So, as UEFA reject complaints by both Barcelona and Real Madrid after last week’s match, although both clubs will still be investigated regarding various incidents, all is set for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. Just thought I’d add my two cents into the mix for what it’s worth, which is probably not a lot.
As a non-partisan viewer of last week’s match, the first thing to say is that far from ‘el clasico’, it was more like ‘el farcico’. A dire, boring match for a number of reasons.
There is no doubt that Barcelona have the best team at the moment, especially as it contains one Lionel Messi. Real Madrid have a good team but they are not quite ‘clicking’ for whatever reason.
Real Madrid approached last week’s game with the sole intention of securing a draw, 0-0 being the preferred outcome. This was quite obvious from the kick-off. OK, it is a legitimate tactic in a sport where success means (more) money and Jose Mourinho, who I rate very highly as a coach, has successfully taken this approach in the past, but it makes for a very boring game.
Barcelona, on the other hand, appeared to approach the match quite differently, a mixture of ‘let’s score a goal’ and ‘let’s get someone sent off’. The number of players who, when their toe was stepped on, looked around to see where the referee was and then clutched their faces was disgraceful. Even Puyol got in on the act.
The red card. Again, my own view on the Pepe red card incident was that it shouldn’t have been red. I would have given a yellow to Pepe and a yellow (and an Oscar) to Dani Alves for his acting display. A team of such class does not need to resort to such tactics.
The only bright spot in the whole game was the second goal by Lionel Messi, what a goal.
Although I regard Mourinho highly as a coach – you only have to look at his achievements – he really should learn when to keep his gob shut. His outlandish statements are comparable to those of Fergie and Arsene Wenger, the weekly whingers.
Mourinho is shouting ‘conspiracy’ theories, just as Sir Alex Ferguson is currently doing by alleging that Manchester United are the victims of a referee’s conspiracy. It maybe the way they are, but it doesn’t mean they are right.
Without goal-line technology, extra officials, instant replays, referrals or whatever, refereeing decisions are always going to be contentious and, basically, in the lap of the gods. Swings and roundabouts in most cases. Clubs have always complained about refereeing decisions, especially when those decisions go against them, it’s natural.
Referees make on-the-spot decisions, not always correctly, and we all say they are wrong when our own team is involved. ‘That was never a foul’, we cry, when the opposition player has been well and truly pole-axed.
Players, managers and coaches must bear a lot of the blame for the current situation. Feigning injury, diving, crowding the referee after every foul as Barcelona players did in an attempt to intimidate, do not make life easy for officials.
One can tolerate, just about, a boring match, it is the cynical approach we can do without. The match wasn’t quite on the same cynical level as the World Cup final but it was heading that way. Let’s hope tonight’s match is a lot better, although it could be much worse!