Whilst they are undoubtedly the best 2 players on the planet, the contrasts between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are seemingly endless, both on and off the pitch. You will struggle to find a Football fan who doesn’t have a favourite, much like the Barcelona v Real Madrid debate.
Over the course of his career, Ronaldo has racked up a list of lovers and haters; the haters hating on his amateur dramatics, sheer smugness and pretty boy image and the lovers loving his pace, trickery, unrivalled and unique free kick taking ability and ridiculously clinical finishing. Whilst I know plenty of Ronaldo haters (me included, perhaps I am biased?), I don’t know many Messi haters, is it me or is he so hard to hate? His down to earth attitude, respect shown towards the referee, industrious work rate and love for the game, not to mention his ability with a Football at his feet will probably see him go down as the best player EVER ahead of his fellow countryman Maradona.
I am admittedly an absolute sucker for slick, passing Football, of which Barcelona are the absolute epitome for me, a 21 year old who never witnessed Brazil in the late 70’s, Gullit and Rijkaard’s Milan and Barca’ under Cruyff, to who perhaps a lot of the Catalan’s recent success is owed to.
Week in, week out I find myself glued to the screen, continually trying to convince myself that what those ‘freaks’ in burgundy and blue are doing is actually humanely possible and that they are not being machine controlled by Guardiola as he strolls around his technical area, probably in awe of his team. The team’s refusal to spray the ball above head height from goal and corner kicks simply serves to highlight the morals practiced (and preached) within La Masia, playing the game in its purest form; after all, if God wanted the ball to be played in the air, he would have built a pitch in the clouds, the late, great Brian Clough once said!
Spanish Football, in particular Barcelona is refreshing to watch especially as I have to watch and witness first hand the attitude of English Football and the people within it, which is quite honestly embarassing. It seems almost a requirement to be 6 feet tall, fast and strong to catch the eye within England, a stark contrast to our Spanish counterparts. The Spanish, spear headed by Barca’ unlike the English are not stubborn and persist in nurturing their often dainty talent, blessed with technical ability into passing the ball almost seemingly to death, paying less attention to physical attributes and more so to a brain trained to pass the ball metronomically.
Whilst more and more professional Footballers become detached from reality, messrs Xavi, Iniesta and Messi conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and heart warming humility. It seems they are the most likeable of characters both on and off the pitch whilst at the same time possessing a winning aura we can only fantasise about having. For me, Xavi and his two dwarfed mates are somewhat the anomaly when judging Footballers in terms of their character and personality in the modern day game, remembering and respecting their roots.
Although many people are opening their eyes and acknowledging just how good these players are, I have tried to look further than ‘just’ their endless Football-ing talent. I have nothing but admiration for their respect for the game, the opportunities they have been given and the way in which they gracefully go about their business, steam roller-ing their way past anything and anyone who dares to stand in their way, as Mourinho and Ferguson have discovered on the biggest of stages.
As Football becomes more and more money driven by the day, it is Barcelona’s ability to relate to ‘normal people’ without a 7 figure bank balance that continues to draw my attention (and praise!).
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