The saddest thing about football today is that there are players and managers like those from FC Barcelona (as well as all those privileged rich boys from all other great clubs). Because they do not appreciate the playful and irrelevant beauty of football.
Yesterday football fans were gifted with a fantastic semifinal match in the Champions League between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. 4-3 after extra time, a match full of drama, tactical finesse, technique, great goals, great saves, mistakes and controversy. All the ingredients that have made football great over so many years. A home side going ahead 2-0, then FC Barcelona leading 2-3 and some fantastic saves by an incredible veteran Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer that kept the Italians in the match, and then a dramatic last minute equalizer and a victory goal by Davide Fratessi and dramatic last-ditch attacks by Barcelona.
The match could have gone to either side because both sides were great: if Yann Sommer had not made two fantastic saves against Lamine Yamal, it would have ended differently. If Gerard Martin had not fumbled in defense against Francesco Acerbi, Inter would never have equalised in the last second. If Dani Olmo had not lost the ball, Lautaro Martinez would never have scored the opening goal. If Robert Lewandowski had not missed an open header in the dying minutes of extra time, the match would have gone into penalty kicks.
So much could have happened.
That is football.
Yet, Barcelona's players, manager and leadership are a bunch of sore losers entitled millionaires who have never faced a real challenge in life. Instead of recognising a great match, they just blame the referee. Believe me, if they had won, we would not have heard a word... But they are small people in a world where too many people never takes responsibility, never face defeat with dignity and recognition of others' efforts....
Sad sad sad, and although I would have been very happy to see Barcelona in the final, because they are a great side, I can only be delighted not to see them there when they behave like that.
I have no expectations that an Inter Milan side are any different, so that said I will support Paris St. Germain in the final, because of their manager Luis Enrique (a former Barcelona player). I know that he has gone through very difficult things in his life, and that he knows football is just that: football, important but irrelevant, and that there is always space to better yourself rather than blame others.
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