American author Mark Twain once said that "comparison is the death of joy." In football, this statement can prove particularly pertinent at times.
An award with the purpose of recognising the game's finest individual performer, the Ballon d'Or, has descended into a tit-for-tat "my dad is bigger than yours" argument in recent years.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fans regularly slog it out on social networks, disputing who is the best.
It goes round and round in circles, though, and what neither side of the fence ever seems to admit is that both are extraordinarily gifted footballers.
We are lucky to be able to witness them at their best.
Luis Enrique, per Catalan newspaper Sport , is well aware of the controversies these types of awards and banal comparisons have led to in the 21st century.
"[Awards] should serve towards praising the best players," the Barcelona boss said. "Not for generating problems."
So, presumably, Enrique would like to be kept out of the burgeoning trend for comparing Europe's best team with the best team of this century, and one of the best ever, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.
Bayern Munich's treble under Jupp Heynckes and their appointment of Guardiola himself inevitably led to the questions: Is European football now worshipping at the feet of the German super power? Is this Bayern side the new Barca?
The answers to both those questions—especially considering Bayern's recent exploitation of Roma in Italy—may yet prove to be "yes," but that doesn't mean debating it is worthwhile.
Why must we insist on comparisons? Can't we just enjoy these teams for what they are in the moment? Leave the comparisons for later, years down the line when we have a truer picture of just how good all these teams were.
Anyway, Bayern have slipped to the side temporarily, and it is currently Real Madrid who are, in fact, the new Barca.
Even before they beat Liverpool at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night—their 12th straight win in all competitions—the theory was gaining momentum.
Both Andoni Zubizarreta and Luka Modric had been asked about it.
"No, not really, [Real Madrid aren't comparable to Guardiola's Barcelona]," Zubizarreta told AS, as translated by Inside Futbol.
"But I think they are a powerful team with their features and the way they play. But we have an obsession about comparing things. Life is richer when we're building things for the future."
Over on the white side of the Clasico divide, Modric was equally dismissive.
“You can’t compare us to the Barcelona team under Guardiola," the Croatian said, per Goal.
"We are Madrid and we want to define our own philosophy. We don’t want to be compared to anyone."
And even if we were giving into unnecessary comparisons, a 12-game-winning streak, not forgetting Carlo Ancelotti also forged a 10-game-winning streak last season, is not comparable to 14 trophies in four seasons.
Not that this Madrid team don't have the capacity to go on a similarly successful run—they’ve already won the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup this calendar year.
In Ronaldo they have the world's best player at the moment, Karim Benzema's form is insatiable, Gareth Bale is back and Isco and James Rodriguez are displaying the type of potential that could see them dominate the game for the next decade.
To top it all off, they have the calming influence of Ancelotti overseeing it all.
Forty-seven goals in their 12 wins demonstrates just how potent this Madrid side is and, with the possible exception of Bayern, there is no side in Europe in such good nick.
So let's just enjoy them for who they are and the football they are playing and leave the needless comparisons for hindsight in 15 years' time.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1pl6E46
via IFTTT November 05, 2014 at 04:51AM
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