Visca Barça 1.1

Visca Barça is a weekly column here at Forza Futbol where we tap into what´s happening at FC Barcelona, the player´s of the week, the quotes of the week and most importantly the week´s top stories.

If there is a story at all this week at Can Barca, it´s the matter of Leo´s ankle. After almost single-handedly sinking the immediate title aspirations of a very inspired Atlético Madrid playing at the Vicente Calderon where, whether for it´s riverside atmosphere, its dilapidated infrastructure or for the general crankiness of its fanatical support, FC Barcelona have done poorly. In frustration then, for another Sonic the Hedgehog like run through a tired and cranky Atléti defense, Tomas Ujfalusi decided to take it upon himself to stop the madness and stomp on Leo´s 100+ million euro ankle. The ankle turned, an audible pop was heard, or rather more likely it was my brain filling in the sound effect, and Messi went sprawling on the carpet like a biker thrown off his Harley.

The presenter thought nothing much of it, the game kept on after the little man was stretchered off and the scoreline stood at 2-1 for the visitors. Everyone feared the worst. Initial reports were that they were not ruling out a fracture. Radio Marca in Madrid were almost reveling in the good fortune for Real Madrid of a Messi-less Barca for a significant portion of the season. Calmer heads prevailed and the mood lightened when it was ruled a sprain, a serious one with some ligament damage, but one that he could rehab and be back within the fortnight. He might even be back before Ujfalusi who was given an two-match ban for his efforts.

What the injury highlighted really, for me, was how truly awful Spanish refs are, and yes they are horrid for both the high and mighty and the weak and defenseless. Talk about the Villarato all you want, that incessant need to blame the lack of success for Real Madrid on the fact that a Barcelona fan (Angel Maria Villar Llona) led the refereeing association for years, but the fault isn´t with bias: it´s incompetence that runs rampant. They hide a lack of real authority by pompously strutting around waving their books, showing their flags, and ignoring the single-most important factor in controlling matches which is communication with players. I thought the worst was over when Luis Medina Cantalejo retired, but it has gotten much, much worse.

People talk about the leniency of Premiership referees, but I would almost trade their rather lenient handling of matches to the ¨chicken-without-a-head¨ manner that Spanish referees call them. If I see another match where 10 different players huddle around a ref trying to plead for or against a sending off, I will throw my very expensive indoor footie boots through the television. Then see where that gets me writing about this stuff.