When UEFA.com released its nominees for UEFA’s Team of the Year, one omission struck a nerve with the Blaugrana faithful. It’s not a team if Sergio Busquets is not part of it.
Busquets seems to be one of the most under-appreciated players of this era. Perhaps it is because his style of play on the pitch is so discrete that it is undetectable. It’s hard not to appreciate the hard and dirty work he puts in for the club in every match ever since his debut back in the 2008-2009 season. So when his name was missing from UEFA’s Team of the Year nominees, the Blaugrana fans protested and some even mocked the decision.
Sergio Busquets made his debut with Barça back in the 2008 summer friendlies during Pep Guardiola’s first year in charge. I won’t lie; I had no clue who he was and had to ask, “Is that Busquets’s kid?” when I first saw the name. His father, Carles Busquets, was Barça’s backup keeper, serving as Zubizaretta’s deputy who was mostly remembered for his blunders.
Nevertheless, the son of the goalkeeper whose back of the shirt only has his first name has done a great job in making a name for himself since his debut. He filled in superbly for the injured Yaya Toure at the start of the 2008-2009 season and I had no qualms with him remaining the starter after Yaya was fit. Barça were on a superb run at the time, so why tinker with it. Guardiola also preferred the younger player and Yaya left the club after 2009-2010 season.
Busquets was only 20 during that magical 2008-2009 season that saw the club win a treble. Again, he was just 20 when he started both Copa del Rey Final and Champions League Final and became one of the few players to ever win a treble. Fast forward to today and he is one of the rare few to win two trebles. Since his debut, he has won five league titles, three Copa del Reys, and three Champions League titles along with a World Cup and European Cup for Spain. Yet, Busquets seems to not get the love or the respect that he deserves.
Football fans keep bringing up the “Peek a Boo” incident against Inter in the Champions League Semi-Finals after Motta struck him in the throat with his arm. Motta had already been booked prior to that incident so his sending off was inevitable after that second bookable offense. Yet, Busquets was the villain for his actions. That is an odd reaction seeing as many of those same fans seem to worship Totti even though he was sent off for spitting at an opponent during Euro 2004 and Zidane, who also saw red for head butting Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final.
Busquets is one of those rare players who has a knack for being at the right place at the right time to recover the ball on the pitch while putting his body in harm’s way. Fans might prefer defensive midfielders who are swashbucklers and fly in with sliding tackles to win the ball. Give me Busquets who will be in the right place to win the ball back and then pass it to the right player in an instant while leaving his body in harm’s way. David Beckham received criticism after England’s elimination to Brazil in World Cup 2002 after he jumped to avoid a tackle and lost the ball that resulted into an equalizer from an ensuing counter attack for Brazil. Busquets though is the type of player that would do the opposite to protect his team.
Busquets also possesses superb skills with the ball where his one touch passes are mesmerizing and his first touch is sublime. The opening seconds of the most recent Clásico is a great example of his underrated skills. After the opening whistle blew, Busquets played the role of a matador with a cape to perfection when the bull, Gareth Bale, rushed at him to win the ball, only for the midfielder to drag the ball behind him in a manner much like the matador performing a “veronica” and elude the ball away from Bale.
Fortunately, there are those who do appreciate Busquets. Former Real Madrid manager and current Spanish National team manager Vicente del Bosque once said, “If I were a player, I would like to be like Busquets.” Guardiola paid Busquets the highest compliment possible when he stated, “If I was reincarnated as a player, I’d like to be like him. He’s the best defensive central midfielder in the world. Barça has a priceless player.” After UEFA announced its nominees for team of the year, former Barça player and teammate of Busquets, Éric Abidal said, “Those who have made the list have no idea about football because Busquets isn’t on it.”
Barça fans will forever be grateful for Busquets. This team is not the same without his presence and influence on the pitch. He may not get the recognition that he deserves and he might not care about such recognition. However, what is obvious is if there is no Busquets, there is no party. So the next time you watch a Barça match, pay attention to Busquets while operates and appreciate his body of work.
No comments:
Post a Comment