Friday, May 18th, 2012
The word ‘cheat’ is an often misused term when talking about a football team or indeed a football player, especially today with football itself being scrutinized with as fine a toothpick as you could possibly imagine. But, to paraphrase the Stone Roses in Real Madrid’s case, “where there’s a will there’s a way”, and that way is, if not full on cheating, one of calculation and scheming.
Madrid’s victory over Atlético in the Vicente Calderón on Saturday, impressive as it was, did little to hide my underlying resentment for a team that, under the stewardship of Mourinho, I’m finding hard to take to. A side that, in my opinion, are intent to bring the beautiful game into mild disrepute.
I am under no illusions that such a team, stacked full of extremely talented individuals, have the ability to (and will no doubt) win silverware be it at home and/or on the European stage.
But this, almost hurried desire to win, to do so almost yesterday, is bringing with it some cheap and, borderline cheating, tactics by Mourinho’s men. Now I don’t want to come off all anti-madridista but on this occasion I believe it is necessary to nail your colours to your crest for a greater good.
Step onto the floor Xabi Alonso. The man from San Sebastian is one of the finest players to grace La Liga and indeed was one of the national team’s stars of the World Cup. For that I am sure. A man who is noted for his skilful possession play and range of passing, not to mention his solid, clean tackling. Herein lies the rub.
In the final minutes of Saturday’s encounter, with Madrid looking to hold on to their lead and collect a valuable (and merited) three points, Alonso goes to ground to tackle Reyes. Not his usual style one might think. One is correct. Accordingly, he is shown a yellow card for his troubles. The game finishes, Real Madrid the victors como siempre.
The foul Alonso committed merits closer inspection, by virtue of the fact that it was deliberate. Receiving his card as he did, he passed the threshold of five yellow cards received in La Liga, and has thus triggered an automatic one-match suspension for the upcoming home fixture against Sporting Gijon.
This suspension, as reported in Madrid daily Marca, gives him a “rest” and leaves him “clean” for the upcoming decisive month of April, a month where, amongst others, they face the prospect of visiting San Mames and welcome Barcelona to the Bernabeu. An act that the newspaper labelled sheepishly, “Another way to take a breather”.
Call it what you want, but that’s cheating in my book. ‘Professional’ it may be, and intelligent, but however you dress it up, it’s still cheating. The fact that it was openly reported as being “logical” in Marca almost adds salt to the wound, and I’m not impressed.
I’ll go further, and even suggest that it also shows a lack of respect to Sporting Gijon, as if to say that Madrid can afford to give their engine-man a valuable rest to keep him sharp for the (more important) games to come. Rather that than play Alonso and run the risk of receiving a booking during the game.
And they have set precedent before too. Lest we forget Mourinho’s antics in the Champions League clash between Madrid and Ajax, deliberately engineering a double sending-off for Ramos and Alonso, both for time-wasting, to ensure that both had a ‘clean slate’ going into the knock-out stages.
Ramos’s sarcastic applauding of Scottish referee Craig Thompson’s decision to give him his marching orders, a decision he himself fully intended to receive, is still one that is fresh in the memory.
There’s the old saying that good teams create their own luck, and by the standards Mourinho’s men are currently setting, they are going that one step further. They are creating their own deceit. A deceit that does little to endear themselves to those looking for a Madrid who play by the rules, who win the Madrid way, and leave the petty tactics to the politicians of the world or the playground.
Tags: Opinion, Real Madrid
What a rubbish article
I’m a Madridista and I don’t think forcing cards is in the spirit of the game but I also hesitate to call it cheating. But do understand how others arrive at that conclusion. It’s fairly easy given the the almost crazed sense of urgency to win something this year under the rule of “The Special One”.
The one thing I will actually object to is Ramos’ “sarcastic applauding”. I’ve seen the clips a million times and I’ve never seen him applaud the ref. He does however shake is hand after getting the card and calmly exit the field:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPplbi9QeKE
Maybe you’re thinking of a different red card. He’s had a few…
For once I am happy to see somebody who has guts to write an article like this. If it wasn´t for things you mention, not to talk about the decisions some referees take for rm, I might support rm also. For now I can only be sorry for people who call themselves madrinistas or something like that, and believe everything that Marca and AS writes. It is called brainwash in my book. So sorry.
stupid article…..
just hate takes over
Real Madrid are a class club
Real Madrid won the game convincingly and it’s really a shame that you cannot admit to that. While Alonso’s yellow card might have been a deliberate foul, it does should not take away Real Madrid’s performance that night. Real Madrid respect every opponent, including Sporting Gijon, and they have players that are just as good as Alonso in Khedira, Lass, Granero and Gago. So for you to imply that Real Madrid will field a weakened side without Alonso, just goes to show your lack of understanding of the game. This is a young team and will only get better with time. Like many envious people out there, you are anti Madridista, salivating at every opportunity to undermine Real Madrid’s improvement this season.
are you serious about this? the superstars of modern football are diving left and right, committing deliberate, malicious fouls to ruin the momentum of an opponent’s possession, delaying the game by feigning injury in the late minutes of a game, and you complain about THIS? this is so clearly a witch-hunt like ones we have seen so many of in recent times, because madrid’s brand of football is nowhere near as attractive as that of barcelona’s.
get over yourself, this is a part of modern football where there is so much at stake. I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m saying international football are facing so many issues with diving, feigning injury etc. that this is hardly a thing to get worked up over. unless, of course, one is a biased madrid hater/barcelona lover like you so obviously reveal yourself to be.
not only is this not even in conflict with the rules of football, the ramifications are minimal. so alonso will be featuring in one more game that he would otherwise be left out of in fear of suspension, it’s not like barcelona and real madrid are shoulder to shoulder in the league, barca enjoys a comfortable lead. and if this is to be viewed upon as cheating, everybody will start speculating paranoically every time a key player receives a match-suspending booking due to a rash tackle.
I’m afraid Madrid aren’t alone in doing this. Eto’o and Deco did the same thing towards the end of 2007/08 (deliberately getting yellow cards) so they wouldn’t have to form the guard of honour at the Bernabéu to ‘congratulate’ Madrid as Champions.
However, I’m not really shocked or outraged by either actions. On the continent this type of behaviour is more common than it is in England, but that doesn’t make it any worse than, for example, potentially career ending tackles that are more commonplace in England.
This is the very reason i hate idiots like this author (Craig Williams).Craig, you better look for your talents else where.when some thing is done by Madrid, it’s a crime, but when done by a smaller club, it’s intelligent!!! be sides, how do you think he was able to get the other four yellow cards???How i wish FIFA could set a rule that for anyone to have any connection to soccer (be it commenting) to at least have played soccer in their lives.Am tired of idiots like Craig wasting my time and spoiling my day.
very very happy with the defeat of Reals anti-football yesterday against the beautiful Barcelona!!
I do not support any of these teams but hate the way Real plays soccer. Mourinho is a bad loser to.
Just accept that they are way, way better. Prick!