Football is an evolutionary phenomenon and these are fast times. Who could have said, just a year ago, that Saudi Arabia would be a threat to European football? Who other than the women’s team would be world champions? Who but the League would reduce its spending capacity so much that it would blur its level?
Everything moves, except some institutions. In conservative organizations, such as the Spanish Football Federation, knowing who you are below and above is vital for survival. It’s a good exercise to play this with the Rubiales situation. At the moment he is not on top of anyone since he was suspended by FIFA. But the men’s soccer team also ignored him with a statement, the girls gave up playing if things didn’t change, and Vilda was fired after his platonic renewal in that shameful assembly. As for Luis de la Fuente, he reminds those students that when the teacher is looking he is attentive and when he is not looking he throws a piece of chalk. The outlook is bleak to the point that we have the feeling that there is no one to keep the heroic World Cup won up.
But you also have to ask yourself who is above Rubiales, because the days go by and no one has enough authority to kick him in the ass. Without salary or position due to the provisional sanction from FIFA, the guy sends out communications and, without being above or below anyone, survives. Surely in the confidence that, Grondona said, “everything passes.”
As long as Spanish football is blondized, you will still be confused. The conflict not only told us how far feminism is from achieving its goals, but also, and Rubiales is not the only one responsible, how far Spanish football is from breaking out of its stagnation. Underestimated by political power (no matter the party), demonized by culture, diminished by the economy, divided by meanness…
The rudeness of what happened was embarrassing and the clumsiness was surprising, but we have to recognize that we have always felt comfortable in mediocrity.
We have plenty of reasons. It is the most popular game and there is no demerit in that, but, as Manuel Machado said, “the people are a respectable thing, the common people are a detestable thing.” And fanaticism is a powerful reason to become vulgar. More reasons: the footballer’s training was always street-wise; managers, even those at the highest level, felt unpunished for too long and acted so brazenly that they stole by issuing invoices; Vulgarity was even appreciated as another sign of masculinity within a macho game; and, as for politics, he exercised no control and used his sentimental power for partisan purposes to further vulgarize it.
Now the scenario has changed. Football is an industry that moves large numbers and organizations were filled with high-level intruders, but who do not know the medium. As it is, those of us in football are a bit sloppy and the enlightened people who came to organize the accounts (and take advantage of the easy money) have no idea about football. These forced associations always resulted in a dialogue of the deaf.
And they also result in some paradox. Tebas, for example, knew how to organize the accounts of Spanish football by establishing rigorous standards that improved the economic health of the clubs. This strict control took away the clubs’ ability to maneuver when signing, which has seriously impoverished the level of the League. Further proof that excess antidotes can also kill.
This being the case, it must be considered a miracle of football that, when the ball starts rolling, the game continues to fascinate us.
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