PHIL BALL'S FIRST
The game in Spain: Of cabbages and kings
First the vegetables.
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It was rather nice of the Spanish Federation to choose Recreativo de Huelva's new ground 'El Nuevo Colombino' as the venue of last week's friendly between Spain and Mexico. However, they should really have sent a delegate down to deepest Andalucia a few weeks ago to check out the state of the turf, because the cabbage patch the pitch resembled - or 'patatal' (potato field) as the papers called it here rendered the game all but meaningless. They might as well have played on the nearby beach, for all that manager Camacho learnt from the game. Nice symbolism - Huelva were the first in Spain to organise themselves into a club back in 1889, beating their nearest challengers Athletic Bilbao by almost a decade - but it contributed nothing to the growing feeling that the national side is a long way from getting its act together for the summer show. Having surprisingly brought back Pep Guardiola from his self-imposed exile in Brescia ('I'm not playing well because the team is awful', he commented generously of his Italian team-mates last week) and Mendieta from Lazio too, all he learned was that they require grass to play on. He also learnt that the only player he can truly rely on, in an all-surface sense, is man-of-the-moment Raul, who popped up in the second half to score the winner and chalk up his 23rd international goal. This equalled the legendary Di Stefano's total, put him a hat-trick behind Butragueno and four behind the current leader, his team-mate and captain at Madrid, Fernando Hierro. The fact that Hierro is a central defender and his country's top-scorer is one of the most curious statistics ever to emerge from European football, but it is unlikely to last for much longer, given Raul's consistency and brilliance.
Raul appeared in a photograph published by several papers on Friday the 16th flanked by Di Stefano, Hierro and Butragueno, a shot which the sport tabloid 'Marca' dubbed 'Four Kings'. It was that kind of week, full of Madridismo - a concept not easy to explain, but one at least open to illustration. The fact that the national side's 4 top scorers of all time were/are Real Madrid men through and through was meat and drink to the dominant madrileno press last week, especially as the 4 kings were gathered together to enjoy a bit of royal patronage at the Zarzuela Palace. The occasion was the unveiling of the plans for Real's centenary bash next year, which will begin officially on the 6th of March 2002. Whatever circus they put together, it's going to have to be bigger and better than Barca's two years ago - and what better way to start than by confirming the royal links and patronage that Madrid as a club have always enjoyed, whether it's been the blue-blood type or the self-styled dictatorial one? Apparently King Don Juan Carlos used the handshake walk-past of the players to show off his English to Steve McManaman and to remark to Raul: 'Nice goal yesterday'. To be fair to His Majesty, he does appear to be a real football fan, seems to understand and follow the game, and even obliged his son Felipe to support Atletico Madrid, lest the Bernabeu link become too obvious.
| “ | Even the trendy magazine GQ, in its '100 best things in the world' article this month, slotted 'Real Madrid's midfield' in at Number 28. ” | |
Whatever, Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, also used the occasion to show off the centenary shirt. The most interesting fact about this piece of plain white cloth was that it will bear no sponsors' names - a decision that will cost the club some 12 million pounds in commercial losses, which, noble though it appears to be, is probably just a drop in the ocean of the club's now massive annual turnover. Besides, it means that good pals Barcelona, with Athletic Bilbao the only major club in Spain not to carry sponsors on their kit, will lose their status in this field of commercial self-sacrifice. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether the various displays and histories of the club being prepared for public display will have the humility to admit that the club was actually founded (whisper it discreetly) by a pair of Catalans. However, what does it matter when even the trendy magazine GQ, in its '100 best things in the world' article this month, slotted 'Real Madrid's midfield' in at Number 28? Mind you, Number 29 was no less than 'Double Identity Brothel Creepers', and knocking them off the 27 spot was the spanking new 'Shiraz Micro Lamp'. Funny old world.
Apart from cabbages and kings most of the talk, both here and in the British press, has centred on Deportivo de La Coruna, current leaders of the First Division and hosts to Arsenal in mid-week. Arsene Wenger admitted he'd be happy with a draw, and it seems as if Depor's double over Manchester United has finally put them on the map, if not on Marca's front page. At the weekend they beat Real Sociedad 3-1 to stay two points clear of nearest challengers Alaves, last year's unlikely UEFA Cup heroes. Most British commentary seemed to focus on the contrasting fortunes and policies of Deportivo and the sulky big two - the thesis being that the Galicians have quietly and cleverly built up a squad not just to rival those of Real Madrid and Barca but to actually surpass them - despite budgetary differences. So whilst Madrid allegedly slither around in a tactical mess caused by the over-abundance of French and Portuguese chiefs in their midfield, and Barcelona acquire duds from all corners of the globe in a desperate attempt to publicly out-buy their rivals, humble Depor from unfashionable and rainy Galicia have masterfully built up a squad to challenge the world.
Whilst it may be true that they have an abundance of frightening quality in their ranks, they won the title two years ago, and are unbeaten so far in the Champions League, all is far from tickety-boo over at the Riazor. It seems that whatever their manager 'Jabo' Irureta does - for example masterminding the double over Ferguson's chaps, it isn't good enough for some Depor fans.
Irureta, a dour Basque who wears a lugubrious, hang-dog expression come rain or shine, seems to attract contempt wherever he goes. The unfortunate aspect of all this is that this ex-Atletico Madrid midfielder is a truly decent man, and one who would prefer to celebrate his team's first championship in 70 years by walking the pilgrimage route to Santiago than getting pie-eyed with the lads. His undemonstrative, unemotional style seems to bother some people, accustomed as they are in this country to the big gesture and the shouting down of any measured dissent. Irureta has indeed put together a fine squad, but his insistence on its weekly rotation has driven various of the egos in the camp to distraction and of course, the press. Djhaminha, the talented but temperamental Brazilian actually started the game against Sociedad on Saturday, but did little to justify his recent whinges that Irureta was treating him like a 'pariah'. The Dutchman Roy Makaay, last year's top-scorer but now relegated to the bench by the emergence of the sublime Diego Tristan, this week complained to the press (the usual tactic) that he should be the 'titular' against Sociedad because Tristan had played for Spain in midweek. Irureta, forced onto the back foot, agreed publicly that Makaay was right. The subsequent hat-trick from the Dutchman will cause even more problems in a squad where everyone feels he is being harshly treated in some way.
During the first half of Saturday's game, Real Sociedad came out of the blocks in a fighting mood, and took the lead with a wonderful goal from their promising midfielder, Xabi Alonso. Irureta, who managed them between 95 and 97, had been making pleasant, sporting comments about his affection for the team and his respect for Toshack (ironically an ex -manager of Depor) but perhaps went too far by admitting that he was 'split' as to his loyalties. The Depor fans like it all-or-nothing and - perhaps still suspicious of the fact that Irureta was poached from regional rivals Celta - were booing their side after half and hour's dithering. The eventual 3-1 win was a shade unconvincing, and they'll have to do better against Arsenal - but it seems that despite their striding Europe like a colossus so far, you get the feeling that a couple of defeats would see the fans calling for the manager's head. But they do look frightening on paper, and Wenger is right to be concerned.
Finally, a testament to the power of three points. Betis, abused and pilloried by their normally loyal fans after their Halloween escapade, finally got back to winning ways at home to Zaragoza at the weekend. As Benjamin, the party's host, walked off to be substituted in the second half, the fans quietly applauded him. Looks like they've kissed and made up.
