Zidane: Real Madrid won't give Barcelona guard of honour

Zinedine Zidane will give Barcelona a taste of its own medicine after dismissing the prospect of Real Madrid players giving the La Liga leader a guard of honour before next month's El Clasico.

Barring a collapse, Barcelona is expected to have the title wrapped up by the time Real Madrid arrive at Camp Nou on May 5 for the season's final El Clasico.

However, the customary tradition of honouring the league champion will not take place, with Zidane indicating Barcelona's refusal to do the same following Real Madrid's FIFA Club World Cup triumph earlier this season as the primary reason his players will not perform a guard of honour.

"We won't be giving them a guard of honour," Zidane said. You'll ask me about it again and I've already given you my answer. It's very clear and I won't be talking about this again. It's my decision. We won't be giving them a guard of honour and that's the end of it. Barcelona broke the mould and that tradition is no longer there."

Before the rivals met in December, Barcelona director of institutional relations Guillermo Amor announced Real Madrid would not be ceremonially welcomed despite Los Blancos' triumph over Gremio to win the FIFA Club World Cup.

Amor explained, "We usually do the guard of honour in the same competition that has been won, which is not the case this time."

Barcelona holds a nine-point advantage atop the La Liga standings heading into Saturday's encounter with Leganes. Real Madrid takes on second-place Atletico on Sunday, and would inadvertently help Barcelona's title quest by beating its capital-city rival.