Good chemistry in today’s Guardian newspaper between Sid Lowe one of the doyenes of Spanish football reporting, and Dani Alves, one of the most entertaining and talented players of La Liga .
With the British media- including the Guardian’s own new story-focusing on Chelsea’s desire for revenge over the alleged injustice of that Iniesta goal at Stamford Bridge three years ago, the Alves interview provides some refreshing reminders of what football should be about.
As Alves points out, that Iniesta goal, far from representing an enduring injustice, should be seen in the more generous context of FC Barcelona’s transformation under Pep Guardiola into one of the great teams of all time. It marked the beginning of a period of unprecedented tournament success for the club during which Barca’s popuilarity around the world increased because of the way they played.
Alves a player whose numerous assists have helped Messi scored many of his goals for the club, genuinely enjoys the game and believes that a good team has a duty to entertain as well as win. Grudges are held by bad players, and worse losers.
When a team is denied 4 clear penalties, by a ref under obvious & clear instructions from above to avoid a repeat Champions final between 2 Premier league teams, then yes, you feel cheated, as Chelsea were, and as reported by all sensible media, save the fanatical & biased Catalan press.
Its good Alvez brings this up. Tension is never favoured by the cules as witnessed before all the Madrid games – thanks Dani! Barça will be bullied and punished, both off & on the pitch, to make tomorrow a memorable Battle of Stamford Bridge.
It will be sweet revenge, as we play Barça off the pitch with added zeal from the 5-1 thrashing of Spurs, and amend the injustices of the last time these 2 teams met.
KEEP THE BLUE FLAG FLYING HIGH!!!!!
Well said Captain Terry!
Salute To Pep Guardiola but Barca look vulnerable and Chelsea are still smarting from almighty injustices- Daddy Drog is back, Fernando is looking good and Ramirez lethal. Small matter of el classico as a middle course- The mighty Barca will succumb- what goes around comes around!
Slightly skewed comment as there was no injustice about ‘that’ Iniesta goal !! the ref was the injustice. I’m sure Barca would have felt the same grudges had the ref made those decisions on behalf of Barcelona – not 1 but 4 penalty decisions being totally ignored by Ovrebo.
Come on the Blues
And of course chaps, your second ‘goal’ on Sunday was completely legitimate wasn’t it !!
Football is rife with refeering mistakes. I agree that one or two penalty decisions in 2009 (the Pique one especially) were absolute stonewallers, but they were not given.
I’m sure, given time, I could find half a dozen similar decisions that have gone in your favour in games.
Don’t forget that we had Abidal sent off in that game and you certainly had your chances to go on and win it. This would’ve made all the ‘conspiracy theories’ irrelevant.
I think that you will find that if Chelsea go through after playing us off the park that no cule will offer anything other than a firm hand and a well done.
I hope personally that football is the winner and that the 2 legs are fantastic spectacles of football, rather than the war of attrition that I expect from Chelsea – to me, that will spoil the game.
In any event Blues fans, may the best team win !
Well, nice to see delusion is back in fashion on the Kings Road…. Is this the Mighty Chelsea that will not qualify for the champions league next season…? The same mighty Chelsea who will be applying the route one approach… Hey Diddle Diddle straight up the middle…. I here they are going to be playing some of the Chelsea Pensioners who used to serve in artillery in place of a midfield as they plan to fire that many long balls forward….!! And… If you want to talk about injustices…. well.. We could moan about the semi final against Inter the following season… but hey, we don’t! we just go and win the trophy again the following season.. Simples… 😉 But when it is all said and done, who knows what will happen.. That is what makes is so bloody exciting…
Well, nice to see delusion is back in fashion on the Kings Road…. Is this the Mighty Chelsea that will not qualify for the champions league next season…? The same mighty Chelsea who will be applying the route one approach… Hey Diddle Diddle straight up the middle…. I here they are going to be playing some of the Chelsea Pensioners who used to serve in artillery in place of a midfield as they plan to fire that many long balls forward….!! And… If you want to talk about injustices…. well.. We could moan about the semi final against Inter the following season… but hey, we don’t! we just go and win the trophy again the following season.. Simples… 😉 But when it is all said and done, who knows what will happen.. That is what makes is so bloody exciting…
Well, nice to see delusion is back in fashion on the Kings Road…. Is this the Mighty Chelsea that will not qualify for the champions league next season…? The same mighty Chelsea who will be applying the route one approach… Hey Diddle Diddle straight up the middle…. I here they are going to be playing some of the Chelsea Pensioners who used to serve in artillery in place of a midfield as they plan to fire that many long balls forward….!! And… If you want to talk about injustices…. well.. We could moan about the semi final against Inter the following season… but hey, we don’t! we just go and win the trophy again the following season.. Simples… 😉 But when it is all said and done, who knows what will happen.. That is what makes is so bloody exciting…
Well, nice to see delusion is back in fashion on the Kings Road…. Is this the Mighty Chelsea that will not qualify for the champions league next season…? The same mighty Chelsea who will be applying the route one approach… Hey Diddle Diddle straight up the middle…. I here they are going to be playing some of the Chelsea Pensioners who used to serve in artillery in place of a midfield as they plan to fire that many long balls forward….!! And… If you want to talk about injustices…. well.. We could moan about the semi final against Inter the following season… but hey, we don’t! we just go and win the trophy again the following season.. Simples… 😉 But when it is all said and done, who knows what will happen.. That is what makes is so bloody exciting…
It’s 4 penalties now is it? Every time Chelsea fans harp on about that game they seem to select a number between 3 and 6 at random. Chelsea were denied one clear penalty, the Pique handball, but the other shouts ranged from the optimistic to the downright laughable I.e when the ball hit Etoo’s elbow as he turned his back in injury time. There’s also the selective memory phenomenon kicking in which erases from the Blues fans’ consciousness Abidal’s sending off when Anelka tripped himself up as well as the clear penalty Barça were denied in the 1st leg. Any well thought out conspiracy such as the one cooked up by Captain Terry would see Barça have the tie sealed in the first leg where the referee could have taken far sterner action against OTT challenges from Chelsea players. That didn’t happen because there’s no conspiracy, just a startled Norwegian ref overcome by the occasion and a Chelsea team that failed to seize the initiative when a goal and a man up. The revisionism from CFC is just an easy excuse to mask their own failures
I think that Alves did a mistake saying that just before tomorrow’s match. However, he has a point. FCB was down to 10 men and they keep pushing and going for the goal whereas Chelsea was trying to defend the goal.
On the ref, I just saw 2 penalties (the 2 handballs). Abidal’s sent off was also a mistake. And to say that UEFA deliberatively helped Barcelona is quite ‘mourinhian’ (if Madrid wins tonight, tomorrow they will help Chelsea?). In the Champions League, sometimes you have all the luck in favour, sometimes not. Remember Carlvalho’s fault on Valdés on that amazing 4-2 in Stamford Bridge.
I hope tomorrow we do not see a speculative game.
For gods sake bore off!
I find it hard to swallow that after this weekend you’ve got the cheek to bring up refereeing injustices….
I could go on at length about some of the luck you’ve had. Are you honna hand back the stolen points to Wigan btw?
Try to be a bit more Pep and a little less Jose in defeat next time eh?
Love it – Jimmy’s rounded up the big guns to blow the Blue insurgents out!!!
Tonight will have all the ingredients, for sure:
– Busquets, Cesc, Alves & company cheating & reeling on the floor to get Blue players sent off
– Referee obliging Platini in every way to ensure the Spanish team get to Munich
– Barça FC boring the world with 70%+ possession and killing off the beautiful game as a spectacle…
Well it least we will make a contest of it, the underdogs from West London, and Barça FC, sorry, EUFA FC, will then, thanks to an official helping hand, meet Bayern in the finals – remember Platini doesn’t want an all Spanish final!!!
Sid Lowe and Dani Alves brought up the injustice !! read the article !!!!Baraca up to its old tricks again.
Yes, I agree with BLUES WILL WIN!
First its Alves/Lowe, starting the fire, then quickly fanned into a fully blown firestorm by Jimmy, saying we are bad loosers!!! We are innocent.
All we are saying is, give truth a chance!
EUFA fixed the last game, and we want redemption.
Focus on tonights game and just get over the injustice of the 3 years ago – we have.
Underdogs without Liuz, Terry has broken ribs and Cahill carrying an injury after the epic semi final played 72 hours ago.
If EUFA FC dont win tonight, the ‘greatest team on earth’ will have to go back to its Qatari pay masters with a begging bowl and change of slogan
COME ON THE UNDERDOGS
The Cule boys are running scared. Spare us the holier than thou mist. Football is about rivalry and competition. The fact of the matter is Chelsea is the one team Barca hate to play. We played Barca off the park and the referee stole the game-not Barca the referee. Of course Barca can’t be held responsible for that and they got the rub of the green (there that’s generously dispensing with the conspiracy theory). HOWEVER don’t be so naive as to think that isnt in the mind of every Chelsea Player who played in that match and every Chelsea fan and tonight the electric atmosphere will be super-charged by that memory.
The so called Chelsea Pensioners have had Barca on the ropes more than once and they/we believe we can do it again duly assisted by the young apprentices Ramirez and Mata. Chelsea love playing Barca- we are the underdogs by a mile but be sure of a warm reception tonight because trust me we are determined to rain on the Barca ‘inauguration’ parade!
PS Met Office weather forecast for Stamford Bridge tonight: “HEAVY RAIN”!
Ideal result Chelsea win by 4 controversial penalties all scored by Torres (Chuckle)
My head tells me not to hope for too much but my heart still desires a two leg victory over arguably the best footballing time in the professional era or do we now need to add the mega rich one too. This excellent Barc squad should sweep away the Blues tonight but there’s always a little bit of luck in football & maybe wet & blustery conditions will be that little piece of luck. As Di Matteo diplomatically put it, two perfect games are required. Time will tell & may the best team win.
BTW regarding cameras & sports, how is it that the question of technology never focuses on rigging the officials. I recall that when the wired Tony Adams Arsenal the flow of obscenities proved problematic but surely there’s enough undercover tech to deal with the huff & puff of the odd fast referee?!! If you’re going tongonfor goalie cameras why not stick a pinhole camera on the referee?!!
Chelsea’s three defeats to UEFA FC in the 10 encounters since 2000 have all been after Chelsea had someone sent off. Says it all !!!
Totally agree BLUES WILL WIN!
How can Chelsea possibly beat EUFA FC if the ref either sends Blue players off, eliminates Blue players by using the yellow card or fails to award clear penalties…..
We will see tonight if Platini is forced to play his hand, or waits till the return leg. Either way, its hard to see us win with the Ruling Body backing the Spanish club….
……….waiting for “the Day After Blog”!!!!…..
🙂
Cules very quiet today, don’t despair its only half time ……..