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Barcelona players have to put up with constant attacks from the Madrid-based media on a regular basis. Their numerous unfounded accusations of drug-taking, mischievous diving and other pathetic stories are systematically used as a strategy to try to upset our Catalan team. Such practice is happily tolerated in Spain, as if Barcelona’s success was purely based on cheating rather than football skills.
But everything changes every 2 summers. Barcelona players suddenly become national heroes the very moment they start wearing Spain's La Roja shirt instead of La Blaugrana. How does that happen? Well, it must be magic, right?
As if inspired by some supernatural spell, Xavi stops being a boring player who insists on slowing the game down with horizontal passes and becomes a midfielder maestro, the commander who organises the courageous Spanish troupes.
Gerard Pique magically starts performing like a committed defensive wall, becoming best friends with Sergio Ramos in the process. He supposedly forgets about his modelling career and pop-star girlfriend Shakira. Pique even stops being a Catalan traitor who disrespects King Juan Carlos whenever he has a chance. Wow!
Andres Iniesta puts La Roja shirt on and transforms into some sort of mystical hero. He is no longer a weakling who dives whenever a rival defender tries to tackle him. No way! Instead, Iniesta supposedly turns into Captain Tsubasa, the fiction football genius who is single-handedly capable of taking his national team to glory.
Sergio Busquets is also affected by this playing-for-Spain-makes-you-a-better-person magic. In the eyes of the Madrid media, the skinny midfielder is an indispensable player who complements La Roja’s creative players perfectly, the reincarnation of Vicente Del Bosque himself. Funny how he is treated like a diving cheat every other time...
Ladies and gentlemen: Whether you like it or not, Spain are current World and European champions thanks to the Barcelona players who transfer our club’s philosophy into La Roja. Sure, players such as Casillas, Xabi Alonso or Fernando Torres have also helped over the years but the idea, the essence, belongs to Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Iniesta – to name a few.
Don’t get me wrong, I want Spain to perform well whenever they take part in a major tournament but, honestly, the Madrid-based media hypocritical approach towards Barcelona players makes my stomach turn. Xavi certainly doesn’t try any harder when playing for Spain as he does at the Camp Nou, so why is the media treating him so differently?
In an ideal world, I would love to see the Madrid-based press respecting Barcelona players independently of what shirt they’re wearing. I would also appreciate it if, instead of blindly broadcasting whatever Portuguese managerJose Mourinho comes out with, they thought about the consequences their constant attacks on Barcelona players will have in La Roja when those very same players must share the same dressing room.
I‘m hoping for a Spain win at the Euro 2012 tournament but beware: A La Roja failure would certainly be blamed on the Barcelona players who, supposedly, are anti-Spanish at heart.
Don't believe me? Well, only time (and results) will tell.
Have Your Say
What did you think of this article?
How do you feel about the way the Madrid-based media treat Barcelona?
Should Barcelona players be treated differently when representing Spain?
What can be done to stop the constant attacks from Madrid towards Barcelona?
Did I miss out on any important points you would like to share with us?
I welcome and appreciate all respectful feedback.
Força Barça!!
Posted by: Francesc Tomàs
Founder and Columnist at www.barcablog.com
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Comments
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Posted by Francesc Tomàs on 06/22/2012
By the way, the first picture reads - When Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique, Pedro and Puyol are wearing the Barcelona shirt:
- Your football is boring! Your winning cycle is over! You win because of the referees! You're scared of Madrid! You are nothing compared to Cristiano Ronaldo! You have lots of possession, what's the point?
Messages from the Madrid-press are very different when wearing a Spain shirt:
- We are the best! This is total football! Incredible talent! Visca Spain! You are quality! The kings of possession and tiki-taka!
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Posted by temi on 06/22/2012
well said, great article,if i was a barcelona player i would never perform good for spain, or at all, what mourinho brought into madrid in the last couple of years is a disgrace to football
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Posted by Fatos on 06/23/2012
The article, hands down to the point. These stupid Madrid fans should know that without Barca there would be no Euro or World Cup... take off those glasses that Mourinho made you all wear, stupid Mou fans.
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Posted by Roshan chainani on 06/23/2012
You have composed a very well written piece of journalism. And I respect your point of view, nevertheless, as all barça fans you undervalue the importance of key players in the team such as Ramos, Casillas, Alonso, Torres...must i remind you that the eurocup was only won because of torres fantastic goal that had nothing to do with these barça players...and the only reason we progressed to the semi finals in south africa was because casillas saved the penalties against italy. Iniesta did score the winner against holland, but it is a team ar the end of the day...and the essence of pep or cruyff...i would say it is more like frank ryjkaards creation taken advantage of by aragones in 2008 and guardiola thereafter!
Furthermore, for all of you who criticise mourinho, he is a winning manager and a very hard working one. He may be arrogant, but you have to be if you want to win!
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Posted by Kareem on 06/23/2012
Thanx everyone, let wait and see after JOSE MORINHO
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Posted by Moyour from nigeria on 06/23/2012
I believe madrid fans won't read this, & mourinho caused this because all these accusations weren't there before he arrived, He came and destroy the love that was there btw madrid & Barça players...
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Posted by Anonymous on 06/23/2012
All mourinho said was that there are real Madrid players on the team as well and they deserve some credit too. I hate how the media always just gives barca players credit for Spain's success and ignores all the rest of the players. I agree that xavi and iniesta are a crucial part of Spain's squad but without the other WORLD CLASS players they would've been eliminated long ago. Honestly pique's form has dropped a lot this season for barca. fabregas has had a disappointing season too and never picked up his arsenal form. Why the hell is busquets even playing for Spain. He doesn't contribute at all and alonso should play in his position while Mata or fabregas plays in alonsos. Iniesta hasn't done anything yet. Xavi has been great but still hasn't got the best out of his players yet. A barca player hasn't scored yet either so u guys should give credit to the other great players aswell
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Posted by Otto on 06/24/2012
Fabregas has scored two goals already, what the hell are you talking about. but your right they have to do it as a team, and its split even. with out castillas making amazing saves they might not have advance to where they are now. I definitely wouldn't trust valdes back there. I wouldn't mind taking busquets out and putting iniesta back towards mid with xavi and alonso and putting pedro out there for some pace like they did today.
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Posted by Jatto usman etudaiye on 06/24/2012
To my own knowledge i tink mou is d cause of all dese cos he is tptrying to destroy spanish team,where as he praising his country national team to performing well and let me also remind spanish citizen dat werever mou go he would alsways trying to destroy dat league, and my advise to madrid cos his absence alwayz destroy d very club he left (especialy his kunfu style) can destroy team
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Posted by kop on 06/24/2012
spain is just as boring in this tournament and nobody should arrogant tiki-taka to barcelona. fact is that every player contributes his awesome to the collective perfomance of the side. no one should be blinded to the fact that madrid has 4 of the 11 starters that even del bosque will dare not to overlook in this campaign. furia roja is neither barca nor madrid. keeping possession is quite different from good saves and scoring goals. the latter two will make any side for far in the competition and madrid players have been nothing short of good performance in these respect.
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Posted by Timo on 06/25/2012
To say that Barcelona is what makes Spain gives Barça too much credit. This Euro, the most dangerous players have been Xabi Alonso and David Silva. The lone Barça man playing to par has been Pedro (during the France match). Barça players have surely been important at keeping possession but the tiki-taka has been uninspired, and not lead to many goals. What makes the tactic is a truly magical finisher, the level of Messi or Villa, and Vicente Del Bosque has been too shortsighted to see that. Sure it is clever to try to trick CB's into not knowing who to mark with a 4-6-0, but finishers are essential to the possession game. Keep Torres on or put Llorente/another striker on and things change.
I could honestly care less about what the media say about Barcelona. It is one big circus of sensationalism and gossip. And honestly, some of the criticisms put forward have been true. Pique has underperformed. Busquets will always have that reputation (deservedly. He needs to grow a pair.)
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Posted by Anonymous on 06/26/2012
Guyz, wake up! Don't fool nor school nobody. The series of el classicos was bound to take its full toll on La furia roja. Unfortunately its developed into a baseless 'war'. Why not anyone ask the the players to sheath their swords afterall football is only a sport and no one wins it all. Without doubts Mourinho has heated it up, but he's Portuguese and Guardiola is Spanish. The former has a mandate while later refines with passion a legacy he's been schooled in. I'm a madridista but we all got minds of our own to support the clubs we love.
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Posted by Naseer on 07/03/2012
I think all of us well know that Madrid are very arrogants. As Sandro Rosell expressed in his last club members meeting that 'we are not going to win trophies by all cost, and if I was a president of a club which my head coach is poking the eye of someone, disgracing, misbehaving with the opponent winning team in a match, I would have not think twice, I would have remove him'. I am a Cule, its clear that I go for FCB but we all have clear reasons for that, and that's because FCB football quality by far the best than R. Madrid. For instance, please look at the Euro 2012 championship, you see even Vicente Del Bosque has transformed FCB tika-tika playing style, great passing skills, correct positioning and long time possession. This style is the one and only style of FC Barcelona and therefore, now we are witness of 3 consecutive Spain championship in the international tournaments. If we say we love FC Barcelona because they the best and playing pure and great football not rugby. vis Barc
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Posted by Nanu on 07/03/2012
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Posted by Simon Kojo B on 07/03/2012
I think it's natural for supporters of barca and Madrid to share these sentiments. I believe the hypocrisy of all of us is manifest here. I'm a Barca fan but not spaniard. I love their type of football and it's influence on the national team in recent years cannot be over emphasized. We can look at how Spain has played prior to 2008 to see this. But the media in Spain must ensure that its publications do not create bad blood between players from Barca and their Madrid counterparts. Del Bosque must be congratulated for creating such a harmony among these bitter rivals. Ignore JM. When it suits him, it's OK but when it goes the other way then it's wrong. He is a big hypocrite.
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Posted by Chelsea Messi on 07/07/2012
what you said is so true... I am a Madrid fan by heart and what they say about Barcelona sometimes makes me sick we should be proud Madrid fans but to make us feel better about ourselves we bring down Barcelona...we won la liga and we beat Barcelona!, and the Spain team is not Madrid nor Barcelona or who ever other team it may makeup!!! of its just Spain so plz people stop acting like stupid kids and face the facts we as Madrid fans look back at pass winnings to make us feel better when Barcelona beat us front, right and center and we could not say anything about it..and that people are saying that Barcelona gives a lot to the Spain team makes all of us sick we go as far to say Barcelona style of playing is boring at least it gets the job done, so plz people lets just be proud Madrid fans and see if we could hold on to the title and get the others and people will see who we really are.
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Posted by Aaron Mark Hendrix on 07/09/2012
I remember watching Classico's,back when Hierro and Pep were the captains.Both sides had a very intense rivalry,but you could see that both men(Hierro & Pep)had immense respect for each other.When the captains respect each other,it can only rub off on the rest of the team.And despite the fact that Madrid used to win most of the Classico's back then,I still enjoyed the games,coz it was one played in a true spirit,unlike what we see today.Yeah,we threw lighters and a pig's head at the "Traitor"but still,the players respected each other.With Mourinho,it's the total opposite.I know that minda games are a useful tool in football psychology,but he's taken it too far.The way he's got himself into the game speaks for itself,and he is the one influence in Madrid.It's no surprise really that his players mirror his behaviour and sentiments(totally understandable,but not acceptable)and that's why we have this divide.Barca just need to forget bout all that and carry on doin what they do best...
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Posted by messineymar147 on 07/31/2012
mourinho spoiled real madrid, he brought in a horrible style of play, fouling (pepe, ramos, alonso, carvalho), diving (pepe, di maria, ronaldo). its ridiculous people think barca dive, coz its just madrid fouling coz they get frustrated coz of barcas awesome style of play. messi is fouled every second of every classico. what people say about barca is wrong. also i find it strange that pique and ramos hug each other one second (spain) and punch each other an other (in classico). mourinho caused this fighting. mourinho wasted the classicos. mourinho wasted real madrid.
i agree totally with this article - it proves all those people who call themselves madridistas wrong.
~real madrid + ronaldo + pepe: stop diving and fouling and being cocky and go2hell.
~vamos barca + messi - continue humiliating real madrid!
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About
Hola! I am Francesc Tomas. Barcelona is my passion and home-town team. I consider myself lucky to have regularly attended matches at the Camp Nou since the early 1980s. My cousin played for the Barça youth academy, sharing the team with Don Andres Iniesta, which gave me a clear inside view of how our club works behind the scenes. I am also the founder, editor and columnist at Barcablog.com.
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