A Catalan columnist of a more reasonable bent may have reflected on last nightâÂÂs defeat against Inter and some of the refereeing decisions that seemed to go against the coach-crazy visitors and give a wry chuckle, recalling the lorry load of luck Barça had in Stamford Bridge, last year.
Unfortunately, as everyone working for both of BarcelonaâÂÂs sports dailies are myopic, amoeba-brained, certifiable loon bags down to the tiniest proton of their personas, the only mention of the word âÂÂChelseaâ and the notion of getting away with blue flippinâ murder came from José Mourinho, after his teamâÂÂs impressive 3-1 Champions League win, on Tuesday night.
Speaking after what was an unexpectedly enticing encounter, Sky TVâÂÂs Portuguese Man oâÂÂPhwaaar was asked what had happened during a post match exchange of opinions between himself and Xavi, in the tunnel.
Mourinho explained that he had felt something tugging at his trouser leg and looked down to discover an irate midfielder squeaking as loudly as his little lungs would allow about how badly Barça had been treated by the man in the middle - namely the non-penalty of diving Dani Alves and Diego MilitoâÂÂs offside-by-a-weaselâÂÂs-wimple goal.
"Translate that!"
âÂÂHeâÂÂs one of the best and I love him,â explained the Inter boss. âÂÂAll I did was remind him of what happened in London, last year.âÂÂ
But Real MadridâÂÂs manager-to-be was a lone voice in a wilderness of bluster and baloney with Mundo Deportivo blasting the headline of âÂÂArmed Robbery!â on the front cover.
âÂÂThe referee didnâÂÂt want to see three penalties in the Inter area,â hand-flapped the match report causing the blog to recall what others there were aside from the dramatic tumble and âÂÂthis may need an amputationâ leg clutch from Dani Alves.
Inside, Santi Nolla was most upset indeed with referee, Olegário Benquerença, calling his performance âÂÂscandalous.âÂÂ
Xavi was furious with the refer....wait a second
But that was considerably more tempered than Josep Maria Casanovas, writing in rival rag, Mundo Deportivo, who summed up the match as âÂÂan Italian robbery by a Portuguese ref who they say is a friend of Mourinho,â to possibly attract a libel action in the process, LLL would guess.
His paperâÂÂs headline on Wednesday of âÂÂAn Italian Theftâ stands in stark contrast to the headline just over a year ago on May 7th 2009 after BarcelonaâÂÂs own piece of Dickensian pick-pocketing which screamed âÂÂToma! Toma! Toma!â - which basically means, âÂÂHave that Chelsea!âÂÂ
The attitude of being the victim of a Madoff-sized fraud was shared by the Spanish TV commentary team on the night who whooped the Barcelona goal to a man and then watched perplexed as the referee refused to reward the Catalan sideâÂÂs theatrics with a string of free-kicks. âÂÂThe referee is giving nothing to Barça!â huffed the lead commentator.
It is mad, mad, mad world if one has to turn to José Mourinho for a bit of sense. But thatâÂÂs what LLL is going to do with his observation that âÂÂBarcelona is a team that is used to winning that sometimes doesnâÂÂt know how to behave when they lose.âÂÂ
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