Most of the articles I post on here try to stay at least vaguely objective: sure I give my opinion a lot, but it tends to be strongly based on external, objective, discrete and less on emotional response. This is not going to follow that trend. This is also likely to make a lot of Madridistas out there hate me. It needs to be said though: I am glad we didn't win on Wednesday. I was so incredibly embarassed by the performance of a certain Portuguese "hardman" that I was reminded of something I said after our loss in the Champion's League against the Catalan scum: "I wouldn't want to win that way" and "that way" perfectly describes Pepe's actions.
I can stomach rough football, where the fouls come in a bit heavy, because that is a tactical decision; you commit those fouls and you give up those free kicks and eventually accumulate those cards... not my favorite strategy, but doesn't make me sick to my stomach. What is revolting is when a player gets his fouling done off the ball, away from the repercussion of the referee's whistle and without tactical merit, just an attempt at causing grief for the opposition. Another part of the game that is not so beautiful is the diving, simulating, and face clutching that follows anything remotely similar to contact. For a player to combine both of these dark arts into one match is truly impressive, in the depressing sort of way.
Apologetic is a term that comes from the Greek meaning to speak in defense of (I promise I knew that without having to Wikipedia it). There has been a lot of apologizing, in this precise sort of sense, for Pepe's actions from some corners of Madrid. Many pundits, from the Catalans to the neutrals to the overtly Madridistas, have come out to condemn Pepe's behavior, but it has not been universal. There has been some question over whether or not there was contact on the fouls he suffered and whether or not his intention was to stomp on Messi's hand, but I think that is all a bit too much. We all know he was flopping it up just like we all can see from the video footage that he carefully and deliberately felt out Messi's with his first leg before stamping down with his trailing foot. What few want to talk about is the fact that Barcelona brought this upon themselves.
This is the Barcelona team that conducted one of the most impressive mental battles in football history just last season when they systematically acted in bad faith to get the referee to guarantee a win. They opened the game foul hard and fast, before sitting back and soaking up fouls milking every one dry including the infamously incorrect sending off of Pepe for the phantom boot on Alves. I don't buy that it was a conspiracy where the officials were bought ahead of the match, but it isn't too difficult to identify the manipulation that the Barca squad pulled off. As frustrating as it was for the fans to see our team cheated out of a Champion's League Final, it must be worse for the players. Pepe would naturally be upset seeing the faux injuries that players like Busquets were milking and the cheap shots that players like Messi (yes, earlier in the match Messi took a clear cheap shot at Coentrao after the whistle had blown... but that tends to be ignored) were setting the tone with. So the big defender decided two can play at that game.
That is precisely the problem though, while I can type this whole long thing in defense of Pepe, at the end of the day I don't want to defend this sort of behavior. I want my players to be better than that. I want them to fight every minute of every match, and make no mistake I want them to win every match as well, but not at the cost of our soul. Yes I know the Ultras would like you to believe that Juanito is the soul of this team, but with all due respect to the Madrid legend, we have more class than stepping on the face of opponents lying on the pitch. This club is never going to be the epitome of class with Mourinho bossing it and Florentino Pérez MCing it all, but this was beyond the pale. If we can't win with honor, then why follow the team at all? If winning is all that it is about then just pick the winner and support them post-hoc? Me- I will be cheering for Madrid again as we face another fierce rival of ours, Athletic Bilbao, tonight. It is safe to say that my desire not to win was a one off. ¡Hala Madrid!
I was irate during the whole match watching us sit back, defend and uselessly kick the ball up field. This team can do more than that. I'm really disappointed in Mourinho. A Madridista can't win that way, its humiliating.
Pepe loses his head in the heat of the match, but off the pitch he is one of the frendliest guys. Even the great Zidane used to lose his cool, the famous headbutt to finish his career was the best remembered instance.
People need to stop 'casting stones' at Pepe like we're all perfect and could fight through a tough match and never lose our cool. As you mentioned, the foul play comes out on both ends, Pepe isn't the only 'thug' on the pitch.
I don't condone ugly behaviors, but the reaction of some Barça players is also very hypocritical. Do I need to dig up footage from last season?
Pepe is paying a hard price for what he did I think. He's going to be punished (that's what I make of Butragueño's statement last night, as neutral as it sounded), he's being called names all over the planet (my friend in France, who doesn't know much about Spanish football, was able to tell me the name of the incriminated player and what he had done!), and as everybody saw the images, I guess he'll be under closer scrutiny in the upcoming matches.
Well said about being a supporter post-hoc. The times where a team most needs support is when they're going through a rough patch so... let's do that.
