"You don't do that": Lothar Matthäus sharply criticises Real Madrid ahead of the match against FC Bayern

On Sky 90, he had some strong words not only for Real’s superstar Vinicius Junior and his behaviour on the pitch, but also for the club’s conduct in recent times. “Vinicius is, of course, a great player, but he provokes endlessly,” Matthäus began, before elaborating: “Then, when someone really tackles him on the pitch, he just complains and cries. It’s a bit typical of him.”

Real’s boycott of the 2024 Ballon d’Or gala was not acceptable to the 65-year-old: “Rodri was named World Footballer of the Year, and then they said: ‘Yes, unfair, it should have been one of us.’ So we’re boycotting. You don’t do that. Out of respect for your opponents, the other teams and players – you don’t do that. The press saw it in a negative light too, and so a club that has achieved great things and has a truly great history somehow loses some of its prestige."

Matthäus’ conclusion: “Well, I don’t think it’s right either how Real Madrid have behaved in recent years.”

Much like the 1990 World Cup winner, his former Bayern teammate Markus Babbel had made similar comments on Sunday. Speaking on the 'Doppelpass' programme on Sport 1, he said: "Real are one of the most unsympathetic clubs in Europe and it would be great if Bayern went through." A statement that was met with loud applause from the audience. Among other things, the talk show also discussed the aforementioned Ballon d’Or controversy of 2024.

Bayern and Real will cross swords for the first time on Tuesday evening in the first leg of the quarter-final at the Bernabéu. The return leg takes place eight days later at the Allianz Arena. For Matthäus, FC Bayern, who are in fine form, are the favourites in this tie: “I can already see certain weaknesses at Real that I didn’t see in the great Real Madrid of old. You can see that from the changes of manager alone. That leaves its mark."

He continued: "Mbappé has been struggling for a long time, and there’s a lot of talk about Vinicius – not just about his sporting performances. There are many other issues at Real that I see as a major advantage for Bayern."