We must recognize Laporta for the bravery he has always shown against the sometimes criminal, sometimes delinquent and always dangerous faction of the Barça fans. In 2003 he was a pioneer in La Liga against the violent and put an end to the Boixos Nois and almost cost him his life. Yesterday he had the courage, personal and civic, to close the call “Animation Grade”which is nothing more than a small group of fans with privileges who, not all individually, but collectively, embarrass the club with songs and attitudes that are completely out of place. Up to 592 seats were left empty in Montjuic in what was once again a demonstration of conviction and personality of an impeccable president in this regard, both in his first stage at the head of the club and in his second.
The reverse of this determination is that the Barcelona member has abandoned his team and only 27,000 of the 80,000 subscribers have renewed their pass for exile from Montjuicin another equally forceful demonstration, but of the opposite sign, of the cynicism of a fan always willing to give lessons on feeling but that is never there when in difficult moments it is time to demonstrate it. It is also true that the board of directors has done everything possible to prevent members from going to the stadium, in order to be able to sell tickets at a much higher price as tourist packages, and yesterday the chants of the Brest fans, who traveled in number of 3,000, they were heard more than those of the local fans. The “boat, boat, boat, Madridista who doesn’t boat” was heard more than the local protest whistles to cover it up.
The French started trying to do something interesting but their goalkeeper Bizot committed a very bizarre and unjustified penalty on Lewandowski. It was a grotesque exit, without any meaning, which received a well-deserved punishment that the Pole transformed. Koundé started out mediocre, like in Balaídos, and Barça was very uncomfortable, but the goal advantage gave them a break and attenuated, although without completely removing them, the ghosts of Vigo.
Raphinha and Lewandowski viciously scolded Gerard Martin every time he made a mistake, and everything improved for Flick’s team when Pedri began to teach his lesson in finesse in touch, driving and his choices. Barça attacked with patience, long possessions, a significant change compared to the last games. Raphinha, in addition to being inspired, was much more disciplined and did well Lamine Yamalsticking to its mission as a right winger. The team flowed, as if it had found a way to unravel itself. Brest did what it could and had its own thing but without too much importance. Little success from Fermín in two shots.
The first half passed with a lot of intensity, little aim, a Brest that was less tough than expected, so weak in fact that it didn’t even serve as a test to know if Flick’s Barça had really returned. The team beat to the rhythm of Pedri’s quality and instead Elm It got stuck in its interior walls.
The second part began with an assortment of inaccuracies such as the desserts of the lesser restaurants; and the far superior chants of the Breton fans of local coldness. Laporta’s bravery, which he has nothing to rectify, made evident the moral poverty of the club’s members. He Brest very solid in defense, without concessions, saving the impossible in the small area, and waiting for a counterattack to run and tie. Barça had a hard time finding the light in the first half and there were little ghosts that were beginning to appear. Brest knew that they had resisted the most difficult part of Barça and that they only needed to save one transition to at least save the result. But the one who, after a gray, clumsy, unfortunate game, had his redemption was Dani Olmo, who scored the second culminating in a couple of excellent dribbles inside the area. Flick immediately changed it to Gavi. Lewandowski marked the third, brand of the house.
It will not be a match remembered for football but for the bravery of Joan Laporta against the unpresentable faction of his fans. Much more important than the lessons, which everyone dares to give, is to sweep your own house, which very few have the courage to do.
