[Sport] Barcelona, ​​​​against the ghosts of the past

[#Wittels-]

The categorical defeat in the Champions League final against Lyon once again puts the magnifying glass on the physical handicap of the azulgrana

Alexia Putellas, on the Juventus Stadium pitch, after Barcelona's defeat against Lyon.

 

At Juventus Stadium, Olympique de Lyon not only stole the European crown from Barcelona, but also awakened the ghosts of the past. Other times, distant and not so distant, in which the French were what they also turned out to be in the house of the Vecchia Signora: physically uncontrollable for the azulgrana. In 2012, the first time they met in a friendly, an amateur Barça collided with the reality of professionalism (3-0). "We saw them go by like planes," confessed Melanie Serrano. Seven years later, an already professional Barça felt amateurish in their first Champions League final against Lyon. “We went over the top. They won all the disputes and all the clashes”, the four captains confessed to the then coach, Lluís Cortés, at the meeting at the Budapest airport, which had been pointed out as the turning point for Barça.

 

This Saturday, the French once again dwarfed the azulgrana. The difference is that Barça had arrived in Italy with the certainty that the cup would return to Barcelona. And, although the long faces of the Barça players at the airport in the Hungarian capital in 2019 were not very different from those of this Sunday morning at the Turin airport, the sensations were different. There were, of course, those who hid their emotions, like the foreigners Martens and Engel; those who were able to pose smiling in the photos with the fans, like Mapi León; and those who could still read defeat in their eyes, like Jennifer Hermoso. "I have not been able to sleep all night," revealed the 10, replaced at halftime. All, in any case, coincided in a reflection: “Rage”.

 

To the rage of Turin, similar to that of Budapest, was added, according to the protagonists, a psychological bonus impossible to measure: guilt. “We all have to analyze what we have done wrong. They are bigger, they are stronger and they are more powerful. How many players do we have with physical size? Rolf? Well, at Lyon they are all like Fridolina”, analyzed a source from the coaching staff. And he added: "To be able to compete against these Lyon players you have to be very fast, physically and mentally." Aitana Bonmatí, the flag of cruyffismo, emulated Guardiola on the Juve pitch. He looked at the camera and proudly showed the silver medal. Later, he posted on Twitter: "You have to do self-criticism and continue on this path." Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez stated: “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. We have to work more." Alexia Putellas did not apologize for the defeat and sought an explanation. “As much as we train and try hard, we need this competitive pace. And it is not what we experience day after day in the national championships”, reflected the captain.

 

Barcelona have won all 30 games they have played in the Spanish league (with an average of 5.2 goals per game), Lyon have won 19 of the 20 games they have played in their domestic competition (3.7). “I think Alexia is right. We knew that we could make a difference physically. They are technical, they handled the ball spectacularly, but their weakness is counterattacks. They have grown a lot, but French football is more intense in that sense. We have PSG that makes us a counterweight, "explained Tiane Endler. The growth of Barcelona, to which the Lyon goalkeeper refers, began in 2006 with Xavi Llorens on the bench -he restructured a section on the verge of disappearance-, was perfected with the professionalization in 2016 and intensified from the Budapest Final. "We realized where the minimum level was to be European champions and we got to work," said Alexia.

 

The change in Barcelona's preparation resulted in a historic treble last season. Lyon, meanwhile, was in the doldrums. Without Hegerberg (injured), with a covid outbreak that affected them in the Champions League and with a coach who did not connect with the squad (Jean-Luc Vasseur), Olympique was left with nothing in the 2020-2021 campaign. And they would want revenge. At Barça they knew it and with Giráldez at the helm (he replaced Lluís Cortés), they raised the pressure in training. "If you don't find the competition in the league, you have to generate it in training," he stresses in the coaching staff. Giráldez, they explain at the Ciudad Deportiva, is a fundamentalist when it comes to competition. “When she got into the little games with us, we wanted to beat each other to the death,” says a Barça player.

 

The daily requirement produced a consequence: 21 of the 23 Barcelona players went through the infirmary. "Injuries made us lose pace, especially in the last part of the season," explains the same source from the dressing room. A physical handicap, invisible in the league, concealable against a strong team with Wolfsburg, naked against Lyon. “Not everything is excellent when you win, nor is everything a disaster when you lose. There will be entry and exit of players, but our ideas will not be negotiated”, concluded Markel Zubizarreta, sports director. Barça fell to Lyon in Turin, something old for the Barça team under construction, something new for the European champions. The magnifying glass, in the same place, counteracts the physical power of Lyon.

 

Link: https://elpais.com/deportes/2022-05-22/el-barcelona-contra-los-fantasmas-del-pasado.html