unconvincing extra-time victory over Auckland Warriors, and disclosed his roots lie with Madrid’s eternal rivals.
“I have Spanish parents and my grandparents are from Mallorca, so I’m a Barca fan,” confessed Bauza in an interview with AS.
“I used to follow them from [Johan] Cruyff’s time there and I also went to watch [Louis] Van Gaal train them.
“I also went to see Madrid. I was there for one week with [Manuel] Pellegrini, speaking with him and watching his coaching methods.”
Bauza went on to declare his admiration for Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and believes the Italian has improved the club since taking over from Jose Mourinho.
“It would be disrespectful to say I see him as more of a Coach today, yet I never imagined he’d do so well at Madrid. Don’t forget the Italian mentality was always very important to him.
“They have very rigid tactical ideas in Italy and right now I’m glad to see Madrid play as they do. It’s been a long time since I saw a team win with such domination as Madrid did when they played in England against Liverpool.
“Mourinho won everything on the counter-attack! With Porto, with Inter, and even Madrid. I looked at his face in Madrid and saw a sad man.
“His style did not fit in with the characteristics of the institution. He could not play in Madrid because of the history of the club. He didn’t feel the style of play was his and did not like it.
“But personally I am a big fan of European football and having said that, I still prefer Barca,” he concluded.
