Sánchez is a Cruyffist

BarcelonaPedro Sánchez applies Johan Cruyff's football maxim to politics, which went something like "If we have the ball, they can't score any goals." Or, with a slight variation, "if you have the ball, you don't need to defend, because there's only one ball." Therefore, the point is to have the ball, meaning to set the terms of the debate. In this regard, the extraordinary regularization of immigrants is an impactful measure, the first in 20 years, and it goes to the heart of the debates currently shaking the Western world. Impossible to ignore.

Someone might think it's a suicidal decision in the midst of a reactionary wave, but it actually follows Sánchez's philosophy, which he has applied at other times, such as with pardons or amnesty. And it is that when Sánchez has, or believes he has, the arguments to defend a cause against the right, he goes all the way with it and assumes full responsibility in person. This reckless behavior makes him a formidable adversary, because it forces others to follow his lead. And so, while the PP would want us to be focused today on the trial of the Ábalos case or the possible prosecution of Sánchez's wife, what is occupying the headlines is the regularization of immigrants. The important thing is always to have the ball, even if it's a ball that's difficult to control and you could score an own goal.

Playing on the attack

But of course, Sánchez insists on this move because it has worked out well for him before. Who remembers today the demonstrations against the amnesty that filled Madrid at the start of the legislature? Do you recall how Feijóo and other international leaders like Merz have had to backtrack on their initial support for Trump's operation in Iran while Sánchez was clear from the start? Why wouldn't it be the same this time? Who says that in a few years the European Union will follow the path opened by Sánchez in its relationship with China?

It is this self-confidence and certainty of fighting a global battle against the reaction that also explains the Spanish government's offensive against Judge Peinado. Institutional respect has gone by the wayside despite the gestures of a CGPJ that was held hostage by the right for five years. Having the ball and playing on the attack, forcing the opponent to retreat, to defend. And trusting in that expression that Manuel Vázquez Montalbán wrote to explain the success of the Dutch star and which could also be applied to the Spanish president: "He was born with a lucky star".