Antoine de Saint-Exupéry made of The Little Prince a masterpiece through which he invited us to know ourselves before judging others.
In this blog, although its theme is of opinion beyond simple disclosure, I have always tried to leave aside the colours that dye my passion for this sport. However, this is an occasion when, after allowing a few hours for the wounds to heal, I would like to confess a reflection.
As I announced at the beginning, Barcelona must make a profound self-criticism. The team made childish but repairable mistakes. Starting with the passive predisposition of the team and ending with the misguided mentality of taking a game for granted before the final whistle. Nor should the lack of ideas and their harmless ball circulation be ignored.
Athletic, on the other hand, proposed a marked approach that completely discouraged its opponents: a compact team that offered a suffocating and very regular pressure, sometimes even man by man on the most decisive pieces of Barcelona. Similarly, it advanced its wing players, making it easier for them to be included in the game, who together with its flexible forwards successfully pushed the ball away from Unai Simon’s goal.
Therefore, I offer my most sincere congratulations to the historic Basque Country squad.
Now, I defend that football is a contact sport. Even so, certain actions that put players’ integrity at risk should not go unpunished.
I understand that they are players with a more physical profile but I do not assimilate that they run over their opponents repeatedly and play beyond the limits of the rules. Despite the more or less deserved final result, I denounce that unnecessary aggressiveness that only succeeds in muddying the ball’s dance.
And I wonder: how many of you would not have reacted in the same way as Messi to such a siege?
Foot Renegades 