It was the poet Antonio Machado who many years ago, meditating on the events surrounding the Spanish Civil War, talked of the propensity of Spaniards to fight each other in word and deed. It was his country’s tragedy-this lack of a common narrative, of mutual respect- what he called the ‘two Spains’.
I’ve been between Barcelona and Madrid in recent days, following the rivalry between the country’s two biggest clubs descend to one of its most aggressive and abusive periods in its history. In part both sides share some of the blame with the rough play of some Madrid players finding its nemesis in the theatrical diving of Barca players, and all against the backdrop of biased reporting in the media and potentially libellous allegations via the internet.
I have already argued in previous blogs that in the general fray, one person stands out as the main agent provocateur in Spanish football, happy to put his own ego before the fans or the players, and to make of his own reputation a matter, almost of life and death. His name is Jose Mourinho.
Almost single-handedly Mourinho’s verbal and physical provocations, from press conferences through to tactics in the field, have succeeded in turning a noble contest into a ring-side brawl, where the game itself has suffered.
Amidst such gloom, it was a joy and a privilege to catch up recently with Vicente del Bosque, one of the true nobles of the game, and one of the few Spaniards to deserve the title of Marques. It was del Bosque who last year put together a team of players from different clubs and turned them into a cohesive unit of ‘one for all and all for one’.
I have no doubt that if anyone is going to be able to pick up the debris laid about by Mourinho it is going to be del Bosque – a man who puts the game, and the beauty of it, above personal ambition and intolerance. Despite his success at winning the World Cup, and his own popularity, he remains one of the most modest and self-effacing public figures I have ever met. He is a quiet, profoundly human thinker and listener from Salamanca who believes in dialogue, just like the great philosopher Unamuno. This is the man-let us not forget- who managed to have Casillas and Valdes happily co-existing in the same national squad, along with Pique and Ramos and the two Xavis, and who beat the Germans and the Dutch, neither of whom had ever had any respect for a Spanish national team.
If Spanish football pulls through its current Civil War it will be thanks to the respect Don Vicente has deservedly earned from players across the country, and fans, regardless of club loyalty , political manipulation, or the restless, damaging ploys of Mourinho.
Neither Franco started the Civil War, nor Mourinhou the latest battle between Madrid & Barcelona. The “war” started long ago, and recently much of it made worse by fascist Catalan nationalistic ideology. The fanaticism of the Catalans, from throwing pig heads at Figo, to Laporta’s absurd inflamatory statements, to Guardiola calling the Real manager a “puta”, make a Morinhou’s actions seem quite irrelevant. The latest battle is just another in a long series of confrontations, which, lets face it , makes the whole series of games far more interesting and absorbing. Football is about two teams cmpeting against each other and some times it is not pretty. I loved the present 4 game series. How boring if there had been no aggression or hightened competition. The world is run on dualities and here we have a classic example of it. Don’t try and make this one bland or boring. So long live the rivalry between Real Madrid & Barcelona!