IT took some time, but Lionel Messi eventually speared through the callousness of so much of the encounter between Real Madrid and Barcelona with two goals of beauty and ingenuity.
However, beyond the deft brilliance of the Argentine, the abiding images were of malice and aggression; the dark edges of a long-held rivalry.
Scotland fell victim to an angst-ridden bout of introspection when Celtic and Rangers engaged in similar hostility in a Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park last month. The two games, shaped by cultural, political, football (and in the case of the Old Firm, religious) differences were comparable in nature: they represent a blatant opposition of identities.
Spain will be less inclined to hand-wringing, although the Barcelona directors called an emergency board meeting to discuss Jose Mourinho’s post-match comments accusing Uefa of fixing the team’s passage to the Champions League final. “I don’t know if it’s the friendship of [Spanish football federation president Angel Maria] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president,” the Real Madrid manager said. “[Pep] Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he’s won one Champions League which I would be ashamed to win after the scandal at Stamford Bridge and, if he wins it again, it will be after the scandal at the Bernabeu. I hope that one day he will win a clean Champions League, with no incidents behind it.”
Mourinho, pictured, is a schemer, as comfortable manipulating with cruelty as much as praise, but comments like these in Glasgow would cause turmoil. If the constant haranguing of the referee, Wolfgang Stark, the bouts of play-acting and the altercations in the Bernabeu stands on Wednesday night are not common to Scottish football, the aggressive posturing, the reckless tackles, the brawl at half-time, and the showing of three red cards would not seem out of place in an Old Firm game.
Read More
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/the-hype-the-controversy-the-drama-sound-familiar-1.1098580
However, beyond the deft brilliance of the Argentine, the abiding images were of malice and aggression; the dark edges of a long-held rivalry.
Scotland fell victim to an angst-ridden bout of introspection when Celtic and Rangers engaged in similar hostility in a Scottish Cup replay at Celtic Park last month. The two games, shaped by cultural, political, football (and in the case of the Old Firm, religious) differences were comparable in nature: they represent a blatant opposition of identities.
Spain will be less inclined to hand-wringing, although the Barcelona directors called an emergency board meeting to discuss Jose Mourinho’s post-match comments accusing Uefa of fixing the team’s passage to the Champions League final. “I don’t know if it’s the friendship of [Spanish football federation president Angel Maria] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president,” the Real Madrid manager said. “[Pep] Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he’s won one Champions League which I would be ashamed to win after the scandal at Stamford Bridge and, if he wins it again, it will be after the scandal at the Bernabeu. I hope that one day he will win a clean Champions League, with no incidents behind it.”
Mourinho, pictured, is a schemer, as comfortable manipulating with cruelty as much as praise, but comments like these in Glasgow would cause turmoil. If the constant haranguing of the referee, Wolfgang Stark, the bouts of play-acting and the altercations in the Bernabeu stands on Wednesday night are not common to Scottish football, the aggressive posturing, the reckless tackles, the brawl at half-time, and the showing of three red cards would not seem out of place in an Old Firm game.
Read More
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/the-hype-the-controversy-the-drama-sound-familiar-1.1098580
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