During the half time break of the 2º leg semi final of the Spanish Cup between Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid a "Neanderthal" threw a lighter ( an object ) at Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo at his head. This action is in itself deplorable in or outside a Football field but worst the responsibility usually goes to the home Club, which again shows the "love" of the colours that the walking "single brain cell" has towards his Club.
The Spanish Football "Competition Committee" has just handed in their sentence to Atletico de Madrid for this incidence, a 600€ fine! A real deterrent that would make anyone think twice, or halt future "lighter throwing". Simply said, ridiculous! One of the main factors for this decision is the "grade" of injury. The "Competition Committee" considers that a "small lump" on the head of Cristiano Ronaldo was a minor issue. What if it hit his eye & could have caused its loss? Would that have lifted the value of the sentence to 1,200€ ? Unconsciousness perhaps 1,800€? What this "Football lobby" of interests forgot is that the sanction should be related to the intent not the result. Firstly, there is a security issue, what security operation did Atletico de Madrid have in place knowing before hand that the Civil Authorities called this event a "HIGH RISK" match? Why was not the offender identified & taken away? In stadium cameras? No one saw the incident?
This sentence sends a message to all Clubs & aspiring "hooligans" that objects can be thrown at will & the individual can walk away "Scott free" while his dear beloved Club just pays 600€. The appropriator sentence should have been a hefty economic fine & shutting the Stadium to crowds for a week or two. I say this being an Atletico fan! Its unfortunate news, sanction & inaction in an attempt to halt so many unfortunate issues in current Spanish Football: violence, hate, racism...etc.. Excellent show piece for all the youngsters as they take on & model the behaviour of adults, some taking the image into their own adult life.
Another step backward for Spanish Soccer. Perhaps another "lighter thrower" or "bottle thrower" is awaiting their glorious moment in coming weeks. Perhaps this weekend. Tweet
I undertsand that times are tough, that there are many people with serious frustrations & emotional needs to belong. Sports is traditionally a "release button" of emotions which eases the five-six days of "pain". However, when the "frustration" gets mixed up with twisted illusions & many times "intoxicated" minds we sadly get events that occured at the ATLETICO DE MADRID "Vicente Calderon" Stadium this weekend.
ATLETICO & SEVILLA FC fans have "problems" that date & get "vibed" up daily on the Social Media channels. Before this weekends match between both there was problems outside the field.
Atletico de Madrid Ultras
However the worst was yet to come. The Atletico de Madrid most exalted fan base, el "Frente Atletico", began singing chants of "ea ea ea, Puerta se marea" ( ...., Puerte is getting dizzy). ANTONIO PUERTA ( Sevilla FC player ) died August 2007 after collapsing on the field from a heart attack against Getafe.
Now in realize that NOT ALL of the Atletico fans were involved or approve of this disgraceful event. The guilty are few ( just hundreds), but their lame attempt at "hurting the feelings" of the Sevilla team & their fans was a grave & unfortunate mistake. Antonio Puerta is no longer here, so he can´t obviously feel the hurt, but what about his family? female partner? his children? What have they to do in all this shit that must have re-opened deep wounds?
The Club that these Atletico de Madrid fans are supposed to adore has suffered a severe blow to its image, its reputation & its historical working - class "helping the next guy" ethos. I, as a died hard Atletico de Madrid fan, ask for apologies to all the Sevilla fans & especially to the Puerta family. I was absolutely ashamed & embarrassed by what occurred as these few do not represent the Club or the thousands of good hearted Atletico fans. In fact the Club , the institution, has public released a news note asking for forgiveness for this horrible behaviour of a group of individuals who put on the Clubs shirt.
Sport is just this, Sport. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but its just Sport. Taking it beyond & melting it into your day to day as your only reason for existence needs medical attention. Unfortunately, our society is "forcing" many weak minds to find comfort in groups & in the collective as a defensive mechanism that one pays dearly by losing ones own personal identity. Hurtful chants, racism, violence... nothing to do with Football, symptoms of a "sick society" that we ( Spaniards) as a whole are finally responsible for our lack of action & attention. Tweet
The e-mail account of Spanish Football Sports is almost collapsed by readers around the World asking why I am not posting on the after shock-wave effects, or stating an opinion about the FC BARCELONA - REAL MADRID brawl & Mourinho "eye-poke" incident during the Spanish Super Cup last week. Why? Because everyone has already voiced an opinion, the majority from their own "coloured" glasses perspective charged with "reptilian" like instincts where rationality is something still a 1,000,000 years down the evolutionary path.
For starters everyone is to blame, from Football Presidents, Coaches, assistant, trainers, the players, the press, fans...the ball boy, everyone. The actions of Mourinho are inexcusable & not justifiable under any circumstances, they are simply out of all order & punishable. However, just before the famous "eye poke", FC Barcelona assistant Coach Vilanova ( or Pito to his mates) had been calling out to the Real Madrid bench that they were a "bunch of son of bitches" & just after the Marcelo tackle, that same Vilanova was racing out blind & firing "F*C+ing B*as*rd, Y++ Cun^" ( + or - understood but never verified) out of his month until Guardiola had to pull his assistant back to save a potential box up. Said this, maybe , just maybe, I to would stick my finger in the eye of someone who had just called me & my team everything under the sun. But there is more, according to Spanish paper "El Mundo" , Guardiola himself shouted "your all a bunch of *******", yes that some Guardiola that grabbed the neck of the Danish Coach a while back. As far as I can judge, all (everyone) have a part in this disgusting & embarrassing spectacle.
Heated moments, emotional, tense , charged & there was the whole World watching the two best Football teams in the World turn themselves into Baboons with shorts - with no offence to the Baboons, of course. But this part does not bother me at all, the veterans of Spanish Football will look back the last 30 - 40 years & remember events between Barça-Real Madrid, At.Madrid-Real Madrid, Betis-Sevilla, Sporting-Oviedo, At.Bilbao- Barça ...etc that would make your eyes turn. What occured at the "Camp Nou" last week was children stuff.
But here is the serious part that makes me wonder what is this player/s (personalities) on about & is perhaps more serious than Mou sticking the finger - in & Vilanova telling someone to go & F**k off; the post match comments of Mr. Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, & numerous out of the wood works Barça directives .
Allow me to get out of Spain, in case you think I´m playing on home turf, & focus on the out of bounds, exaggerated & totally unnecessary comments from the "Rhodes Scholar" Gerard Pique. This alarming World circulating headline is from the UK paper the Guardian:
Who is this guy? What is he on about? Who made him king for the day? The official self proclaimed institutional spokesman for FC Barcelona?
Allow me to diverge & use another story not related to Football but about character & credibility that drives my thoughts on the above. A New York Court has just let of the "hook" (jail) ex IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) charged with "allegedly" rapping a hotel maid on the only ground that the maid was of "dubious" character. Now I have my thoughts on who is "dubious", but have to follow ( like it or not ) judgement by a justice institution ( in agreement or not). Now back to Mr. Pique & his charge that "Mourinho is destroying Spanish Football" ....that its all Madrid ...bla, bla, bla". Here is the true character of Mr.Pique:
Apart from being pissed as a fart ,representing his country ( or we think it is) , the character is dubious to say the least, in fact its disgusting &offensive. Perhaps spitting on a Spanish Football Directive behind his back for some great laughs with his "Barça" mates has credibilty. According to some Courts of Law, the dubious character of Mr.Pique is sufficient to let off the hook people who allegedly are destroying Football.
The fact is that no one is destroying Spanish Football at all, that this has occurred since the time someone thought about kicking a ball around without touching it & that the Football Business machine realized ( as the Romans) the apart from bread, the masses need circus. Yes, this will continue being headlines & people will continue talking about it while they swing from their Football trees. The real truth is the following: if the Spanish Super Cup was seen on TV around the World by 500,000,000 viewers the next "clasico" will be watched by 2 billion & that means $$$$$ plenty of $$$$$ loads of $$$$$.
So lets get this episode out of the mainstream, back into the past & think before we take note of some of the "characters" statements as holy truths - those same who throw a stone & then hide the hand - as wise opinion. Lets talk & continue marvelling at the unprecedented & spectacular level of Football played during the last 2 legs of the Spanish Super Cup. With Barça & Real Madrid playing at that level, I don´t see at all Spanish Football in danger, in fact I see it as the envy of the planet.
Spanish Football Sports thought its readers who like to see this video shown this afternoon on Spanish TV "Cuarto" that captured the intensity of the Real Sporting de Gijon vs Real Madrid game last Sunday which Real Madrid won 0 -1. Here you can clearly see the hostile atmosphere - & at times real hate - spewed out by the local crowd & the fury of the Sporting Gijon players towards the visitors. Real Madrid didn´t hide & added their own bit of "wood" to the already fire, via Higuain, Pepe & Ronaldo. Real Madrid Captain Iker Casillas had to come out during the game to the midfield to insist that everyone play Football & forget the crowd & their provocations. Unique view on the ground level not seen by the normal spectator:
Another video with another perspective:
Cuarto TV titled this report "The Battle of Molinon" ( Molinon is the name of the Gijon stadium).Tweet
This video has nothing to do with Spanish Football nor with Spanish Sports, & thank the Lord. One may think it is Dutch defender DE JONG doing his usual "party piece", but it is none other than the President of Bolivia Evo Morales retaliating to an early tackle that didn´t go down well with the Prez.
The game was to celebrate the new artificial ground built in La Paz. Around the 5th min the President received a hard tackle to the shin & Morales reacted with a knee into the groin area of the opponent. No red card given & no yellow card given as the referee didn´t wish to risk the wrath of the Nations President.
I am stunned & thought I share this with you as something not to do even if you are the country Nº1 person.
The highlight of this EUROPA LEAGUE game between Austria Vienna & Spanish Club Athletic de Bilbao was the pitch invasion by "hooligans" that stopped the match in the 2ºhalf for about 30 minutes. Apart from the flares & the numerous objects thrown onto the pitch the behaviour needs to be punished, something we hope UEFA will do.
Athletic de Bilbao won 0 - 3 thanks to FERNANDO LLORENTE who scored twice (18th & 103rd min) & SAN JOSE (61st min). Bilbao are on course to continue into the next phase of the competition.Tweet
The VALENCIA CF sponsor wanted to utilize the upcoming game against FC BARCELONA to promote its web & product, & on the way build up support among Valencia fans to vibe up this grand clash tomorrow.They elaborated this VIDEO, depicting Valencia CF as Spartan warriors ready to take on the enemy FC Barcelona in the “Mestalla Stadium” (Valencia):
Well it has created controversy, so much so that the “Anti Violence Commission” for National Sport has ordered it be stopped from use on TV & promotion. The Commission considers it promotes a “go to War attitude” & may incite to violence between fans & "overheat" the match between palyers with its images of strong tackles, the infernal appearances & aggressive feel.
The sponsor has reacted to this by replacing the original video with this new one:
Obvious sense of humour as Heidi is so “peaceful”. No doubt the winner here is the sponsor with all this controversy & viral marketing effect.Tweet
The now infamous PEPE incident in last Tuesdays Real Madrid – Getafe game of the Spanish “Liga” has spread like wildfire around the World & has been the most discussed Football (Soccer) issue in the past couple of days. There are opinions of all sorts, some are very extreme, “overheated” & go as far as to suggest that Pepe be banned from playing Football, some even have said locked away!
Before SFS goes any further, let it be clear, the actions of Pepe are unjustifiable & are to be condemned at all levels. It is not the behaviour that young fans should take as the “norm” or for that matter any Sports fan, as they have seriously dimmed the prestige of Real Madrid, Spanish Football & have directly marked the career of a brilliant & promising Portuguese International defender. With 3 minutes left of play & his team in a 2-2 draw situation, his foul in the penalty area on Casquero brought into the mind of Pepe the following nightmare: that he would be responsible for allowing League ladders FC Barcelona to escape further on points – 9 if Casquero hadn’t later missed his penalty & Higuaín not scored the winner 2 minutes later - thus making it impossible of having any chance at all of clinching from Barça the League Championship title. The Real Madrid players, & Pepe in this case, are so singled mindedly focused on the task that it is a straight case of winning at all costs, defeat does not enter the equation & the reality of it being otherwise made Pepe “snap”, lose control, go crazy & do things that has baffled & outraged many as being outside of the normal conduct of any sportsman yet along a rational human being. SFS repeats, I am not defeating the actions of Pepe & agree they should be severelypunished, however SFS is making an effort to place itself – even for a moment – in the skin of Pepe & feel the circumstances & the pressures that he must have been under at the time.
This afternoon Pepe has received a 10 match suspension, one of the highest in Spanish Football history, he will miss the Barça derby, the rest of the season & part of the other. He may have already indirectly given Barça the League title, as Real will find it hard to replace him in defence with a player of his level – with all due respects to the substitute who that maybe - enough personal suffering here already do you agree? Added to all this, his Club Real Madrid will also sanction him & that will have its slice of pain on the man. The public, the fans & the whole World are calling for his head, his permanent banning & writing/calling him all sorts of outrageous names & things that in themselves may also be sanctioned if taken to a legal court, the man is being crucified. Pepe has reacted to all this by going out publicly & apologising to Casquero & Albin of Getafe, to his Club & all the public, brave move under the barrage of “stones” being thrown at him. He has also accepted to take up immediately psychological counselling to control his competitive & aggressive impulses so that his “violence” never appears again. Let’s give the man another chance, at least, a minimum moment of understanding before sending him to the “gallows”. The 10 match punishment is enough & that hurts inhumanly any top level professional sportsperson, plus he has the “extreme sector” of the public to remind him for the rest of his playing days “that famous Tuesday night” in 2009.
Here are two videos that everyone should see. The web portal “YouTube” is full of clips similar & you can have hours of “fun” searching for more. The first is LEGENDARY Frenchmen ERIC CANTONA losing it totally & Kung-fuing” a spectator! The second clip is a collage of various similar incidents throughout Football’s (Soccer’s) recent history - check out Maradona halfway through the clip; I rest my case with both examples. By the way I left out Zidane!
Thankfully, we do live in a society with free speech & SFS welcomes & accepts all opinions & all thoughts, liked or disliked. SFS is simply contributing to debate & further analysis. Thanks to all the comments & emails received, they are definitely interesting to say the least :-)
The Spanish Football "Disciplinary Committee" has handed down this afternoon a 10 match suspension to REAL MADRID defender PEPE after Tuesday nights “loss of control” & “violence” against Getafe players Casquero & later Albin. That´s only what was bleamed around the World, there also was abusive language to the linesmen & he jumped back on the field to celebrate Higuain´s winning last minute goal when he was just sent off with a Red Card.
The sentence is the following: 4 games for the violent kicking towards Casquero 4 games for punching Albin in the face 1 game for the red card 1 game for verbally abusing the linesmen.
One of the highest in Spanish Football History!
Real Madrid has also said they will hand down their own punishment to the player for damaging the image of the Club nationally & worldwide. The normal procedure is a heavy economic fine, however the Club may decide to go further considering the extraordinary behaviour shown by Pepe & the circumstances. Getafe President Angel Torres is not happy & has called on Real Madrid to break its contract with the Portuguese player, an extreme opinion from some sectors who are baffled & still cannot explain the player’s violent outburst.
Pepe now says goodbye to the remaining six games of this season & will miss the start of the next. The player has expressed his sincere apologises to the players involved, his team-mates, the Club, the fans & everyone who witnessed his actions. He has said that he will seek counselling to control his temperament & ensure this never happens again. The best thing that Pepe can do is to continue training, support his team-mates & the Club as they fight to attempt to snatch away from Barça the Spanish League title, that & a well earned break (holidays) while this all calms down & the dust settles.
Yesterdays Real Madrid 3 - Getafe 2 match had a dark spot. It was the 87th min & Real Madrid defender PEPE fouled Getafe player CASQUERO & went MAD!!! He went after the player while on the ground & KICKED him twice, yes twice, & later while arguing with players PUNCHED Getafe player ALBIN while his team-mate Gago attempt to keep him away.
A Red Card & penalty - that Casquero missed. However a disgraceful show of events & a low point in Pepe´s career that may keep him off the field for weeks. Getafe Presibent called for a 10 week suspension. See the 2 VIDEOS:
Totally unexplained behaviour that may have a reason, but it´s not justifiable. Unfortunate reaction from the World class defender that now has to live with it all & accept the punishment. Pepe apologized after the game. Tweet
This is not Spain or related to Spanish Sports, unfortunately it´s Brazil. However, this transcends all frontiers & labels, & is worth a post on any type of Sporting Blog as an example of woeful behaviour.
Situation: Game of « La Rio Grande do Sul » League between the teams Brasil & Ulbra. Pereira for Ulbra scores his teams 5 goal to take the score line 2-5 in their favour. The goal scorer Pereira goes over the corner post in front of the Brasil fans to “stick it up em”, & this provokes the Brasil players who race over & start punching & kicking everything that moves…the rest is 6 Red Cards!
This is what Football is not about at all & it is appalling. Kids this is not Sport.
Can someone tell me why Football players when they fight think they are Bruce Lee & practice karate?Tweet
SFS will like to denounce the awful spectacle given yesterday by a small part of the ATLETICODE MADRID crowd during their match against Athletic de Bilbao.The non- Football lovers who claim to follow Atletico decided to throw snow at the Bilbao goakkeeper (see above video).
You may think that the fact that it was snow is not harmful. Wrong! The correct & proper behaviour while you host an opposition team is to NOT throw anything at all. The arguments & the battles are done on the field by the teams under rules of conduct of play were after 90 mins you have a result. The crowd’s behaviour is to sit & watch the spectacle of the game & cheer their team onward to a possible victory. However, the crowd play another important role for the rest of the World (Football is now Worldwide) they represent the image of the team they are supposed to follow & love. The actions of a few yesterday are detrimental for the Club & for the Sport.
SFS finishes by saying that a few don’t represent all Atletico lovers, including myself, but it’s up to the majority who really worries about their Club, & wish to lift help it toWorld Class status that they denounce this sort of behaviour. We cannot cry foul when this happens to Atletico on away games here or internationally, & they show that we are the first barbarians. Please lets all think about why we follow our Club & why we love Football.Tweet
Situation: It´s Saturday & ESPANYOL plays FC BARCELONA in a "high risk" local derby. That´s not the problem, the problem is when FC Barcelona radicals called "Boixos Nois" ( "Our Boys", shows us real originality by these guys) begin throwing flares at Espanyol fans. No reason at all, just to hurt, provoke & if lucky cause some disgrace. That is go to Football not to watch Football, irrationality, this is the prime characteristic of these primitive animals.
These objects - flares - are alight & burning & very dangerous flying objects; there are numerous cases of lost limbs & even death by receiving a direct hit, & there they are, as the pictures show, when they are banned by law from Football fields.
This, of course, caused the Espanyol fans to react in the same manner, with the logical result that things get out of control & the game gets called off for 10 mins. Great, thats good, but why in the hell are these piece of shit with two legs allowed to go to Football when they are known criminals, allowed to represent FC Barcelona & allowed to take in flares & who knows what other illegal stuff to cause injury & possibly death.
Everyone is blaming everyone: Espanyol blames Barça, Barça blames a relaxed Espanyol security, both blame local police...bla bla bla. Luckly the social outrage has lead Police to quickly identify via CCTV at least 5 brain damaged morrons that have been arrested. Thank god no one was seriously injuried or killed, thank god!
This mental disease, were "useless" human wasted find their lost identity in the "group" & the worship of abstract "concepts" as my colours - what the fuck is this! - need psychological help. Seeing this is not possible the law must be enforce with harsh punishment. The Clubs should work to erradict this from their fans & players should have the "balls" to go out in public & make a stand against this sort of behaviour.
Unfortunately the disease is here, in the UK, Germany , Italy , Greece , Turkey..., & players score goals & celebrate jointly with these barbarians ( Barça players did this after scoring twice on Saturday - they claim they knew nothing...obviously blind to flare lights & screams) or go public & claim that they admire Fascist ideas - Milan goalkeeper Abiatti - as a group thing, the power of the collective. You idiot, collective & ideology to an untrained mind - stupid mind - is interpretated as me vs the World. Add drugs & alcohol & the World , the other Club & other people become enemies to be hated & eliminated. Its dangerous stuff guys!
Either we take a stand or we are all going to feel a REAL disaster soon. It maybe you one day, your friend, your son or the person next to you that receives a flare driven in their face to explode...& then what!
A disgrace for Espanyol, a disgrace for FC Barcelona, a disgrace for Spanish Football, a disgrace for Catalans, a disgrace for Spaniards, a disgrace for any rational & thinking human being to witness this senseless obedience to concepts that will not solve their life. Sport is to united & not divide, to enjoy & not to cause pain. Its really simple!Tweet
This subject transcends Spanish Football & Sports, it is so important & such a problem that all Sports Blogs should make space & condemn it publically. Unfortunately Racism is still being exhibited throughout Europe, as we see every weekend in the various European Football League matches that take place. It creates false ideas which lead directly to violence – mentally & physically - & attacks directly human dignity.
Here is a video clip from UEFA that attempts to rid Football of Racism. It was originally produced for the Euro 2008 competition, but UEFA is back in campaign again after the terrible Racist Chants in the Croatia – England midweek game.
LET´S ALL WORK TO RID FOOTBALL & SPORTS OF THIS DISEASE.Tweet
Big match tonight for Spanish Football & FC BARCELONA in the 1º leg of the CHAMPIONS LEAGUEsemi-finals against MANCHESTER UNITED. The Barça team has done an add calling all fans to join in & support the club in its endevour to overcome the mighty English club. See Video titled : "Barca vs Manchester - Tots units fem força"
The other spectrum sees how once again the City of Barcelona gets visited by loyal & decent Manchester United fans. However, as in the habitual & sadly repeated experience & case shows, the English apple basket has some rotten pieces that spoil it for the rest. Fans who´s definition of a good time & fun is to get drunk, insult & practice the most primitive type of "stupid" violence possible. Their free street theater performances can be left out of their visit, but they insist in showing us & the world that a single brain cell can still be able to walk. Which if you think about about it, is a scientific miracle. Bad image for their club & for the mayority of decent fans here for a proper, orderly & civic good time.
When will they ever learn! See this VIDEO of a particualr Manchester Utd fan having fun, SFS is almost certain he has´nt a clue if he is in Barcelona , Manchester or in Sydney.
More mindless violence in Spanish Football. The video shows how Sevilla FC "fans" bash & beat an Atletico de Madrid follower in the outskirts of the "Sanchez Pizjuan" Stadium at last Saturday´s game between both clubs.The only reason ( although SFS admits it does not know the full story) is that the victim belongs to the other team. As you can see these animals attacked in a group like dogs & in a cowardly manner without anyone there to lend a hand.
This is a disease & SFS thinks it is embedded in the very fabric of our society. The authorities must begin to take the necessary action along with the actual clubs if this behaviour is to at least be controlled, if not erradicated. We need to avoid at all cost in reaching a situation were you cannot take your kids, your parents , your friends or go yourself, to a Football match because you risk your life. Shocking & shameful images for Sevilla, their normal law abidding followers & citizens & Spanish Football images Internationally.
Its becoming a habit that from Sevilla ( Sevilla FC & Real Betis) most of the big news violent incidents are be generated.Tweet
The Real Betis - Athletic de Bilbao game was suspended last night in the 70th min with Bilbao ahead 1-2 after a sub-life form similiar to a one celled bacteria threw a plastic bottle at Bilbao goalkeeper Armando, as the below VIDEO shows to the World.
Check the fuckwit behind the post aim & throw, luckly the crowd grabbed the piece of shit & security took him away to flush down the toilet.
(NEED TO LOAD WELL VIDEO BEFORE WATCHING)
Heres a picture of the sub life-form so the World can see that they it shuld be banned from sport & thrown rocks at when it leaves his hole.
Putting my grain of sand to help contribute in expanding Spanish Football - Soccer | Sports abroad. An ex-amateur Footballer long ago - alias Striker - is now a fan that has the game embedded in his Football - Soccer Sports heart.
