Barcelona – Will This Crisis Tear The Champions Of Europe Apart

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for SoccerMyLife.com

Published: October 2, 2011

It had all started as a seemingly innocuous event. According to reports, Samuel Eto’o was asked to prepare to play the last few minutes of a league match involving his side. He did not obey the instructions of the assistant coach, and refused to play when he was supposed to go on the pitch.

Well, that was the incident, which none of us members of the public knew about as at the time it happened.

According to the striker, he had been promised a longer playing time of about thirty minutes or more, only to be asked to run out for five minutes towards the end of the match.
At the press conference after the match, however, the big news started to hit and signs of a major crack in the side began to appear.

The coach of the side, Frank Rijkaard blasted Eto’o for not coming on to play as instructed, implying that he would be punished for this act.
A day later, club vice captain Ronaldinho openly criticized Eto’o, implying that he was selfish and thought of himself first before the club.

In a stunning reaction to these statements, Eto’o lashed out at both Rijkaard and Ronaldinho, claiming that their statements were those of cowards.
He went on to imply that there was a split in the club’s ranks between supporters of the current president, and the former vice-president. He seemed to suggest that even the dressing room was split along those lines, and that some of those in charge at the club did not want to see him back on the pitch, playing for the club again.

As if on cue, the club president, Juan Laporta supported Eto’s action in not playing against the coach’s orders.

Although after some days of media frenzy about this situation, the club’s players and hierarchy made attempts to downplay the situation and douse the raging fires of schism.
Press conferences were called to explain the situation, the club captain, Puyol explained everything away, and both Ronaldinho and Eto’o hugged publicly after a training session by the team.

But the comments of some players about the situation, along with some of the damning revelations already made, seem to point in the direction of an uneasy calm in the Barcelona rank and file.

Has the situation been truly resolved amicably? Is the team united once again? Will a clash of egos and interests not block the club’s ambitions this current season? Are some high profile departures not in the offing this summer due to the recent blow-up? Will coach Rijkaard stay on, despite his repeated avowals to still coach the club?

Only time will tell if the recent crisis was just a storm in the teacup or one that will rock the Barcelona team boat.

Femi Gbadamosi writes on soccer and sundry issues. He doesn’t claim to be an expert, but has a good understanding of football.An ardent football analyst, you can get more on his football views at [http://www.naijasoccertalk.com]

Author: Femi Gbadamosi
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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