An Open Letter To Barcelona FC

Dear Barcelona players, coaches staff.

Firstly, I would like to extend my congratulations to you for reaching the European Cup final for the seventh time in your 111 year history. It is of course, a wonderful achievement, and you will exercise the privilege to play against the English Champions Manchester United at the wonderful stadium that is Wembley in North-West London.

As I am absolutely sure you have heard countless times, your football can often be quite stunning, with "out of this world" passing and movement, ferociously graceful and relentless attacking ability and football players with stunning quality. Yes, it is true, you deserve to be in the final on your footballing merits.

However, there is another side to your team which fans and admiring pundits often hide away from. Many are so blinded by the talent that the team possess, they are distracted, or perhaps use selective viewing to ignore many of he areas most unwelcome in a fair game. I am sure you would also like to gloss over the subject I am talking about, and allow the praise to rain on you without a hailstone knocking you out.

Well put your umbrella's up, because the hailstone is coming, and it's been coming for a while now.

Cast your minds back to your Champions League semi-final, and even fans, admiring pundits and neutrals all over the world could not cover for you as they watched as you used disgraceful, anti-footballing tactics to gain the advantage. What am I talking about? I'm sure you already know - after all, you were the ones committing the offences. Diving? Gamesmanship? - Cheating?

I know this would be the point when you would like to stop reading, screw up the letter and forget what I say, muttering furiously under your breath about how wrong I am, and how your football is what the world wants to see. "Cheating" is of course, a very strong word, and a terrible accusation, but unfortunately, the name of Barcelona may forever be associated with it if you do not stop.

If you are still reading, then I would just like to ask a few players in particular who will be playing against Manchester United on Saturday a question. Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Javier Mascherano, this next message is aimed at you:

Bear in mind that not everyone will be at Wembley on Saturday. Bear in mind that millions will be watching on televisions - high definition televisions, with the added advantage of slow motion replays. Please, please, please, would you refrain from diving, or I, and many other football fans around the world will need a new television - and a new window, because the two may be colliding viciously if we see any what was seen in the previous Champions League games.

Arsenal have already fallen a victim of a dubious refereeing decision in their Champions League game against you in March, and although not your fault, Arsenal cannot help but feel hard done by as they could have progressed to the next stage if it wasn't for van Persie's sending off.

Who knows, it may have been an Arsenal - United final? Nevertheless, the other red card which was vastly different from the Arsenal incident was the Pepe sending off when you played Madrid. Although high, there was little contact, and Alves unsurprisingly was the perpetrator, completing several ballerina like pirouettes before going down in apparent agony.

I hope that the referee of the game is not in any way influenced by outside party's, and I hope he will not need to reach for his pockets and little black book to withdraw some cards - whatever colour.

I do not want to see a repeat of the red for van Persie when you played Arsenal, nor do I want to see a repeat of the first leg of the Real Madrid semi-final.

Reluctantly, I wish you good luck for Saturday, as I very much hope that Manchester United v Barcelona will be a fair, diving free zone, and will not go down in history as a farce of a game.

Thank you for your time,

DBS Football

P.S: I have previously dedicated two articles to you. Find them here:

http://dbs-football.blogspot.com/2011/05/guardiola-making-mockery-of-football.html

& here:

http://dbs-football.blogspot.com/2011/04/diving-disgrace-to-football.html

Follow Me on Twitter @DBSFootball

Video: Lionel Messi Goal v Madrid

The highlight of the game and, I suspect the tie, can be seen below, in the form of Lionel Messi's dazzling run through the hapless Real Madrid defence and delicately precise finish into the Madrid net. It was a bright light in a game filled to the rim with an utter disgrace in the all too common and far uglier form of cheating.

Watch the 2 sending off's and Messi's First Goal By Clicking Here.

Diving - A Disgrace to Football

I hesitate to take away the stunningly bright light that Lionel Messi has thrust himself into after creating beauty amidst an ugly cloud of controversy, but how can I not, when many Real Madrid and Barcelona's player's were an utter disgrace for much of the game.

The play acting and - well, just plain diving was clear for all to see. Maybe not the referee, who didn't have the benefit of replays, but luckily, or unluckily for us watching at home, we could witness the diving in it's full,  disgraceful, slow motion picture. It is despicable behaviour from grown men who should be setting an example to young footballers with their fair play. What was broadcast all over the world on Wednesday night was not fair play, and it is certainly not something which I want to see future generations of player's participating in.
I noted down several of the incidents that were particularly shameful and abominable excuses for fouls:

•  Sergio Busquets fell down clutching his face in apparent agony. Replays show that he jumped on the back of a Real Madrid player, and jumped back off of him as soon as his hand came anywhere near him. There was absolutely zero contact, yet uproar among protesting Barcelona players.

• Real Madrid defender, Marcelo went down from a foul. It was a foul - his feet had been taken away from him, and it was nothing more than a free-kick - and it was given. Yet rolling around was the added effect and waving his arm in the air to indicate a card to be shown added insult to... "injury".

• Next up was Pedro. He ran into a Real player and fell down, holding his face whereas replays clearly show there was no contact. To carry on the act - or to hide his shame, he needed medics to come on and check on it, whilst pouring water on it. What's worse is that the Barcelona players hounded the referee like hungry dogs as if Pedro had been assaulted.

• Hypocrisy was also rife. Dani Alves - a serial diver if I ever saw one, complained about a foul given against him, claiming that the Madrid attacker went down to easily. Amazing.

• The last two involve Madrid's Pepe. Firstly, he was the perpetrator, jumping - almost flying through the air like a deranged bird after a slight touch from Mascherano. Yes, it was a foul, but there is simply no need for the play acting.

• Finally, the sending off. Dani Alvez was up to his old tricks again, and this time conned the referee into sending Pepe off. It was a high foot from Pepe, but a yellow card at the worst. However, professional ballet-like pirouettes from the Barcelona defender added to theatrics. Replay's showed that the contact was minimal, and was on his shin pad. Unless his pain thresh-hold is nothing on a scale of 0 - 10, surely he wouldn't have needed a stretcher to take him off the pitch.

I want to know why such talented footballers, who have made it to the top of their games and managed to reach this stage of such a prestigious competition feel the need to cheat. That is what it is - cheating, and it is an absolute disgrace. 

I don't want to draw comparisons, but when Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney swore into the camera, he was banned for a few games. In my opinion, what I saw in the Real Madrid - Barcelona game was just as bad. It is cheating, cheating, cheating. That is what they are doing - cheating. It is infuriating, and it is something that millions of young kids will have watched and thought "I could do that", or "they did it, so I can". Many of the principles that were broken by Rooney swearing into a camera were broken in this game, with an awful, explicable example being set to young, aspiring footballers. 

The game was ruined by all of the controversies, sending off's and cheating but sprinkled in glory and glamour in the end by a fabulous footballer, and one who does not get involved in all of the blatant deception of the referee. Lionel Messi - a true example of a fair and honest football player, and the best in the world without a doubt. Some of those cheating divers should take a leaf out of Messi's book, and start playing football, letting their skills do the talking. It isn't too much to ask is it?

DBSFootball in association with: http://www.watch-football.tv/football/ - Live Football Streaming.

Watch: Barcelona 3 - 1 Arsenal (4 - 3)

Arsenal were well and truly beaten tonight against a relentless and mercilessly attacking Barcelona.
Full Match Report Here

Barcelona 1 - 0 Arsenal [Messi]

Barcelona 1 - 1 Arsenal [Pedro OG]

    Barcelona 2 - 1 Arsenal [Xavi]

Barcelona 3 - 1 Arsenal [Messi]