This week of the Champions League has left us with more surprises, and we have seen how Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United was left out in the round of 16, as well as the historic Juventus succumbed to Villarreal. Unfortunately, far from seeing a display of sportsmanship and seeing how the technicians of the eliminated teams congratulated their rivals, they decided to criticize the game of their rivals.
On the one hand, Ragnick, Manchester United’s German coach, protested that Atlético players wasted time and exaggerated fouls. He specifically said “there was always someone on the ground. They have been playing like this for 10 years.” I think that as fans, we can say whether we like Atlético’s attitude more or less, but Ragnick, after losing, cannot make those statements, because they sound like an excuse, and furthermore, they detract from Atlético’s victory. The German coach had to accept the defeat and admit his mistakes, let’s not forget that they came out of the first leg alive, by a miracle.
For his part, Allegri, coach of Juventus, criticized Villarreal’s defensive play. The Italian coach said “they weren’t even looking for a counterattack, he locked himself behind, he didn’t even try.” The difference in budgets between Villarreal and Juventus is abysmal, it is very hypocritical to criticize that an inferior team plays something more defensive against a superior rival, also in their stadium. The first leg was different, and Villarreal did play more than you, so Allegri’s criticism makes no sense. In addition, he comes precisely from an Italian coach, a place where this type of game has historically been chosen.
Villarreal waited for their opportunity, and ended up scoring three goals. If Juventus did not win, it is because they were not able to score more goals in the two games they played. Making excuses is showing little sportsmanship, and the fact that two Spanish teams have been criticized shows that it is not a coincidence.
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