FEBRUARY
Diego Forlán's season-long sulk continued with comments made to Marca suggesting that he had long since given up winning over the Atletico Madrid fast. Some Rojiblanco supporters felt that the Uruguayan was less than dedicated to the cause, and had begun booing him even when he was on the bench â which was happening more frequently.
âÂÂFootball is the cheapest form of psychological treatment for people,â shrugged Forlán, unaware that the cost of a season ticket at the Vicente Calderón is the most expensive way of going insane in the first place. âÂÂIâÂÂm not an Atlético fan, so it seems a lack of respect to kiss the badge,â said the striker, in a refreshingly honest admission.
Meanwhile, the contract extension for Rojiblanco loyalist Kun Agüero was still making news, with the clubâÂÂs Director General Miguel Angel Gil promising that the inevitably Real Madrid-bound Argentinian is âÂÂnot going to Real Madrid, this year or the next.â LetâÂÂs see how that works out.
Over in Mordor, the tiff of the month took place between Cristiano Ronaldo and Osasuna's all-round nut-job Walter Pandiani. Coming off the pitch at half-time during MadridâÂÂs defeat to the Pamplona club, the two players had a bit of a stand-off.
Pandiani revealed that Ronaldo had asked how much the Osasuna forward earned, and not in a pleasant conversational way. Pandiani later noted that, had the question been posed in his home country, Ronaldo would have required an emergency dental appointment. âÂÂHeâÂÂs a phenomenal player but he has a screw loose,â said a man who speaks from experience.
"I could buy you!" "And I could chin youâ¦"
A goalless draw against Deportivo â words that were to be repeated a lot over the campaign â saw José Mourinho looking for more targets to blame as Real MadridâÂÂs title chances diminished even further. On this occasion it was the fixture compilers, plus Deportivo for defending too well. It was a grumble that even had AS editor Alfredo Relaño in the poo-pooing camp.
âÂÂMou complains a lot,â noted Relaño, accurately. âÂÂHe complains about [the ref], the structure of the club, that Cristiano Ronaldo is fouled more than Messi, yellow cards, the fourth official, the calendar... he could fall into a caricature and he doesnâÂÂt need to.â For Catalan TV presenter Xavier Sardà, that had happened already with the observation that âÂÂMou plays the role of an idiot extraordinarily well.âÂÂ
Racing SantanderâÂÂs bright new future under owner Ahsan Ali Syed began with the firing of Miguel Angel Portugal and the appointment of former boss Marcelino. However, there were still lingering doubts â not nearly enough, though â about who the Indian businessman was and what the heckety heck he was really up to. âÂÂNone of my companies have debts and Racing will be no different,â said Ali Syed in response to questions on the currently indebted Cantabrian club.
And finally, Vicente del Bosque grabbed the moment of the month (OK, it happened in January but LLL has a complicated relationship with time) when being given a prize for leading Spain to a World Cup win by the Brotherhood of the Friends of the Turnip â a ceremonial act which involved the kissing of the vegetable in question. ThereâÂÂs a joke there about Fabio Capello and Graham Taylor but LLL certainly isnâÂÂt going to make it.
