La Liga’s disciplinary committee lacks discipline.

La Liga has found itself in another ridiculous situation when it comes to players’ lack of self-control and the league’s failure to properly discipline them. If the league wants to set an example by punishing players, then they need to wake up and revamp its disciplinary committee. January saw the return of La Liga football after the winter break and we already have seen some players commit terrible acts on the pitch that are worthy of a lengthy ban. Yet, we are left wondering why that is not the case. Ronaldo was given a two match ban after getting sent off against Cordoba last week for losing his mind and kicking and punching Edimar when the score was 1-1.

Many were not surprised that he was not given a lengthy ban. La Liga has always been known to be lax when it comes to disciplining players, especially those from the big clubs. A few days ago, we saw two bizarre incidents in the Copa del Rey clash between Atlético Madrid and Barça. In the second half, Arda Turan lost his cool, after getting fouled by Dani Alves, and proceeded to pick up his boot off the ground and toss it at the linesman. If that was not bizarre enough, what happened next was even more bizarre. The referee gave Arda Turan a yellow card. Perhaps if the boot had struck the linesman, it would have warranted a red.

Don’t be surprised if Arda Turan will not be punished for this outrageous conduct since the referee report will show that the player was booked. The league’s disciplinary committee relies on the referee’s final report which in itself is a problem and not on secondary evidence. During that Cordoba Real Madrid match, Ronaldo had earlier gotten away with punching Cordoba player Jose Angel Crespo. Even though everyone else saw it, the three officials on the pitch did not and he was not punished for it. Better yet, it was not even taken into consideration when the two match ban was handed down by the disciplinary committee. Thus, if the referee did not report it, it did not happen and will not be taken into consideration.

The league’s disciplinary committee needs to adopt the Premier League’s model when it comes to punishing players for aggressive conduct. Former La Liga troublemaker, Diego Costa, was recently given a three match ban for stamping Emre Can, even though the referee did not spot it. The FA’s decision mentioned that “[t]he incident was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.” Another perfect example was when FIFA rightfully banned Luis Suarez for biting Giorgio Chiellini, even though the referee failed to spot the disgusting act, thanks to what they saw on video. If this measure is good enough for FIFA and the Premier League, then it should be good enough for La Liga to adopt. La Liga’s disciplinary committee needs to become strict if it really cares about its young viewers who are watching their games.

Ronaldo has been sent off five times during his time with Real Madrid. Out of those five, four were for aggressive conduct and he got away with just a booking when he and Godin engaged in a quick slug fest during the Spanish Super Cup. Perhaps it’s time the league cracked down on players by increasing the ban on repeat offenders to act as a deterrence or else we will continue to see players get sent off for aggressive conduct; that’s if they do get sent off like what we saw with Arda Turan. Allowing a player to get the same punishment for the same type of aggressive conduct over and over again for losing their cool does not send a proper message to the players and the fans is not acceptable.

In conclusion, La Liga’s disciplinary committee needs to get with the times and rely on video evidence. If the referee failed to punish Turan for what he did, then they need to rectify that problem themselves. Furthermore, the league’s disciplinary committee needs to punish repeat offenders in a stricter manner to deter players from losing their calm. The league needs to be conscious of its image both across the world and domestically or continue to be mocked for lacking the discipline to get things done right.

Is it time to end the Diego Costa Experiment?

With only a handful of matches with the Spanish national team, is it time for Vicente Del Bosque to end the Diego Costa experiment? There clearly is a clash of styles and one has to wonder if Costa’ presence is a hindrance on the team as they plan on getting over their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward that many teams would be lucky to have. He commands the attention of opposing team defenders and is the type of player you would rather have on your team than face. In other words, you’d hate him if he was on any other team except your own. Nevertheless, it seems that Spain and Diego Costa are not hitting on all cylinders which is perhaps a sign that this experiment was not meant to be.

Diego Costa’s inclusion to the Spanish national team prior to the 2014 World Cup seemed like a masterstroke by Del Bosque. He managed to obtain the services of one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and at the time same, deprive a contender of his services. One has to wonder what might have happened if that was Diego Costa out there, and not Fred, playing for Brazil this past summer. However, one team’s loss was not another team’s gain.

Diego Costa, along with many other players representing Spain, suffered a grueling a domestic campaign that saw Atlético Madrid capture the league title and make it to the Champions League final. However, Diego Costa was forced to leave the pitch in two pivotal matches at the end of the season, very early into the game, because of injuries. It was no surprise that he was a non-factor for Spain at the World Cup afterwards. Yet, watching Costa play for Spain is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

As I indicated before, he has played a handful of matches for Spain. However, in the five matches he has played he has failed to score and quite frankly offer anything. To be fair, Diego Costa did indicate that he needs to adapt to the team’s style.  Del Bosque also indicated that the team must connect with him.  However, that train of thought is hurting Spain’s progress from their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward as evidenced by his four goals already with Chelsea in just three matches. He has shined under Diego Simeone and is likely to do well for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. However, those two managers are known for relying on a style of football that is quite the contrast that Spain has relied on over the years. The two styles cannot mesh together and deliver a beautiful product.

Thus, it’s time for Del Bosque to admit defeat and pull the plug on this experiment.  He does not have to drop Costa off the team but perhaps he can bring him on as a plan B substitute much like he used Llorente against Portugal in World Cup 2010. Speaking of Llorente, what happened to him and why does Del Bosque not even call him anymore is another mystery in itself.  One mystery at a time, but the solution to what’s ailing Spain was shown in their victory over Macedonia.

Spain just needs to go back to basics and rely on players who can move around the pitch in a way that gets teams dizzy. False number nine or not, their style is only suited for those who can adapt to it. Diego Costa’s style is more suitable for the direct approach which clashes with this style and hence it cannot work. Even though Metallica managed to make heavy metal and symphony orchestra work, you cannot expect it to work all the time. That is why Del Bosque needs to do away with the Diego Costa experiment and stick with what made this team successful in the first without experimenting.