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9 For years, fans and media portrayed La Liga as a boring championship, without any suspense as Real Madrid and Barcelona fought every year for the title. Teams like Getafe and Cadiz popularised the usage of so-called ‘deep blocks’ that prevented fans from enjoying the game. As the Premier League collected elite managers (Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Roberto de Zerbi, Mikel Arteta, Ange Postecoglou), whatever La Liga was doing, it wasn’t evolution. Ex-Villarreal manager Unai Emery also joined (and to this day has remained with Aston Villa), while Andoni Iraola (ex-Rayo Vallecano) is also enjoying life in Bournemouth. But today, fans complain about another problem…
Before, there was no fun. Is there too much fun? Many complaints from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid fans claim that their team is not good enough, and unable to defend. Barcelona indeed gave up on their defensive record that saw Xavi lifting his first La Liga as a manager and, indeed, Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone have given up their defensive principles (for the most part). It teaches us a valuable lesson: the problem was never the style, it was the result.
The concept that “the customer is king” is widespread in today’s industry, but football has shown that customers, sooner or later, prove to be unconscious of their wishes. The sport is a never-ending cycle where trends come back and forth, under adjusted details. In the last Clasico, both teams seemed to disregard pressing, instead preferring to go back and forth. The score (3-2) is a great reflection of the general trend of the game.
All of this comes to say that what fans should be looking for is fun, instead of perfection. While it is natural for fans to seek perfection in their team, too many look into the details instead of having an enjoyable afternoon of football. Most of the recent complaints (including during Sunday’s Clasico, but not only) concern the team’s out-of-possession (OOP) methods, lacking in intensity or structure. However, the fan first watches the game out of enjoyment – football, as business-oriented as it has become, remains an entertainment industry. When fans enter the stadium, they expect their team to entertain. When did a bad OOP structure stop fans from enjoying great football?
Younger fans tend to be the generation that (over)criticises the teams, often claiming that it was a terrible game. But it entirely negates entertainment as a valuable quality. Previous generations never complained about the lack of pressing structure, and they saw thrillers. While it is normal for times to change, and the nature of the game has rendered all phases more sophisticated, there rarely are comments saying “what a game”, despite La Liga becoming more high-scoring on average in comparison to previous seasons.
This is not to claim that intellectuals are destroying the game – but they have their place. Before picking holes in goals, should the cathartic burst of noise, technique and emotion not be enjoyed? Perhaps it is a product of the increase of the instant coverage, which never speaks to a fan in a stadium about whether they enjoyed a game or a goal?
Maybe fans should reconsider their position when it comes to what matters to them the most. Of course, anger when conceding is normal, provided it doesn’t take on a malicious form, particularly online. All fans want the best for their teams – but it should not prevent fans from enjoying ‘the show’. Instead of worrying about the details, which can be snacked on throughout the following days, pure passion should take over. Intellectualising (especially on social media) is great after the game, each finds a discussion on those details ranging from savvy to shouting match, but there should be a time and place for it. During the game, instead of complaining about imperfections, football fans should concern themselves only with being entertained.
The post COLUMN: Dramatic Clasico downed by online debate – Imperfection Is More Fun appeared first on Football España.
