"It would be the bomb" - Rafael Nadal speaks up on a potential Real Madrid and Barcelona Clasico in the UEFA Champions League final

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal shared his take on a potential Barcelona vs. Real Madrid final in the UEFA Champions League this season. The two arch-rivals have never faced each other in a Champions League final before.

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a strong chance of making it to the UCL final, having qualified for the quarter-finals at this point. Los Blancos are set to clash against Arsenal in the quarter-finals, while the Catalans will face Borussia Dortmund next month. If both teams can surpass the quarter and semifinals, they will meet in the final in Munich, Germany.

In an interview via SPORT, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who's a well-known Madridista, weighed in on a potential El Clasico final in the Champions League. He said (via Madrid Universal):

"I would suffer it but I would resist it. For Spanish football, it would be the bomb. But as I thought when I played, you can’t think about finals when you’re in the quarterfinals."

Barcelona and Real Madrid have faced each other four times in the UEFA Champions League, all of which were semifinal clashes. Their first meeting was in the 2001-02 season, where Los Blancos triumphed 3-1 on aggregate.

The most recent clash came in the 2010-11 season, where the Catalans beat their archrivals 3-1 on aggregate and eventually won the title. The semi-final first leg is fondly remembered for an incredible performance from Lionel Messi for La Blaugrana, who scored a brace in the game. His second solo-run goal in the game is still widely considered one of the best ones he's scored in his career.

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Rafael Nadal weighs Real Madrid's archrivals Barcelona's chances of winning the Champions League this season

L to R; Rafael Nadal and Madrid president Florentino Perez - Source: Getty

In his aforementioned interview via SPORT, Rafael Nadal also weighed in on Barcelona's chances of winning the UEFA Champions League this season. He highlighted Real Madrid's dominance in the competition and said (via Madrid Universal):

"There are teams like Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Real Madrid, who have won the tournament fifteen times. So, I wouldn’t talk about Barcelona as a big favourite. I would speak of Barcelona as a great candidate."

Los Blancos are always considered a major favorite to win the Champions League, especially as the team who've won it a record 15 times. They are also reigning champions of the tournament at this point, having beaten Borussia Dortmund in the final last season.

Meanwhile, it's been 10 years since the Catalan giants last laid their hands on the trophy in the 2014-15 season. Last season, Barca were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the quarter-finals. However, given their form under Hansi Flick, fans have hopes of a different result this time.