Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed and what to keep an eye on in the coming days.
ONSIDE
Barcelona winning on the pitch
There are issues off the pitch regarding corruption charges and financial turmoil, of course, but on the pitch, Barcelona are delivering. To begin with, Barcelona Femeni, who won a fourth straight Spanish women’s league title and won every single game, scoring 108 goals and conceding just five, are also back in the Champions League final after losing to Lyon last season. What’s more, their star and Ballon D’Or winner Alexia Putellas is back after a lengthy spell.
Then, there’s the men’s side. After their 1-0 victory against Osasuna, coupled with Real Madrid‘s loss to Real Sociedad on Tuesday, Barcelona are just two points away from winning the league title, which is a huge achievement and should bring some slight relief for their financial woes. They’ll face local foes Espanyol on Sunday, May 14 — watch LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S. — and a win will seal the deal.
*INSERT MASSIVE EXHALE*
I have no idea what to say about PSG anymore. They are a reality TV show and, at this point, please keep going because it provides tremendous content.
As for Messi, this was always a possibility, especially after winning the World Cup. He will be 36 next season and perhaps one more attempt at European glory is in the cards, which is why I think Barcelona remains in pole position to re-sign him. Yes, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal are throwing an obscene amount of money at the opportunity and Inter Miami offers a business possibility for the Argentinian.
But heart goes where the heart wants and I believe one last dance with Barcelona is the preferred choice. There are massive hurdles here, and from a financial fair play standpoint, it seems unrealistic for it to happen, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if LaLiga aids the cause. After all, a return to Spain is a win for them, as it helps their marketing value compared to the Goliath that is the Premier League.
Speaking of the Premier League, that’s where I want him. Yes, scream at me all you want, but the idea of Messi in the English game is incredibly enticing.
Just not Manchester City. Please.
Can Big Sam rescue Leeds United?
The best and worst thing that happened to Leeds was their former manager, Marcelo Bielsa. The man responsible for helping the club return to the Premier League, after a 16-year absence, manages the same way Martin Scorsese directs movies. There is a quintessential identity to his craft. It’s unconcerned with conventional wisdom and relentlessly obsessed with detail. It’s a stubborn philosophy. But at the core of it, is empathy.
Bielsa’s players must not only know their roles, they must know the club as a whole. There were stories of squad litter pickup around the training ground in order to appreciate the simple message that a football club is a community of people. Nobody is more important than the other. These factors translated to the pitch, and in victory and defeat, you saw a united front.
I am reflecting on these stories because the club’s current situation is the complete opposite. Off the pitch there seems to be a disconnect. After last weekend’s loss to Bournemouth, for example, a video went viral showing the players ignoring their fans, including a young supporter, as they were leaving their hotel. This forced an apology from the squad.
Leaving the hotel 😳#LUFCAway pic.twitter.com/TyL9D25F1r
— ian (@igrattan) April 30, 2023
“Words can’t express how sorry we are that the youngster in the video wearing the Leeds kit is not shown more love from the squad. On a matchday we do an activation walk, before and after this we stop for photos and autographs to ensure we interact with fans, but also that we are on time when leaving for games. However, there is no excuse for not acknowledging fans and if the parents of the fan wearing the Leeds kit in the video could make themselves known to us, we would be grateful.”
The statement concluded with the need to keep fighting for their status in the Premier League, as they are currently out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Now, after firing Javi Gracia (who took over from Jesse Marsch) following a three-month stint, Leeds have now turned to Sam Allardyce, football’s version of in-case-of-emergency-break-glass, the man who saved Sunderland in 2016 and Crystal Palace a year later from relegation. Leeds fans will still remember, however, how it was Big Sam’s Bolton that confirmed their club’s drop to the Championship in 2004. The most ironic part is that he’s pretty much the opposite of Marcelo Bielsa. Perhaps, this is exactly what Leeds need.
There are naturally more reasons for Leeds’ current demise. For one, Victor Orta — their director of football — was also fired due to a lack of proper recruitment and most importantly, not processing a detailed plan after Bielsa left. The internal preparations have been a mess and Elland Road has had enough. Leeds United didn’t realize just how difficult it would be to replace a man who essentially rebirthed their identity.
