Madrid's sports press, that is to say, Madrid's, was dressed in black today to mark the white club's elimination from the Champions League. “What an injustice!”, pointed out Marca. “Until the referee wanted it,” added As. It was an indignation that moved one to pity, especially when one remembered that, just twenty-four hours earlier, a robbery had put a halt to Barça's aspirations in the same competition. But of course, since the opponent was Atlético de Madrid, the headlines then were “Heroic,” with six exclamation marks, and “Epic,” respectively. In fact, the Prisa newspaper busied itself with calling Eric García's expulsion “fair” on its front page. Of course, not a single reprimand for similar or even clearer fouls by the white and reds that were not whistled, such as the push on Dani Olmo inside the box. Or what about Pau Cubarsí's red card, in the first leg, which according to various analysts should have been a yellow.
The blaugrana frustration was evident on the front pages of Barcelona's sports newspapers this Thursday. “Out!” exclaimed Sport, under a sub-headline that read: “Madrid's disaster: another season in blank.” The newspaper explained that Madrid was falling “by tasting its own medicine.” One already understands that the sports press acts as an accompaniment in this painful procession that is being a fan of a sports team and hoping to be the best in a group of thirty-six, but it would be interesting if some media outlet were to fly the flag of objectivity without a crest or colors. That they would analyze with honesty and verifiable criteria – and not by choosing experts at convenience – whether a refereeing decision was fair or not. And this includes not only examining if a card is deserved, but if the rigor has been distributed equitably. It would be, in short, about introducing more rationality even though we are in the realm of vain passions.
