Goodwill to two football men
The big wheel of football today has Marcos Llorente sitting on top, just as it has Isco positioned at the bottom. The same could be said of Solari and Lopetegui. Football is a difficult job, more so than others, because there is a surprise waiting for you around every corner. I admire the people within the game because they live, much more than we believe, in a harsh and ever-changing climate, comparable maybe to the summit of an eight-thousander, where any slight change in wind direction can affect your chances of survival. And this also applies to the clubs. Consider Real Madrid, for example; in the midst of a crisis in recent months, and now what? World champions once again.
Isco and Llorente switch
Everyone is pleased for Llorente, just as we regret Isco's situation. Llorente, the best player in the final, brings a sense of Gento and Grosso to the game, but with a touch of Llorente that improves him even more. He was a poor wide player, just as Morientes found in the middle of the park. Neither Zidane nor Lopetegui trusted him, perhaps because this disorder of Llorente meant he would lose position regularly. Even Solari was slow to have confidence in him. But now he does, and the youngster has shown one thing, above all, that he knows how to be a substitute without giving up. When the finger was pointed in his direction, he was ready. That's what Isco did once, under Ancelotti. Now he has to do it again.
Christmas peace for Tebas and Rubiales
To wait without despairing is one of the secrets, because football always provides a chance to get back. I, myself, in these blissful times, hope without despair of a coming together of two worthy men, strong and stubborn, to whom I have an affection and an admiration that they do not have between themselves. I speak, of course, of Rubiales and Tebas, who are, for me, dangerously tugging at football for their respective interests. These are positive days to think about messages of peace and togetherness. They do not have to love each other, something they'd be unable to do, but they should tolerate each other and collaborate with each other in order to avoid leaving a bad legacy. I wish you a happy Christmas Eve.