Monthly Archives: January 2013
Of Gladiators, a French boy, and Mourinho
If the last days of the Roman Empire were with us once again, the people would have no need of prized gladiators-they would have Real Madrid and FC Barcelona players instead. Increasingly the encounters between the two teams have both a tension and brilliance about them that easily surpasses any other encounter on La Liga, and reaches levels of collective and individual skill hard to find in any other league, or indeed sport. The excitement was there from the opening minutes as Ronaldo led a series of devastating charges …
Valdes, Iker Casillas, & the politics of Spain
Valdes, Casillas, and the politics of Spain Victor Valdes’ irrevocable announcement that he does not intend to renew his contract with FC Barcelona prompts me to suggest a possible solution to the antagonisms between Catalunya and Madrid- have Iker Casillas replace him. The Real Madrid goalkeeper is at loggerheads with Mourinho, but enjoys good and enduring friendships with other players in La Roja , among whom are some Barca players. The presence of Iker in Barca would bring perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world – better than Valdes without …
Casillas y el Barca
Casillas y el Barca La anunciada salida de Víctor Valdés del Barca me sugiere una idea genial para solucionar los antagonismos entre Madrid y Catalunya – que le sustituya Iker Casillas. El portero del Real Madrid se lleva mal con Mourinho pero tiene buenas y duraderas amistades con los jugadores de La Roja, entre ellos los que son del Barca. La presencia de Iker en el Barca traería tal vez el mejor portero del mundo – mejor que Valdés sin duda-a la ciudad que ya presume de no solo tener …
Pep’s wise choice
Pep Guardiola’s wise choice Well who would have thought it? Less than twenty-four hours after Pep Guardiola was quoted in England as saying that he hugely respected the Premier League, setting off a fresh wave of speculation about whether it might be Chelsea or Man City , it turns out it was all a bit of a red herring , if not a more calculating diversionary tactic designed to gain contractual time. Now that we know he has chosen Bayern Munich, it seems it is one of those decisions that …
Robert Kee (5th October 1919- Jan 11th 2013)
Remembering Robert Kee: 1919-2013 I owe a personal tribute to Robert Kee, the writer and broadcaster, who has died aged 93. It was Robert who gave me my first real break in journalism and taught me much about what I came to admire about the profession. The year was 1977. Robert was planning a documentary for the excellent Yorkshire TV on Spain after Franco. Born in Madrid, and bilingual in English and Spanish, I had been juggling with Marxism , Spain and Latin America as a student , and …
