It was the third of the four El Classicos...and the opinions flew thick and fast. The Portuguese provocateur hired with the goal, the one goal of beating the best football team on the planet...by means fair or foul seemed to be on his way to doing just that. One draw- at the Bernabau- but hailed as a victory for the home team, one extra time winner in the Copa Del Rey...and then the infamous Pep Guardiola rant: He's the ____g man, he's the _____g man...all year he has won off the pitch, all year.
Barca was there for the taking. 3 left backs out simultaneously, Xavi's partner in crime Iniesta was put, Puyol had not played for 5 months....Milito was shortly going to be out for another five. No defense, no backup and no bench. And with Real coming off a 6-3 away game hiding of Valencia. Now they seemed to have also lost their coach. The Special One was on his way to winning again. Now, at last the Barca wave was about to subside....now at last tide was about to turn.
Except, just except....it was not. Playing at the Bernabau, a hostile crowd baying for blood, with Barca reeling against the ropes.....El Traductor as they call him in Catalunaya decided, for reasons best known to him to start the game with 3 defensive midfielders including of all people Pepe in the center of the park and leave Kaka, Benzema, Higuain and the 'mad bull' Emanuel Adebayor on the bench. a 400 million dollar squad went in to hack, harass, kick chop and stop by means fair or foul. Usually the latter.
Then they met the new Barca. The "we are no longer angels" Barca. The naughty "if attacked we will defend ourselves no matter what it costs our reputation" Barca. When kicked, they fell...when pushed, they rolled...when contact was made, they went down. Pedro clutched his face...for a shoulder contact, Busquets clutched his for an innocuous shove by Marcelo and Alves, well Dani clutched at his face even without contact being made. Mind you, none could beat Di Maria's dive, roll and furious hand gesture to get Alves booked for the one crime he did not commit...but Dani played his part. A studs up challenge from Pepe that had him rolling around as if decapitated. The Ref reached for the red card and from that point the tie was as good as over.
Its hard to beat Barca 11 v. 11. To beat them 11 v. 10 is probably impossible right now. Iniesta or no Iniesta. Because from that moment La Pulga took over. First it was Affelay skinning Marcelo for the assist, then it was a solo effort as Busquets held the ball underfoot, as a custodian for Messi to collect and set off on his mesmeric run and then it was game, set and tie. But the recriminations had just begun.
From then on The Translator took over. Barca had not won clean. he explained. In fact, since his coaching career had begin they Had never won clean. Ecvery Champions League win was an "embarrassment", a "scandal" every referee dirty, every win tainted. Even UNICEF was not spared. In fact, no one was to blame for the loss from the Real Madrid squad. least of all the coach. A litany of accusations, lists read out. No one immune from the Translator's mud slinging. He seemed to have translated the story of football this century and no one was spared. Least of the man who had just humbled in.
To my mind Mourinho's rant begets two questions. The first- Should we be surprised? AFter all, isn't this the man who, in 2004, accused a fellow coach- Frank Rijkaard of going to the referees room at half time of a CL game. It was incredible statement. Tainting the integrity of a fellow coach and ending the career of one of the most respected referees in world football. Since then he has feuded in England, famously calling Wenger a voyeur...insulted and disrespected coaches and opponents alike Ranieri- old and fruitless; Benitez- his teams have nothing to play for...Ancelotti- he was never a friend, no friends, no respect and no love. So should his latest rant surprise us? or is this the only thing we can expect from a not so special coach who has not learnt to accept defeat, nor learnt how to spell the word grace? I suspect the answer to that question is No.
The next question is- Will Real Madrid tolerate Mourinho's antics for long? His brand of football is the antithesis of Barca's beautiful game. the style Madrid so desperately wants to emulate but seemingly cannot. They could have tolerated it if he won...but he does not even seem to be able to do that. Then the conspiracy theory whingeing. Real is a proud club. To have their coach so completely disgrace himself seems to be more than the blue bloods could bear.
Valdano never liked him, Di Stefano chipped in, today Calderon wants him sacked and long time Madrid supporters and journalists are sick of him demeaning their club. Eduardo Alvarez wrote on espn asking for the sack for Mourinho.
Is the self professed Special One's time in Spain coming to a sudden and unsuccesful end?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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