After a timely break for Easter, it's back to more of the same - well maybe not, Real Madrid actually won their last home game (though Barça maintain their lead at the top). Aragones quite reasonably asks why he has been fined at all if the Spanish FA have cleared him of racism - though more reasonably still we take the view at a-m that the Spanish FA are WRONG and that he IS a racist. Moreover the fine shouldn't have been a derisory 2000€ but at least 10 times that amount and a timely sacking from his post.
After the World Cup qualifiers it's back to the league this weekend and an interesting last weekend before the much awaited "derby" (at a national level anyway) between Madrid and Barça. Are the geriatricos up to it - we'll have to wait and see.

Shame

It is as disturbing as it is disappointing to notice that since this blog started its life, the proportion of time spent talking about racism has increased beyond all expectations. In fact, despite comments about ex-madridistas and their racist comments, the main culprit has been Atletico de Madrid supporters in recent matches. In the recent bout against Valencia (see previous posting), there were disturbances from ultra sections of the crowd throwing fireworks and bottles onto the pitch, as well as two disgraceful bouts of monkey chanting against Mohamed Sissoko - a fine is expected for this as well as the possibility of playing behind closed doors. This follows hard on the heels of a ludicrously low 600€ fine for chanting against Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo. Spain is almost completely CCTV free, there being legal impediments to the installation of public systems. The introduction of cameras for crowd control, as well as health and safety reasons, would seem to be a priority and could help to prevent such abuses via the threat of long suspensions or life bans for offenders.
Elsewhere, the knives are out for the dinosaurs with Raul offering himself up for sacrifice - hand me the blade - in a sycophantic piece in a national sporting daily "for the good of the club". Back to atleti then? Beckham's recent bleatings in the Spanish press about how "the best is yet to come" whiffed of panic to us here at a-m; no surprise then to hear him questioning his future at Madrid - just when he'd learnt a few words of the local lingo too. The protestations to the contrary at Madrid are all par for the course round here - expect to see him off soon. There seems to be such a tide turning against the geriatricos that there could a bit of a bloodbath in the offing. Shame.

There's a heartening element of camaraderie among anti-madridistas; something which madridistas themselves seem strangely to lack. Take Sunday evening for example. I arrived in my local hostelry to partake of a couple of swift beers and the Colombian barman, who knows my stance on this matter, chortled with unrestrained glee as he told me of the drubbing Madrid had taken at the hands of the lowly Getafe (2-1) in a local derby. Just then atleti (Atletico de Madrid) scored the goal that would give them the 1-0 victory over the mighty Valencia. An old Basque gentleman sporting traditional beret (and a supporter of my own Bilbao), offered up congratulations to an atleti supporter and his friend, with the former pointing out that the other man was in fact a madridista. The congratulations were duly withdrawn with due irony and the poor madridista's crestfallen expression met with hearty celebratory laughter from those surrounding him. It's moments like that that make it all worthwhile.
Elsewhere, Bilbao took a hammering from Barcelona (2-0), which I welcomed as it means that Barça now have an impressive 11 point lead over the enemy.
Needless to say recriminations abound over Madrid's demise and the ageing "galacticos" (geriatricos) come in for most of the stick, particularly Raul's poor form. Huge salaries and little to show for it, time for a shakeup. Meanwhile, no more has been heard of Harry Kewel's rumoured move to atleti. Watch this space.

Well...

What a night. Liverpool through to the next round seeing off Bayer Leverkusen in convincing style, and though we're not here to discuss the English league, more on them later.
So the "Galacticos" as Real Madrid are, or have been called in the Spanish press until now, are no more - "Ex-galactos" they appeared to the world on the morning following the night they won't forget in a hurry. A remarkable display of determination from Juventus and a distinctly unremarkable performance from Madrid saw them seen off in extra time as an increasingly desperate bunch failed to cut the mustard. The usual lashing tantrums from Guti and a disequilibriate Figo failed to get them the usual face-saving free kick on the edge of the box that they've so often come to rely on. The looks of incredulous indiganation and a round of stunned head shaking as the fact that they weren't even making it to the quarter finals were a heart warming sight to any right thinking anti-madridista, as were the looks of deep depression on the looks of the poor madridistas themselves. After all it's a long way to go in the deluded belief that progressing through the tournament is yours by right. Back to the real world. Though not for everyone it would seem. Raul in post match denial (to paraphrase) - well, it was complicated, they didn't play all that well and had a couple of opportunities that they took advantage of and ... erm ... it was complicated. Oh, and Madrid were crap.
Spain is reeling under the shock of not being in the last eight - which is a shame as in some ways it would have been nice to see Barça continue and Spanish teams bring a unique contribution to the tournament. Not to worry, as Liverpool have become their adopted psuedo-Spanish side with Benitez and Garcia et al as the remaining stars of the tournament. Fair enough and an irony nicely in tune with thinking here at anti-madridista. Have a nice weekend (here's hoping).

To be honest we'd started out wanting Barça to win as I'm no lover of Chelsea FC but two factors consipired to change my mind. Firstly the petulent outbursts prior to the game by some Barça players that indicated a certain anglophobia directed at all English league clubs - like all forms of racism, xenophobia is out as far as we here at Anti-Madridista are concerned. Also, a similar trail of nonsense on radio 1 as I was driving home down the motorway. Then it occured to me that this prattish prattling was being perpetrated by, yes you've guessed it, the same madridistas that serve up the same lop-sided twaddle about Madrid week in week out. So strangely Chelsea it was that I was rooting for as I made my home and for the last five minutes or so in front of the box. The childish displays as certain individuals left the field provided vindication. Incidentally, we'll be watching with interest the allegations about racist abuse being directed at Eto'o. Signs are that it might not be true but it should be investigated and rooted out if there's any truth in it. We're still backing Barça all the way for the league though - oh yes.
Another motorway carousel coming up this evening as we'll be rooting for the demise of the enemy at the hands of the plucky Juventus, not to mention the moment of truth for our own Liverpool.

Reasons to be cheerful.

Sixty per cent of Madridistas polled in EL Mundo's latest edition give the league up as lost already, the blame being laid at the door of the last trainer Luxemburgo. Not that they're old or tired, nor that a radical rethink is needed - time to show Raul and some of the other dinosaurs the door, perhaps?
Whatever, let them agonise over their plight. Plenty to celebrate this weekend with a fine Atleti victory over Sevilla 3-0; my own Bilbao seeing Albacete off 3-1; Barcelona lengthening their lead over the enemy to 8 points beating Osasuna 0-1 away from home; and, of coure, the lowly Madrid lumbering to a draw against top Anti-madridistas Valencia 1-1.
Europe awaits and fingers crossed for a major upset or two.

Out come the freaks.

So Beckham's decided to hang around at the freak show for the time being (as long as they want him there of course: he's just hit 30 - is it uphill or downhill from here?). Plus Ça Change.
Of course Henry's right - it is risible and the Spanish FA must take this issue seriously or face the consequences. Why on earth would anyone want to come to the Olympics in Madrid only to suffer a torrent of racial abuse - let's hope the French win the bid!

Lest we forget

In case anyone thinks that I am under the illusion that racism is limited to madridistas or Real Madrid, it's worth being aware that the problem is widespread in Spanish football.The problem is more that the whole of footballing culture is in denial about it - see the reaction of scumbag Aragones to his derisory fine.
There are plenty of plebs and chavs etc in the UK who are racists too, but much work has been done to marginalise it there. Time to own up and start here too. Madridistas et al.

madridism

So the racist Spanish national coach Luis Aragones has been fined £2000 by the Spanish FA for comments about a black player, which I decline to repeat here. The BBC report maintains that "It had been expected that Aragones, 66, would be fined in the region of £22,000 or even lose his job". Personally, I would have locked him up for inciting racial hatred. But what has all this got to do with madridistas. Well, it may come as no surprise to hear that said scumbag is ex-Madrid coach and that his remarks provoked a torrent of racist chanting at a Spain England friendly shortly afterwards. Where? Why at the estadio Santiago Bernabeu - home of Real Madrid of course.