'I don't watch Barça v Madrid, it's s***'

The 34-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Leicester at the end of last season, but despite needing something to do with his free time he says he has no intention of wasting 90 minutes watching play-acting and theatrics.

"I don't even watch Barça v Madrid any more. It's s*** — 20 guys surrounding the referee, some holding their face. El Clasico? Off," he bluntly told the 'Times'.

Renowned for his strong and rugged approach to defending, Huth is the antithesis of the feigning of injury and "buying fouls" that is rife in matches between the two sides, with the 'Berlin Wall' also condemning the direction modern football is moving in.

"What I can't get is how, afterwards, you can face people. As a man. I find the whole problem embarrassing," he said of feigning injury. "Diving, I can understand. There's no difference between diving and me grabbing someone. You're bending the rules.

"But pretending to be hurt — it just goes against any sport. The weakness of it all p***** me off. I can't think of another sport where it's acceptable.

"We spent the past 15, 16 years with nutrition, gym work, making footballers the strongest they can be. Are you telling me a [small touch] is enough to make one go down."