Zinedine Zidane’s classy gesture for Barcelona hero amid tense El Clasico

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Real Madrid didn’t offer Barcelona a guard of honour on Sunday, but Zinedine Zidane shared a great moment with Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta.

As noted by BBC Sport, Iniesta confirmed his intention to leave the Nou Camp at the end of the season and so this past weekend’s El Clasico was his last as a player.

SEE MORE: Video: Brilliant Messi, Bale goals and Ronaldo injury – five talking points from El Clasico

Although it didn’t end in victory, the 2-2 draw ensures that Barcelona remain unbeaten in La Liga this season and having already been crowned league champions as well as securing the Copa del Rey, they have enjoyed quite the campaign.

In a great show of respect, Zidane waited for Iniesta after the game as the pair shared an embrace, as seen in the image below, as it’s reported that the French tactician specifically waited behind so that he could greet the Barcelona great.

Particularly considering it was an ill-tempered encounter which saw Barcelona reduced to 10 men after Sergi Roberto’s red card coupled with other incidents, it was refreshing to see the pair put that to side after the full-time whistle and show some great sportsmanship as evidently Zidane recognises the impact Iniesta has had at the Nou Camp.

The 33-year-old will hope to leave on a high note by playing his part in creating more history and going the entire season unbeaten, and it’s feats such as that and his influence on the game in general that has earned him such displays of respect.

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