© EuroFootball.com
O
Madrid's honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano officially questioned the possibilities of the Spanish capital's team to fight, and criticized the tactics chosen by head coach Jose Mourinho. Meanwhile, the eternal rival of the "Royal" club, "Barcelona," received praise from a football legend.
The second Spanish "Liga BBVA" derby "El Clasico," held at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium last weekend, ended in a 1-1 draw.
"Mourinho's plan was a failure. "Barcelona" played amazing football and now both teams are tied with the same 8 points in the Spanish championship. The Catalans' superiority was clear and undeniable. It was clear to the whole planet: "Barcelona" was a lion, "Real" was a mouse," said A. Di Stefano.
"While 'Barcelona' demonstrated 'football dances' on the field, 'Real' played something like 'walking here and there,'" - these words of the football legend are quoted by the Madrid daily "Marca."
According to the honorary president of "Real," the capital's team simply exhausted itself defending against "Barcelona" attacks, failed to effectively press the opponents in the midfield, and looked like a mouse against a lion. Di Stefano emphasized that Mourinho's pupils did not fulfill the main task - did not neutralize the safe line of the Catalonian team. The opponents' actions were hindered, but not as much as they should have been.
"It is obvious that 'Barcelona' is a stronger and more capable club, which cannot be surprised by attempting to see counterattacks," stated the "Real" legend.
According to Di Stefano, "Real" is a team "without individuals," so he talked to Mourinho about the possibilities of adjusting the game plan in the King's Cup final match.
"A game based solely on counterattacks, obviously, is not the most appropriate," stated the honorary president.
The best world footballer of the last two years, Lionel Messi, also deserved compliments from past football legends: "There is no doubt that he is the best, and the game he demonstrates is stunning.
