Adria Diaz, the assistant coach for Real Madrid Under-17 team, has reportedly been fired as a result of a thank-you note he sent to their bitter rivals Barcelona, according to a report from The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana.
Diaz was working with Real Madrid’s Under-17 team.
Who is Adria Diaz Real Madrid U17 youth coach fired for sending thank you note to FC Barcelona
❗Real Madrid have decided to fire Adria Diaz, the assistant coach of their U17 team, for the farewell letter he had written to Barcelona, where he worked in different youth coaching roles between 2015 and 2019.
In the letter, Diaz expressed affection and gratitude towards… pic.twitter.com/X80HSigDLd
— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) October 6, 2023
The reason for the letter: Adria Diaz, the assistant, had worked for Barça from 2015-19. He was thanking the club for helping him when his mother had cancer. He has now been fired for the same letter. [ via @barcacentre] #fcblive
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) October 6, 2023
In July, Diaz was appointed manager Sergio Lopez’s assistant coach for the Juvenil C team (Under-17 side). In a weird turn of events, Diaz is now being fired by Real Madrid, supposedly as a result of his farewell letter to Barcelona.
Between 2015 and 2019, Diaz served in various youth coaching capacities at Barça, and the Catalans helped him get through a trying time when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. It’s believed that Diaz wrote Barcelona a letter expressing his appreciation and gratitude for their kindness during a trying moment in his life.
According to the article, senior Real Madrid administrators reportedly chose to fire him after learning about the letter.
Real Madrid disputes all claims
The Athletic got in touch with a top Real Madrid youth academy source who refuted the rumour that Diaz was fired. Instead, they asserted that Diaz had requested to depart in order to apply for a post at Leganes’ academy.
However, other knowledgeable sources strongly dispute this claim and assert that Madrid only broached the subject of Diaz joining Leganes as a gesture to soften the blow of his firing. Moreover, the club remained silent when reached by The Athletic.
The article also states that Diaz, who signed a one-year contract with the team in the summer, would receive full pay from the organisation.
A never-ending rivalry!
Heavyweight teams from Catalunya and the Spanish capital compete in what is arguably the most famous football rivalry in the world, and it never fails to be entertaining. Both teams have large budgets and reputations that draw world-class players from all over the world.
Who, however, has prevailed in a well-known competition that began in 1929? Let’s examine how the two of the biggest names in club football have fared in head-to-head matches. The Giants of club football have played each other officially 253 times and 35 more times in friendly games and other non-competitive contests.
| Competition | Games | Madrid wins | Barca wins | Draws |
| La Liga | 186 | 77 | 74 | 35 |
| Copa del Rey | 36 | 12 | 16 | 8 |
| Champions League | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Other competitions* | 24 | 9 | 9 | 6 |
| Total | 252 | 101 | 101 | 52 |