WE HAVE FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING

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