Tonight’s The Night!
Destiny calls for Barça and I have a real feeling it will be a classic. Hopefully we will win but if not then I don’t mind so much if it’s Arsenal. As opposed to, say, Chelsea.
I love these occasions - unbelievably (but this is just my own opinion) they bring people a little closer to reality. Walking round the city today there is a buzz of ‘realness’ - as opposed to the usual sleep - and people are friendlier, chattier, more open. It really is an incredible feeling around town today. If we win there won’t be much sleep tonight - we are on a main street and the cars hooting horns and fireworks go on all evening. Can’t wait!
Attentive readers may wonder why I occasionally divert into football mania rather than more ‘weighty’ topics and the answer is simple: Barcelona are the Zen masters of the football world. Watching them can verge on a mystical experience imo. It really is the beautiful game played the way it should be - as opposed to, say, Chelsea, which would stand in this metaphor for ‘the world’ which opposes the ‘magical realm’.
And this metaphor does not just hold good on the field: Ronaldhino is perhaps the most humble player I have seen (and one of the best), he is never arrogant in celebration or in interviews. Recently a Brazilian newspaper wanted to do an article and photo on the ‘Barcelona Brazilians’ but he refused saying that there ‘are no Brazilians - we are a team’. Amazing for a footballer I think.
I’ll leave the last word to Frank Rijkaard:
“Everything starts with being humble and we know we have to go for them from the first minute. All I want is that my players show how they can play, nothing more.”
Tonight’s The Night!
Destiny calls for Barça and I have a real feeling it will be a classic. Hopefully we will win but if not then I don’t mind so much if it’s Arsenal. As opposed to, say, Chelsea.
I love these occasions - unbelievably (but this is just my own opinion) they bring people a little closer to reality. Walking round the city today there is a buzz of ‘realness’ - as opposed to the usual sleep - and people are friendlier, chattier, more open. It really is an incredible feeling around town today. If we win there won’t be much sleep tonight - we are on a main street and the cars hooting horns and fireworks go on all evening. Can’t wait!
Attentive readers may wonder why I occasionally divert into football mania rather than more ‘weighty’ topics and the answer is simple: Barcelona are the Zen masters of the football world. Watching them can verge on a mystical experience imo. It really is the beautiful game played the way it should be - as opposed to, say, Chelsea, which would stand in this metaphor for ‘the world’ which opposes the ‘magical realm’.
And this metaphor does not just hold good on the field: Ronaldhino is perhaps the most humble player I have seen (and one of the best), he is never arrogant in celebration or in interviews. Recently a Brazilian newspaper wanted to do an article and photo on the ‘Barcelona Brazilians’ but he refused saying that there ‘are no Brazilians - we are a team’. Amazing for a footballer I think.
I’ll leave the last word to Frank Rijkaard:
“Everything starts with being humble and we know we have to go for them from the first minute. All I want is that my players show how they can play, nothing more.”