The Spanish Federation has amnestied Jose Mourinho, and Barca fans are up in arms- well, all it seems, with the exception of Joan Laporta. The former Barca president said the federation chief Angel Maria Villar used his prerogative as newly re-elected president of the Federation to act on the side of generosity.
One can only presume that Laporta speaks as he does because he suffers from selective memory failure. The Federation it was that eventually turned a conciliatory blind eye to Barca when the club was sanctioned, then forgiven, for allowing a pig’s head to be thrown at Figo as he took a corner kick for Real Madrid at the Camp Nou some years back-not the gesture of a club that claims to be democratic.
The incident of the pig’s head is on a rather small in scale, nevertheless than Mourinho’s assault on Tito Vilanova,(the kind of incident that would have been severely sanctioned in Rugby Union Football) and the general psychological warfare he provoked at the highest level of Spanish football. I am referring not just to setting out to fuel the historic rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, but to turn this into an ugly brawl on and off the pitch.
Mourinho , a Portuguese national, believes that causing controversy and taking responsibility for it motivates his players, and turns them into winners. Under him, Real Madrid have regained their status as one of the strongest and most successful teams in Europe. But his actions two seasons ago came close to undermining the unity and team spirit that Vicente del Bosque had patiently develop.
Repeat performances by Mourinho of his role as agent provocateur can be expected in the upcoming season- but the Federation will lose all credibility if it turns a blind eye.
Mourinho stays in Madrid because he knows he wouldn’t get away with this at any other team in Spain, or in another country.
Jimmy, lets recall the facts around the Figo “pig’s head” incident, as again you don’t report all the facts and see it just from the Cule perspective.
Barcelona were banned from using Nou Camp for 2 league games, not because a pigs head was thrown on the pitch.
They were banned for the violent and outrageous behaviour of the majority of fans who tried to stop Figo taking corners by throwing coins, stones, sticks, whisky bottles (JB), etc, onto the pitch. The pig’s head was just an iconic symbol (which is now proudly on display in the Barcelona Football Museum – one has to ask why the Cule’s want to glorify the deplorable incident). So much garbage was thrown onto the pitch, Figo was eventually unable to take corners, and the game was stopped on various occasions.
To refresh your memory of this outrageous game in 2002, then look at the footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWJZcPSJyIs
Barcelona were given an amnesty. I wouldn’t describe this incident as small scale when 10s of 1.000’s fans made the game impossible to be played as Madrid and Del Bosque wanted it, that is, for Figo to take the corners.
A handbag incident where fists were flying all over the place form both sides in the dugouts… well that I call minor in comparison to the unsporting and violent behaviour of so many Cules.
Then one also has to ask why do these violent clashes just happen at Nou Camp and not at the Bernabeau? Who has the more tolerant, peaceful and sportsmanlike fans?……….