Barcelona

[gkmacca]

If Liverpool did it, it would be cheeky, funny & brilliant. If anyone else did it, its disrespectful and cnuty (c)JJ.
End of story

No, if Liverpool did it, it would be just as naff. We're not all relativists, thank you very much.

 

[manwithnoname]

If you can't separate all that stuff from the football being played, fine. I feel the same about a lot of other clubs. I respect that there is a lot of material you can use to fuel a dislike of Barca - the more than just a club charade, refusing to better their league by sharing out TV cash, player tax evasion, tapping up, Busquets etc.

I'm not oblivious to it but the football, to me, is that worthwhile and given that they're in a different league (in which Real are far worse), it's all good.

As for the pen and it being disrespectful and all that shit, where do you draw the line? Is Henderson doing a rabona when a few goals to the good being disrespectful? Teams usually breaking out the tricks and flicks when they are well ahead? Should you keep on scoring as it adds to the humiliation of an opponent or is it ok as long as you do it head bowed and solemnly? Playing a B team? Subbing your better players off?

The furore around this pen is absurd and very very selective and Id argue the same if anyone did it.

I agree entirely with the last bit. I couldn't care less. As for where you draw the line, I suppose that's entirely up to the individual, although I suspect for most it would be somewhere between your 'bowing solemnly' and the aforementioned 'stopping the ball on the line, kneeling down, and heading it in'

That's the beauty of football, really. Personally, while I do appreciate the aesthetics and spectacle, I much prefer winning, so that's where my line is closer to. I don't think of football as entertainment really. It's a sport first.

 

[Best Believe It]

I find it difficult to get worked up about because it seems just symptomatic of La Liga in general; the whole thing is set up to perpetuate the success of Barcelona and Real Madrid, which makes Altetico's success all the more impressive. As impressive as their players undoubtedly are, the only time I ever give a shit about watching Barcelona play is either when they one of the Madrid teams or reach the knock out phase of the European Cup. The rest of the time they're playing someone phenomenally less resourced than they are and it's all a bit of a farce.

In saying that, I'm not sure if there are any major leagues that aren't set up to perpetuate the wealth of certain clubs to the detriment of others. In fact that's pretty much how society works isn't it? #lizards.