Can the Blaugrana send off Enrique in style?
FC Barcelona will be looking to send off Luis Enrique in style and end the 2016-17 season on a high tomorrow evening when they travel to the Spanish capital to take on Deportivo Alaves in the Copa del Rey final at the Vicente Calderon. In many ways, this has been a testing season for the Blaugrana filled with euphoric highs and disappointing lows. While we can look back fondly on the historic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain and on Lionel Messi’s last minute winner at the Santiago Bernabeu, ultimately all these efforts have been for nothing.
Real Madrid claimed the La Liga title with a convincing win over Malaga last weekend at La Rosaleda, and they might yet win the double next weekend when they contest the UEFA Champions League final against Barcelona’s conquerors, Juventus. For the Catalans, the best that we can hope for from this campaign, silverware-wise, is to lift the Copa del Rey trophy tomorrow evening.
For a club of Barcelona’s stature, some might argue that this simply isn’t good enough. Spoiled by the unprecedented success that the club has achieved in the past decade, Culés have been quick to turn on their team and the management for what they perceive to be an unacceptable turn of events. To a certain extent, there is merit in some of their criticisms.
The board is certainly far from perfect and recent off-the-field events have shrouded the club in controversy once again. However, the link back to the club is tenuous at best. Yes, former President Sandro Rosell has been arrested and held without bail in relation to money laundering charges. It’s also true that some Barcelona fans have been quick to wish for similar charges to be brought against the incumbent President, Josep Maria Bartomeu.
However, to link the two individuals in this case is irresponsible and ignorant; Rosell’s charges relate to alleged misdeeds that took place during his role as founder of Ailanto, a company that was commissioned by the Brazilian Football Federation to sell audio-visual rights for a friendly between the Brazilian national team and Portugal. Bartomeu had no role in the company, yet some of these Barcelona fans have taken to social media to suggest that Bartomeu should be concerned by these developments.
In fact, everything reported in the media or occurring on the field seems to be being blamed on the board in some way or another. For his work in the summer transfer window, Robert Fernandez was lauded with praise in August and September for perhaps assembling the deepest Barcelona squad in history. Now, after a season in which those very same signings have had some teething problems (as is customary for new signings at this club), he is being labelled as the worst Sporting Director in recent memory, and of course, the buck falls on Bartomeu and the board for this one as well.
Then we have the tabloid reports, where quotes are twisted to suit whatever the agenda is for the day – and Culés are falling for it, hook line and sinker. Andres Iniesta recently confirmed that he intended to fulfil his contract at the club when asked about a potential renewal, and once manipulated, it was reported that Iniesta intends to leave the club.
For anyone who is remotely familiar with Iniesta, this was an entirely predictable quote; the club captain has publically stated on numerous occasions that he does not use the media to influence his contract negotiations with the club. After a frustrating season in which he has had to battle with injuries and various niggles that have kept him from playing as regularly as he might be used to, Iniesta is wise not to rush into any impulsive decisions. As a player and as a person, he doesn’t want to sign a long-term deal if he doesn’t believe he will be capable of fulfilling the terms of that deal to the best of his ability.
It goes without saying that this too has been blamed on the current board, as Culés not only fall for the tabloid reports, but go one stage further to assume that Iniesta’s words were influenced by his relationship with the board. At this stage, every little piece of news that emanates out of the club is being twisted to serve an agenda, and for what?
We have reached a stage where the fanbase is so fractured and so toxic that it almost seems like some so-called supporters welcome defeat and relish the latest tabloid report to be spewed from the Marcas and the Sports of the world, just because it gives them a chance to say “I told you so”. For them, the chance of validation and self-gratification is much more thrilling than any remuntada or any trophy could ever be.
Never mind that Gerard Pique, one of the leaders of the locker room, today declared Luis Enrique to be one of the greatest coaches that this club has ever seen – because that doesn’t fit into the absurd narrative that Enrique would be stuck managing Cheltenham if it wasn’t for Lionel Messi. Of course, all those “journalists” with no links to the club, or indeed any real world aspect of football, are far better placed than Pique to assess Enrique’s tenure.
Maybe, just maybe, as on the eve of a cup final the Barcelona supporters continue to argue amongst themselves about the board, the player and the manager, maybe it’s Culés, not the club, who have lost their way.
FORM GUIDE
Barcelona: WWWWWW
Alaves: DWWWWD
LAST MEETING
Alaves 0-6 FC Barcelona – 11th February 2017 – La Liga
A much-changed Alaves side was no match for the firepower of the MSN trident, as Luis Suarez bagged a brace, while Neymar, Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic all grabbed goals of their own in this one-sided affair.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Barcelona (3-4-3): Cillessen; Mascherano, Pique, Umtiti; Rakitic, Busquets, Gomes, Iniesta; Messi, Alcacer, Neymar
Alaves (4-2-3-1): Pacheco; Kiko, Alexis, Feddal, Garcia; Krsticic, Llorente; Camarasa, Manu, Ibai; Santos
MATCH PREDICTION
Sending out Enrique in style; a 3-1 Barcelona win.
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