Real Madrid president Florentino Perez left in a pickle after Barcelona drubbing

There was lots of blame to go around after Barcelona’s 4-0 win in Saturday’s La Liga Clasico at Real Madrid, but it is not clear if any lessons will be learned.

Sunday’s front cover of Marca shouted ‘The Bernabeu Calls for Heads’.

Fellow sports daily AS was more specific: ‘A Hammering for Florentino’, said its front page.

The consensus was that Madrid coach Rafa Benitez is already on the brink less than six months into the job.

But also that club president Florentino Perez was being questioned like never before.

Barca controlled Saturday’s game from start to finish.

Goals from Luis Suarez and Neymar saw them 2-0 up at the break, with Andres Iniesta making it three just after half-time, and fit-again substitute Lionel Messi involved as Suarez got his second late on.

The Bernabeu angrily whistled their team through the second half, with many resorting to the traditional ‘white handkerchief’ protest against Perez.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the fading symbol of Madrid’s expensive galactico policy, was also jeered loudly.

After weeks of criticism for being defensive and over-pragmatic, Benitez had picked all of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema up front in a theoretical 4-2-3-1 formation.

This selection flopped horribly. Madrid’s big name attackers were mostly spectators. Barca coach Luis Enrique chose an extra midfielder, with versatile youngster Sergi Roberto in Messi’s usual right-wing spot, and his team dominated the centre of the pitch.

Barca’s tactical superiority was evident in the opener. All 10 outfielders were involved in a 36-pass move, pulling Madrid completely out of shape, before Sergi Roberto surged forward and teed up Suarez to score.

The game’s second goal was also indicative. Real midfielder Luka Modric looked up, but had no passing option. He was quickly closed down by four opponents, and seconds later Iniesta fed Neymar to finish from close range.

At his post-match news conference, Benitez more or less confirmed a widespread feeling the starting XI had gone against his own best thinking.

“I try and manage the group I have as best as possible,” he said. “The idea was to use players with experience and quality in a game of this level.

“We must all be responsible for it not going well. We’re hurting, but we must now be united.”

As usual, Ronaldo and Bale did not speak afterwards, but Modric fronted up to Canal Plus.

“We played very badly, I don’t know why,” the Croat said.

“I’ve said before that we need to learn from our mistakes, but it seems we don’t do that. We didn’t seem like a team tonight. When we are a team, compact, with everyone together fighting, we’re very good. When we are not, like tonight, I don’t know… It’s difficult to say why. It’s not the first time this has happened, we must improve.”

Modric was apparently referring to recent games against Sevilla, Paris Saint Germain and Celta Vigo, when Madrid were overrun for long periods by better organised and more committed opponents.

Benitez’s attempts to organise his collection of big egos into a coherent team is clearly not working. It was never clear why Florentino thought the super details-focused ex-Liverpool and Chelsea manager would be better suited to this difficult challenge than more easy-going predecessor Carlo Ancelotti.

Barca are now six points ahead of Madrid in the table, and with all the momentum in the title race. Given the now angry atmosphere among Blancos fans and pundits, Rafa could well be scapegoated soon.

In that case, current B-team coach Zinedine Zidane is most likely to take over in the short term.

Turning to another galactico, with no top flight managerial experience, would be a very-Florentino style reaction.

But it would likely just make Madrid’s problems worse.