8/4/2019 This is Why Some People Don

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/this-is-why-some-people-don 1/2

This Is Why Some People Don¶t Like Real Madrid

Marcelo¶s angry foul on Barcelona¶s Cesc Fabregas, which marred the end of Wednesday¶s

Spanish Supercup final, was an unnecessary attack given it occurred moments before the

 whistle in a game his team was about to lose. But it was also the latest black mark on a

Real Madrid team that, under Jose Mourinho, has become known more for its

indefensible outbursts and its postgame complaining than it has for its sometimes

unbeatable play.

Fabregas let Marcelo off the hook for his takedown, attributing it to the fevered nature of 

the rivalry. (He no doubt would have been less forgiving if the tackle had snapped his leg,

 which it could have.) But his teammates were furious.

³Real Madrid should be concerned about the image it is giving; it¶s very damaging,´

Barcelona midfielder Xavi said. ³Marcelo¶s tackle has no place in football. Totally 

shameless, a real shame for football in general this image generated by Real Madrid.´

Defender Gerard Pique placed the blame squarely at the feet of Mourinho.

³Mourinho is destroying Spanish football,´ Pique said. ³It¶s not the first time and it¶s

always a number of players and the same ones, so there has to be some way of stopping

them. I hope they adopt the necessary sanctions.´

Is it embarrassment, or jealousy, or something else that drives Mourinho and his players

to lash out? Real Madrid has played seven games against Barcelona since last November.It has won only one of those games, but has managed to have a player sent off in five.

That, apparently, is an even trade for Mourinho.

³I won¶t say we¶re not happy about not winning the Supercup because that would make

me a hypocrite,´ he said, before adding, ³but I¶m very happy with the evolution of the

team.´

Rather than credit Barcelona¶s play over the last year, Mourinho has attributed its success

to a mysterious bias from referees and UEFA in favor of Barcelona, comments that

earned him a five-match suspension. Marcelo¶s foul was tougher to explain away. (He was

lucky to still be in the game after an earlier kick to the ribs that dropped Lionel Messi.)

Real Madrid¶s fanscontend argue correctly Barcelona¶s players dive to earn calls, a

dubious charge from a club that employs Cristiano Ronaldo, but eventually Sergio

Ramos¶s temper and Pepe¶s recklessness circle back to the coach¶s leadership. And

Mourinho has shown precious little in the last year.

8/4/2019 This is Why Some People Don

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/this-is-why-some-people-don 2/2