The truth of Ronald Koeman

Soccer and its own science.

With PSG drawing against Lyon, Mauricio Pochettino switched Messi and the world held its breath. From France to Argentina, passing through Qatar, Mauricio was defamed with the viciousness that football is accustomed to distilling. Then PSG won the match and we learned that Messi has a knee injury that will prevent him from playing the next matches. Pochettino did not receive even the modest compensation of a "pardon." Occupational hazards. But the things that the new football holds are surprising. In the anteroom of Pochettino's office there is a large team of collaborators who crumble with scientific criteria the data left by the games and training sessions. The priority is to measure the loads to prevent injuries. It is the coach who, following the information he receives, must take care of that physical capital. If we stick to logic,who most deserves that care is the best player in the world. But football has invented a new field: science without logic.

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• All articles by Jorge Valdano

I want more.

The lack of logic was always easier to find on the field. Let's look at Benzema and Vinicius, who a year ago seemed divorced and are now starring in the great football love story at the end of the summer. From incompatibility of characters to complementary talents due to the work and grace of goals. You give it to me and I score it: a goal for me. I give it to you and you mark it: an assistance for me. In football, all loves are this selfish. The truth is that we expected the Benzema-Hazard partnership to crystallize into a work of art, which is always debatable; but we have found the one formed by Benzema-Vinicius, which is specified in goals and that is out of the question. They will tell me vicious, but I'm waiting for a

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I still believe that Hazard's talent would put Madrid's attack in another dimension.

The future is here.

Casemiro, Kroos and Modric are reliable people, solid materials that structure a team. When none appear in the lineup, we fear the engineering work will suffer. But against Mallorca, Camavinga appeared in the center of the field, without much positional respect and cheerful football; Asensio, with a better relationship with the goal than with the game; and Valverde, a large landowner who comes and goes at full throttle. The result was an irrepressible team that fell for goals and found its balance in another way. It is not about retiring anyone because the framework of the Big Three is a legend and is still in force. Madrid fans recite them in the line-up and sleep soundly the night before the games. But Ancelotti achieved something very important by trusting these young people: that Madrid lose their fear of the future.

Who would think?

We all know that, without style or results, there is no credibility that can hold and Ronald Koeman seems to be the distance of another draw, or another hit to the head of Luuk De Jong, of being dismissed. Surely fed up with the "environment" that pressures him, Koeman started with a statement that had the uniqueness of ratifying himself as a coach and the audacity to ask for patience in an area where passions soar. But the worst thing about the statement is that it speaks with extreme harshness of Barça's precarious economic and sporting situation. Dear Ronald, at this point in the new football, who can tell the truth? That said, although the spotlights illuminate Koeman until he is blinded, you have to be very sly to blame what happens at Barça on the coach, and very unwary to believe that problems will be solved by another coach.

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