Football Update: The El Clasico- A Real Clash of the Titans, Barcelona vs. Real Madrid
The El Clasico, the match between two of the best sides in Europe, i.e. Barcelona and Real Madrid, is really a worth-watching affair. It is not a match between two archrivals; the El Clasico represents a battle between two ideologies of Spain. Therefore, the passion of the players and the fans is different than an ordinary match, which makes it a war rather than a friendly affair.
The atmosphere surrounding the El Clasico is different than any other match played in Europe. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have a lot of players that share a common nationality and play for the same national side, but once the match starts no one seems to remember their roots. Before the match on Monday, the players hugged each other before entering the ground, giving a friendly gesture to their international teammates. But, once the whistle blew, all these friendly gestures are quickly forgotten and a war-like situation erupts.
On Monday, the players clashed on the field on a number of occasions, which made it hard for the referee to officiate. In the whole course of ninety minutes, there were a number of incidents that went against the spirit of football. The first one involved none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, the player who is known for losing his poise and dignity under immense pressure. As Barcelona took a two goal lead, Cristiano Ronaldo had failed to impress in Madrid’s attack. Out of frustration, Ronaldo pushed the Barcelona manager, Pep Guardiola, who was holding the ball on Madrid’s throw-in.
This incident turned problematic when the Catalans gathered in support of their manager. Their goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, came rushing to give Ronaldo a piece of his mind. The match officials took their time in returning things to normality, while showing a yellow card to Ronaldo and Valdes, in the end.
There were a lot of other incidents that involved Barcelona and Madrid players. Lionel Messi was hit on the face by Ricardo Carvalho, but referee showed a yellow card to the young Argentinean for over-reacting on a minor blow. Nevertheless, the decision could have gone the either way as Carvalho had the intent to hurt the youngster. Also, towards the end of the match, Madrid players made unnecessary challenges and pushed the Barcelona players for no apparent reasons. Referee overlooked a lot of such incidents, which could have resulted in some red cards to Madrid players.
On the night, the gravity of the situation can be established from the fact that seven yellow cards were shown to Real Madrid players, while five were given to the Catalans. There were a lot of fouls committed from both sides, but the penalty shouts were only a few. Cristiano Ronaldo had a penalty shout but he was denied by the referee, although it looked like a close decision. Therefore, it can be said that both sides took calculated risks, which would not have a big impact on the outcome of the match.
However, towards the end, when all the frustration piled up, things became uglier and more hideous. Sergio Ramos, who had already been cautioned by the referee, committed a foul on Messi. It was a very strong challenge which could easily have resulted in an injury to the youngster. Therefore, all the Barcelona players rushed to the scene to face Sergio Ramos, who was waiting for his second yellow card. However, instead of accepting the punishment with dignity, Ramos pushed his Spanish teammate, Carlos Puyol, in the face. Due to this behaviour, the full-back was shown a straight red card. But, this incident did not end, as Ramos pushed another Spanish teammate, Xavi, who was sitting on the bench after being substituted. In the end, the raging Spanish bull was guided towards the dressing room by match officials and players. Right now, Ramos is looking towards a ban that could easily go beyond three matches.
Nevertheless, all these incidents made the match more interesting and the victory for Barcelona became sweeter. Madrid came out of the match not only as a weaker side but also as an unprofessional side, which failed to swallow a deserving defeat on the day. Jose Mourinho must look into the incidents that happened on the day and must punish the people responsible for unnecessary altercations.
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