We have forgotten everything. Everything that made Barça great, as a
team, as a Club, as an entity, has disappeared. And if there is anything left,
it is hidden in some drawer, as if we were ashamed to show it.
They have forgotten the famous "values". A Club that helped as
it did to the Brazilian Chapecoense after its accident, a Club, where the U-13
team goes around the world with wonderful images after winning a Japanese team
or, a Club that was showing off UNICEF on the chest and was paying!!! to do so,
can not fail to not return the ball after the opponent sends it out to attend
an injured player, further if he was wasting time or anything else. The image,
by itself, is not pretty. Or, it can not be that a team of our Academy, in one
of these tournaments that are played now at Easter, make the kick-off when the
opponent is celebrating a goal. It is possible that the boys are not aware of
what is going on, however, the referee does not have to give permission for the
kick-off, and the team leaders have to tell the children to stop and wait for
the opponents.
And, with that, we have forgotten grassroots. The social networks of the
Club only talk about wins of U-11, U-15 or U-19, while at the first team there
is no player arriving from the lower ranks since many years ago. The last was
Sergi Roberto, who debuted with Guardiola. Rafinha was loaned and, if it is not
because the coach is Luis Enrique, who had him at Celta, I doubt he would have
returned. Thiago, Bartra, Onana, Bellerin, Deulofeu, Adama, Grimaldo, Samper or
Munir are not here. For one reason or another. Some have been sold (better or
worse), others have been shown where the exit door was, and others are on loan.
Surely, more than one of these, or many, would serve perfectly to do the work
that others, who cost than 150M€ in transfers, do not know, can not do, or, do
not want to do. Not to mention the B. But if they are leading the 2ndB and they
have quite well to be promoted to 2ndA, you will tell me! True, but 2/3 of his
players have not even come through the Youth, with all that this implies. And I
doubt the vast majority will continue in the team if it is promoted. So, what
is the aim?
And, having forgotten grassroots, we have forgotten the
"model", the one of playing. The one everyone in the football world
applauded and admired. The one that was the envy of all. Now we play something
different. "Evolution," they call it. But, so much evolution that, in
the end, does not resemble it at all. Hey! However, we have possession! We have
what??? They have not understood anything. Absolutely nothing about how Barça plays.
And, now they tell us that we have to bring players with muscle for the
midfield, that Xavi and Iniesta does not serve, that Mascherano and not
Busquets should be the central midfielder, that this is "modern"
football. I insist. Nothing. About nothing. And, when Luis Enrique uses 1-3-4-3
as a system, they tell us it is what Cruyff was doing. No idea, listen. No
idea. Because Cruyff did not play with 3 center back (or Lopez Rekarte, Ferrer,
Sergi and Juan Carlos were CB???). The Barça of Cruyff (and the one of
Guardiola when it used this system), had width with the full-backs and width
with the wingers. So, 4. This one, only 2. There was Koeman alone (perhaps with
Nando or Nadal). Here we have Mascherano-Piqué-Umtiti (or Piqué-Umtiti-Mathieu...
it doesn’t matter). There, Bakero played with his back to the goal. Here,
Messi, when playing in this position, does so to receive and play up. Txiki or
Goiko were wingers, wingers. Do we have any of these now? It's the same... Come
on, man, come on!
And, we have forgotten that Barça can not be al the day in the courts.
The signing of Neymar, the FIFA case, the land of Gavà-Viladecans, the "estelades"
... and now the appeal for the sanction against Neymar before tomorrow's match
against Madrid. I am clear that it is not acted the same against Barça as
against others. No doubt. But, that the level of incompetence of the Directors
and Legal Services (or other contracted lawyers) is stratospheric, I still have
less doubt. One thing is very clear. The Laws have been skipped. Further that
from Madrid, Nyon or Zurich they push more here than to other sides, the truth
is that they have not given us the reason in anything. This, when appeals have been
sent late or with defects. Remember the Cup Final in Madrid, where they wanted
to ban the estelades. The appeal of the Club was not admitted, because it was
not signed by the one who has to (it was the Club and, it had to be a private,
if I have no misunderstanding). With the case of Neymar (that seems that it is
not yet finished), at the moment the Club is convicted. Yes, we are criminals.
The same ones (Rosell and Bartomeu), who continue to repeat that "we would
do everything the same" are those who say "they want to condemn us
for a crime committed by the Club." For the Club! Not them! You have to be
a real shamelessness to say so. All this without talking about the Directors
who, for one reason or another, with a constant drip, appear in newspapers (in some
newspapers, because others..., better not to talk), TV, etc.,with different
problems with justice because their business activities. And this can not be.
One thing is bad management and, another, to be a criminal offender. This is
Barça and, like Caesar's wife, if it is not honest, at least it should look
like it is.
And, with all this, and more, we have forgotten that we are "Més
que un Club". Now we are "More than a Club". In fact, it should
not surprise us too much. The official website of the Club is in English
(.com), as well as social networks like Twitter (the @FCBarcelona account is in
English, while _cat, _se, _jp,... are the associated accounts), in case someone
did not know it. We are so international that there are “socis” in Colombia,
the United States, Switzerland, Russia, China, Japan, Senegal..., that they
have to take a plane if they want to vote the day of Elections, because, in a world so technological
and other, it turns out that you can not yet vote electronically. Because we
have also forgotten the soci. Or, maybe what does not matter is the soci.
Because the soci complains when things are not going well. And, if you have a
Camp Nou with a majority of tourists, these do not come to complain. Although a
sandwich full of fat and a drink costs you 9 or 10€. A Camp Nou which, by the
way, should be reformed. I've said it more than once. Compared to the new
stadiums in Europe, we are light years away from those. But there is not a cent
in the cash. And, Barça, who has never been a seller club, must sell (better or
worst), players to equilibrate the accounts. Because, in addition, a Project
that was going to cost 600M€, already woit will cost 630M€ before doing
anything. But, we are a global club and therefore we are "More than a
Club". And everybody is happy.
We have forgotten so many things that the list is endless. Even what the
shirt is. And now, we put horizontal stripes or, we do not know how many
vertical stripes..., marketing, they call it, globalization... And, in the
meantime, the shirt with the senyera (the one they said it would ALWAYS be), has
disappeared. They have also forgotten it.
Jordi Pascual
You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP
