Post updated with a stunning statement (in all bad ways) from one of Barcelona’s vice presidents. Go read it and see how delusional he is.
Here it is, straight from UEFA’s web site:
“UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against FC Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, who is alleged to have violated Article 11 bis of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations by directing racist abuse towards a Real Madrid CF player in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg between the clubs on 27 April.
The proceedings have been launched on the basis of evidence provided by Real Madrid (video and statement of club and player). The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on Sunday 15 May and its decision will be communicated to the club on Monday 16 May.”
Wow, UEFA never ceases to surprise me. Opening this case AND working on a Sunday?
And for all those people who said it couldn’t be true because Marcelo didn’t come out and say anything – here you go.
Update: Barcelona says that what Busquets mouthed to Marcelo was “mucho morro,” which translates to “what nerve.”
Update II: Barcelona also sees a CONSPIRACY because the UEFA inspector that opened this case is the same one that proposed that Andrés Iniesta be sanctioned for forcing a yellow card. Isn’t this the type of thing that Barcelona smirks at Mourinho for denouncing? And yet here they are doing the same thing. Barcelona’s spokesperson also said, “I hope that UEFA stays serious in this case and in the end rewards ‘the good ones.'” Barcelona, once again reaffirming how humble they are.
Update III: One of Barcelona’s vice presidents, Josep María Bartomeu, said today on Spanish radio that his club “would never do what Real Madrid did,” with denouncing Sergio Busquets and trying to prevent him from playing in the final of the Champions League: “we would not do this. We don’t do it and we won’t do it. We respect what happens on the field and we won’t get involved with what happens on the field. It appears that Madrid is not doing this and they are losing this señorío that the club has always had. I don’t want to talk about the issues of a club that is not mine, but I will just say that we would never do it because it appears to be an exaggeration to us.
I don’t understand why Busquets should miss out on the final. That’s something that surprises us a lot. The referee is the one who makes decisions on the field. Depriving Busquets, who is having a sensational season, of the final seems very excessive to us and we’re very upset. I don’t know what Señor Busquets said and what they were talking about, but they are things that happen all the time in football. If we have to put a camera on each player to follow what they say or do, this will become a circus. Football has triumphed, along with fair play…”
Let me list the problems I have with this statement.
One. Barcelona would never denounce another player/team if they found one of their players to be the victim of racism from another player? Please. And don’t forget, they started the whole denouncing thing.
Two. I’m pretty sure that Madrid’s intent is to denounce the racism, not to prevent Busquets from playing in the final of the Champions League. Again, Barcelona is really paranoid, no?
Three. So anything that happens on the field is okay, just because it happened on the field? That’s funny, I seem to remember a lot of uproar over the hard fouls by Madrid’s players on Barcelona’s players. But I guess they can be excused, because they happened on the field.
Four. “I don’t want to talk about the issues of a club that is not mine” – too late. Reminds one of Xavi, no?
Five. He doesn’t know what Busquets said and he made this grand statement? DOES IT EVEN MATTER TO BARCELONA WHAT BUSQUETS SAID? It appears that it doesn’t even matter what he said – he could have been homophobic, sexist, racist, etc. and the club would still stand by him.
Six. “They are things that happen all the time in football” – just because they happen all the time do not make them right!!!!
Seven. “Football has triumphed, along with fair play” – shades of Xavi again. What is with Barcelona’s obsession with this kind of statement? Are they trying to convince themselves? They seem a bit insecure to me… And fair play? Thanks for the laugh Bartomeu!