If you thought the wonderful world of Barcelona was feeling tingly and tangly last week after the frenzied French kissing of Leo Messi by Sepp Blatter at the FIFA awards - figuratively speaking, of course - thatâÂÂs just one wrinkle on Manuel PellegriniâÂÂs face compared the little fluffy cloud the Camp Nou collective are living on now.
Real MadridâÂÂs stodgy draw away to AlmerÃÂa - where PepâÂÂs Dream Boys banged in eight, you'll remember - has given Barça the chance to loosen their belt a tad - oh, how Ronaldinho would have enjoyed that sensation - kick back with a cool one and enjoy what the Barcelona media are portraying to be the civil war in Mordor.
Comfortable at the top of the table, holding a 5-0 advantage over Betis in this weekâÂÂs Copa del Rey and facing the visit of Racing Santander at the Camp Nou on Saturday - about as frightening a prospect as an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch - itâÂÂs time for some series fun-poking from the Catalan press at Real MadridâÂÂs expense.
Sport write that José Mourinho is a permanent fixture on the presidential naughty step due to his constant attacks on referees as well as his public complaints about the hopelessness of Karim Benzema and the Madrid youth academy. The spat with Jorge Valdano that is currently being fought out through the papers certainly isnâÂÂt helping the Madrid presidentâÂÂs mood, either, writes Josep MarÃÂa Casanovas.
âÂÂFlorentino Pérez is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Neither he nor the fans will tolerate another year without trophies,â chuckles the Sport journalist without too much sympathy really.
Even the Madrid camp is getting skittish with AS reporting that Florentino Pérez is ordering an end to the quest for a reinforcement striker if Ruud Van Nistelrooy doesnâÂÂt return to the Spanish capital after a year of Bundesliga fun.
Mou: Feeling the pressure at Real for the first time...
Meanwhile Marca and Real Madrid have joined forces, if you can imagine such a thing, and deployed a âÂÂmove along, nothing to see hereâ strategy involving a drawn-out three day interview with the clubâÂÂs great figurehead, a man who is admired, loved and cheered by nearly every pavement-blocking Spaniard in the land - Iker Casillas.
Not really. ItâÂÂs with Cristiano Ronaldo. Of course.
Naturally, the first day of a spread thatâÂÂs bigger than ManicheâÂÂs buffett largely sees questions related to MarcaâÂÂs massive obsession - aside from the loveliness of José Mourinho...or the loveliness of Cristiano Ronaldo, come to think of it - with the hurling of a catâÂÂs bag of questions at the forward concerning Spanish refereeing and the extent that Real Madrid are on the bad side of it.
âÂÂI think itâÂÂs ok,â says Ronaldo diplomatically, âÂÂbut the game is stopped too much. In general I like it, but blowing for so many fouls doesnâÂÂt help the spectacle.âÂÂ
âÂÂWell saidâÂÂ, applauds LLL, although CristianoâÂÂs words might have had carried more weight if himself and Angel di MarÃÂa werenâÂÂt responsible for most of the stoppages in the first place with their theatrical tumbles.
Unsurprisingly Marca approves of RonaldoâÂÂs stance and the entire concept of the Portuguese player, in fact, with TuesdayâÂÂs editorial gushing that âÂÂCR7âÂÂs ambition should be the flag for Real Madrid. The player has become a leader on and off the pitch.â ItâÂÂs praise that should have Casillas supergluing the captainâÂÂs armband to himself lest something unfortunate happen...sorry, LLL interrupted...Marca havenâÂÂt quite finished with their speech.
âÂÂThe club have signed a moral leader who is not shirking his responsibility in these current difficult times.â Unlike RonaldoâÂÂs manager, perhaps, who seems to be increasingly out of favour at Real Madrid as the days go by.
