Over the years, Barça and Real Madrid have had their battles on the pitch through their players and off the pitch through the clubs’ hierarchy. More recently however, both clubs have been engaging in political battles to their own detriment. The politics are damaging their own clubs on the pitch for now and the future.
A new La Liga season is upon us and with that comes the usual talk about the El Clásico sides fighting for the title, although Atlético Madrid has earned the right to enter the mix this season. As usual, we will be bombarded by the usual unsubstantiated rumors and gossip from both cities’ press, which never hides their allegiance to the big two. However, we are also witnessing a strange phenomenon where both clubs are engaging in political warfare that is only damaging to themselves and not to their rivals.
Mourinho and Iker Casillas’s falling out was one of the world’s worst kept secret during last season. It was normal to expect Casillas back in the starting lineup for this season. However, that has not been the case as Casillas has been relegated back to the bench this season. This relegation came amid rumors that some of the Madrid directors were not too pleased with his role in the breakdown of the Mourinho relationship with the players, clubs and fans. Madrid directors can feel that they are off the hook after Casillas suffered an injury in their first Champions League match and can now watch Diego Lopez play in all competitions until Casillas returns. Yet, it does beg the question of why would the club treat an icon like Casillas this way and still expect him to stick around.
Moreover, Madrid displayed another decision that smacked of the clubs’ hierarchy making the on field decisions. Gareth Bale was signed by the club without a proper preseason this summer to stay fit. Instead of bringing him along gradually, Madrid opted to start him from the get go. Sure, he notched a goal in his debut before he had to be replaced when the fatigue factor kicked in. So it came as no surprise when Bale suffered an injury while warming up over the weekend for his next league start. Madrid’s decision to show off their star player without giving him proper time to get in shape was misguided and dangerous to their own players’ health. Perhaps they should let the manager make these decisions.
Barça too have had their own self-inflicted wounds due to the political stance of the clubs’ hierarchy against the last Barça president Joan Laporta and Barça icon Johan Cruyff. Sandro Rosell’s agenda has driven a wedge between the fans as he continues to wage his battle against Laporta. Some would say that this same agenda is the reason why Guardiola is currently managing Bayern Munich. As former Barça handball player and potential president candidate, Enric Masip, recently lamented the poor relationship Rosell has with former Blaugrana managers. Masip was obviously alluding to the fact that this current Barça president does not get along with the three managers who helped guide Barça to Champions League success. One would expect the complete opposite after the success Cruyff, Rijkaard and Pep brought to the club.
Some also attribute the club’s hierarchy as the reason why Victor Valdés is looking for a new team for next season. Apparently, Valdés wanted Spain’s national team goalkeeper coach, José Manuel Ochotorena, to hold the same position with Barça when the position became available last summer. However, the club, via Zubizarreta, shot that option down and instead hired José Ramón de la Fuente. The reason behind that purported decision stemmed from Ochotorena’s Real Madrid past. Of course, José Ramón de la Fuente’s Barça history probably also played a part in his hiring. So the club’s ideology has probably cost them the best keeper in their entire history and that is a position that took over a decade to replace.
Will other players jump ship if Rosell continues to have his way and continue to drive the wedge deep between the fans? The decision not to bring Abidal back for at least one season smacked of ignorance and disgrace. Furthermore, Iniesta did not sign Barça’s first renewal offer and one of my friends did remind me that Iniesta’s best friend and the guy he sits next to on every flight is none other than Valdés. I’m sure they’ve had a few things to discuss about the club’s hierarchy.
In the end, it would be best if the directors of clubs would do their jobs and not engage in deciding who starts and who sits. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if those same directors would exercise some proper judgment and lead the club without engaging in petty revenge to the detriment of the supporters. These types of decisions only reflect poorly on the club and can be detrimental to their own image. For now, only time will tell before we see the lasting impact of both clubs’ behind the scenes antics.
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