FC Barcelona - or why the British tabloid press cannot be trusted

Yesterday for the second time in three years, FC Barcelona played Manchester United in the final of the European Champions League football ("soccer" for North American readers) tournament.

In 2009, United still had Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world's great players, as a member of their team. For all that Barcelona played them off the park and won convincingly. Their magic triangle (Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Messi) all showed their amazing talent, the rest of the team contributed splendidly, and the result was never in doubt.

So we came to the 2011 final.

Barcelona have since acquired the services of maybe the best Spanish striker of his day in David Villa, the magic triangle is still operating, and they are overall an even more impressive team than in 2009. United have not seriously replaced Cristiano Ronaldo, are still the best team in England, but look like they get there mainly by hard work more than anything else. Inspiration is not their strong suit, and the team is probably not as good as it was in 2009.

If Barca were that much better in 2009, and United have gone backwards somewhat, you would logically believe that Barca would be the clear winners in anyone's book, even if the game were being played in England.

Well, not if you read the British tabloid press. During the course of the last week, there were times tht you would imagine that United were at least on a par with Barca, and revenge for 2009 was almost a foregone conclusion. Ryan Giggs, still a useful player but 35-years-old, was being put on a par with Xavi (who has won everything there is to win in the last four years) for example.

I suppose that it builds up enthusiasm for the event, but as with so much nonsense that appears in the oversimplified columns of the British tabloid press, it had nothing to do with reality.

Sure enough, come the game, Barca, playing away from home basically, took the game by the scruff of the neck, and apart from the moment before half time when United surprisingly equalised, controlled proceedings and won clearly by a margin of 3-1.

So today come out all the tabloid headlines with puns on the name "Messi" (Messiah, stuff like that). I suppose puns on Xavi might have been a bit more difficult to find, but anyway ....

This world remains an incredibly complex place. For most of us anyway. Not if you are a writer for a tabloid newspaper in the UK, though. Everything for them is about as simple and as uncomplicated as the next headline, and the issues behind things can be disposed of as quickly ....