The 1-1 draw between Real Madrid and Al Hilal in the first match of the Club World Cup not only caused the frustration of Madrid supporters, but also sparked an unexpected media storm. To everyone’s surprise, it was FC Barcelona midfielder Raphinha, who lit the first spark. Questioned by Brazilian media after the meeting, the player did not hesitate to criticize the choices of Real Madrid and his new coach Xabi Alonso harshly.
“Honestly, when you choose a sorcerer, we give him a magic wand. There, it looks like they took a magician but forgot the wand. Real without identity is sad to see, “he said, smiling sly in the corner, in reference to the supposed lack of creativity and audacity of Real under the orders of Alonso.
These words have gone around social networks in a flash, arousing thousands of comments and passionate analyzes. Real supporters were divided: some recognized a lack of spark in the game, others denounced a free provocation of a historic rival.
But the most striking was the replica of Xabi Alonso at a press conference. True to his sober but sharp style, the Madrid coach responded in seven words that were enough to extinguish the controversy and to return public opinion:
“Speak in the field, not elsewhere. »»
A simple sentence, but which struck hard. The journalists present noted a slight smirk of Alonso, while social networks ignited, greeting the “class” and the “lucidity” of the former Map in the middle.
On the ground, despite this initial draw, Alonso remains confident. He recalled that the team is in transition, that automatisms are built and that this type of match is essential for welding a group. “We saw interesting things, even if everything was not perfect. I prefer that to a false feeling of security, “he added, cutting short the criticism.
The debate continues to divide. Barça fans jubilant to see their player sting the enemy forever. The faithful of Real, they are impatiently awaiting the rest of the tournament to see if their team will transform these criticisms into fuel to shine.
