By Brian Reade
Did you know the second most-hated team in South Korea after Pyongyang City is Barcelona?
Bit of a surprise eh? ÂEspecially as the Catalans have done such a sound job convincing the rest of us they are divine missionaries sent to show sinners how to be successful yet humble, scornful of wealth yet rich in so many other ways.
A sort of Mother Theresa in Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly II Elite FG boots.
South Korea used to like them. Up until three weeks ago, when Barca accepted ÂŁ2million for the briefest of visits, and couldnât contain their disdain for the place
They fielded a team of reserves against a K-League All Stars team with ticket prices set at five times the going rate.
Lionel Messi was asked what he thought of the country and replied with a yawn: âI donât know where I am and what time it is. Iâm too tired.â
Furious fans demanded refunds after Pep Guardiola announced that Messi wouldnât be playing. By the time he reluctantly threw Messi on for 17 minutes (to ride out contractual fines) the stadium was half-empty. As Barça swiftly departed Seoul an official K-League statement accused them of an âinsincere attitudeâ, and the media lambasted their breath-taking arrogance, a feeling summed up by the journalist who wrote: âA club which is supposed to be more than a club isnât much of a club at all.â
Which is a perception thatâs been gathering pace all summer, kicking off with their attempts to nick Cesc Fabregas on the cheap. President Jean Laporta thanked Fabregas for saying he wanted to join them, adding he was sure Arsenal would understand and relent, while pointing out he would not be bullied over price.
So blatant was the tapping-up you wondered how UEFA could stay silent. And when senior players publicly demanded his release you expected the NSPCC to demand a child abuse inquiry.
Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique forced a Barca shirt on him, and Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets all told the media how it was natural justice that Cesc should be playing with them next season.
It was an outrage compounded by Laporta refusing to go above ÂŁ29m for such an immensely gifted 23-year-old, when they were flogging a reserve, Yaya Toure, to Manchester City for ÂŁ24m.
Anyone giving them the benefit of the doubt over Fabregas, on the grounds that it was where he grew up, has surely binned such notions after their pursuit of Javier Mascherano. The tapping-up started last summer when Rafa Benitez gave it short shrift. But theyâve been tapping away ever since, exploiting the fact that his wife canât settle in England in order to get him at a knock-down fee.
Once again they encouraged their stars to indulge in emotional blackmail.
âJavier wonât play for the club again, I can assure you of that. He is depressed. Liverpool must act humanely and let him go,â said world renowned peace activist Messi.
Humanely? Liverpool were always prepared to put the mercenaryâs bags in a Davy Liver cab the second a ÂŁ20m deal came in. Which was a reasonable request.
Heâs the captain of Argentina, arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world, cost ÂŁ18m and there was two years left on his contract.
Barcelona agreeing terms with Mascherano then offering his club ÂŁ12m plus a reject, and saying they wouldnât be held to ransom, was what I called inhumane.
This summer weâve looked through Mother Theresaâs blue-and-red skirts and what weâve seen hasnât been pretty. It is as though the Catalans are so filled with self-love they donât realise theyâve become a parody of their âmore than a clubâ motto.
When they adopted Unicefâs logo in the most brilliant PR move ever, Laporta turned into a cheesey Michael Jackson clone by announcing: âThe people of Barça are very proud to donate our shirt to the children of the world who are our present, but especially are our future.â
Especially if they can tap them up and nab them for sod-all when they grow up.
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-reade/Brian-Reade-column-Cesc-Fabregas-and-Javier-Mascherano-tapping-up-is-making-Barcelona-the-world-s-most-hated-club-plus-Jose-Mourinho-is-still-haunted-by-Liverpool-article566421.html