The Football Thread - 17/18 Season

[The Fury]

Hiku said:

I don't see it as particularly disrespectful in comparison to other things that goes on on the pitch. Players going in for tackles with their studs, which can end players careers in a heartbeat, free kick tricks, dives in penalty areas, or the very player who tripped Messi during said penalty after Messi did an unbeliavable dribble, and raised his hands in the air signaling that he did nothing wrong, while knowing full well that he did, and robbed the footboll world of a potential wonder goal.

What Messi did to Boateng in the CL semi-final, that was disrespectful, and it will haunt Boateng for the rest of his career. But it was a lovely showcase of skill none the less that the football world wanted to see, and not a move he should have held back on just because it may be disrespectful.
It got everyone talking. And that's what people are doing now as well.

Different contexts I guess. I mean the Boateng thing was a show on skill on the pitch and what Messi is known for and can show at the drop of a hat, he outplayed a player and bravo to him. Tackling with studs is banned and if players do it, it's usually by mistake or is a rash challenge out of annoyance, frustration or anger (most the time they've just lost the ball and it's in the middle of the pitch), I wouldn't say it's disrespectful as it's the heat of the moment in game.

This however was planned, like on the training field. "Haha, you know what you be really funny guys? If we... " etc. It comes with a certain amount of arrogance I don't like to see. But again, this is a personal thing, they are meant to be professionals, not kids in a school football match thinking they are clever. Just because Cruyff did it too, doesn't mean I think it's great then either.