Contrasts

On Saturday, La Liga offered the greatest possible contrast. The first in the standings against the last. The almost-champion against the already-relegated. That kind of contrast is called inequality. But Barça had a tough time, and, having blurred the differential gap , they elevated the contrast to, almost, a contradiction. They saved the day in the stark difference between the B team and the A team, which came to the rescue.

A few days earlier, on Tuesday, the example of modesty of a man who has been dead for 86 years and the conceit of a young man who has not yet turned 18 had coincided in expressive contrast. At the Royal Academy of Language, José Sacristán read, as if he were Antonio Machado , the inaugural speech that the poet, elected a member of the Learned House in 1927, never read, despite having practically finished it in 1931.

In Barcelona, ​​at a press conference, Lamine Yamal strutted around, casual, displaying, in contrast to the clumsy Machado-style attire, an extravagant hairdo, dyed a garish gold that was an eyesore. No one at the club has advised or instructed him to be more natural, for the benefit of the entity's own image. Nor, of course, has he been reprimanded for presenting himself inappropriately before the King after the Copa del Rey final. Uninhibited to the point of disrespect, the kid, off-key, hit the right note.

Machado read with Sacristán 's voice: "I don't believe I possess the gifts of an academic. I'm not a humanist, nor a philologist, nor a scholar." Lamine went on: "Grown up? As long as I win, they can't say anything to me. At 17, not just anyone can play at the level I play at." For fans and journalists, admiration for the child's game is not incompatible with censure of that form of arrogance that is excessive self-confidence. It would be advisable for the boy, instead of standing in front of his narcissistic mirror to see how his "Golden Bangs" look, to look at the discreet Messi , to whom some are already comparing him.

The following day, against Inter, Barça's attack and defense contrasted. The 3-3 draw, despite its arithmetic parity, reflected imbalance. It expressed offensive strength and defensive weakness. This is Barça's style all season, in a contrast that amounts to imbalance.

It's noteworthy, though not surprising, that, focusing on Ancelotti , who has been at Madrid since 2021, there's talk of the end of a cycle, and the subject isn't even touched upon in the case of Simeone , who arrived at Atleti 11 years earlier. The cycles, little more than episodes, of Madrid are those of its coaches. Atleti's haven't existed since Simeone took over. When he leaves, if that ever happens, it won't be a cycle that will end, but an era. More than that: an era. The contrast between Madrid and Atleti in this field is synonymous with disparity. And it's explained by Madrid's all-consuming demand for maximums compared to Atleti's resignation as a secondary player due to the contrast, so to speak, abyss, in terms of budget.

There's no greater contrast than Madrid's own defeat against Celta Vigo. From 3-0 to 3-2, and thank goodness. The team is clinging to the final straw of the next "clásico." It won't be a duel of details. It will be one of contrasts.