Los 40 USA
NewslettersSign in to commentAPP
spainSPAINchileCHILEcolombiaCOLOMBIAusaUSAmexicoMEXICOlatin usaLATIN USAamericaAMERICA

Solari and the 'deliberate omission' of Guardiola

Update:

Among other things, Guardiola managed to say that for him the three best teams of this decade would be Juve, Bayern and Barça. His reason? Because each year they have won their domestic leagues and cups, or are always there or there abouts. Consistency. It is certainly one way of seeing it. Another way is that Madrid, who have won the last three Champions Leagues, and also one five years ago, could well have had a place in that list. Solari has done well to come out in defence of the merits of Madrid, a team Guardiola casts a 'deliberate omission' to use his exact expression, handling it in a natural style in proper Castilian of educated Argentinians. That reference to the 'cojones' in Melilla is fortunately a distant memory.

Santiago Solari estaría en conversaciones con la Selección Colombia
Full screen
Managing well | Real Madrid's Santiago Solari.BALLESTEROSEFE

Messi longs for Champions League

The question has to be: just how many leagues and cups together are worth as much as four Champions Leagues? In this regard Messi has a contrary view to what Guardiola is suggesting. If you remember, during the presentation of the Barça squad for the new season Messi spoke of 'that beautiful and longed for cup' as the objective of the new season. Barça had added another domestic double, but that success evaporated with Madrid's third consecutive Champions League, a fourth in five years. That stung Messi, who we've already seen being rested this season in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey in order to build up energy for Europe, and that beautiful and longed for trophy.

Familiar scene | Real Madrid lift the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Full screen
Familiar scene | Real Madrid lift the UEFA Champions League trophy.Carl RecineREUTERS

Solari the spokesperson

Of course, it is impressive to persistently win the domestic championship in Italy, Germany or Spain, and even better to 'do the double'. It demonstrates a level of consistency. There are, however, champions in every European country, but there is only one that is the champion of ALL of Europe, the Champions League winner. Solari took advantage of the loose ball that Guardiola played into his court, and returned it with that precise passing shot, "deliberate omission". Among the often forgotten tasks of a manager is to be a spokesperson for the club. Solari is fulfilling that aspect perfectly.