Something in the air at Barcelona and Chelsea
Andy West is a sports, culture and politics writer originally from the UK and now living in Barcelona. Follow him on Twitter at @andywest01.
AUGUST 15 ― The mystery and magic in human life derives from the fact that we are not entirely rational creatures.
Although many of our decisions and actions are driven by coolly calculated and calmly considered logic, that is by no means always the case and it only takes a brief survey of human affairs to see how much of what we do is irrational, powered by emotion and instinct rather than analysis.
As the ultimate competitive forum, that is never truer than in the world of professional sport.
If sport was rational, the best teams and players would always win and results would become predictable to the extent of repetitive routine.
But in reality, the omnipresence of drama and hyperbole created by high emotions means that strange, unexplained things happen and events are strongly influenced by mysterious human intangibles such as momentum, confidence and atmosphere.
And right now, there is a strong sense that two of European football’s biggest powerhouses, Chelsea and Barcelona, are finding themselves trapped by negative energy as they head into the new season.
Both clubs suffered worrying home defeats at the weekend, with Chelsea going down 3-2 to lowly Burnley ― having trailed 3-0 at half-time ― while Barcelona were outplayed by bitter rivals Real Madrid in a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Chelsea will feel that their defeat came with extenuating circumstances ― notably the early dismissal of Gary Cahill, forcing them to play the majority of the game with 10 men.
But there’s just a feeling ― an inexplicable and unfathomable something in the air ― that things are going wrong for Italian boss Antonio Conte and his team.
Maybe it’s the fact that three key players left in the summer, with long-standing skipper John Terry moving to Aston Villa, Nemanja Matic joining Manchester United and Diego Costa currently back in Brazil, awaiting a probable return to Atletico Madrid, after being ruthlessly jettisoned by Conte.
Matic and Costa both played 35 league games last season and their departure leaves a big hole to be filled, however much they have been replaced in person by the arrival of Alvaro Morata and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
The absence of Terry could be even more significant, with the London club now heading into a season without their iconic “captain, leader, legend” for the first time since 1998.
Although Terry only played nine league games last season, he was still an immensely influential and powerful presence off the pitch. The atmosphere at a club is defined by what happens in the changing room and at the training ground, and Terry was a pivotal figure in those environments.
I’m obviously not privy to the inner workings of the club so can only make conjectures, but for everyone at Chelsea it must be a strange feeling to simply be around the place on a day to day basis without Terry also being there.
His departure has caused a power vacuum and it appears that Conte is attempting to fill it by being more authoritarian, and changes in atmosphere like that can create problems. If the Blues don’t soon start picking up points ― and their next game is away at Tottenham ― Conte’s reign could come under pressure surprisingly quickly.
If anything, the situation is even more precarious at Barcelona, where years of mismanaging the squad have left the team in danger of sinking into serious decline.
Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid showed just how far Barca have slipped behind their fierce rivals, and discontent against current president Josep Maria Bartomeu is rapidly growing.
Their plight was evident midway through the second half when respective managers Ernesto Valverde and Zinedine Zidane made their first tactical changes: Barca’s sub was Denis Suarez and Madrid introduced Cristiano Ronaldo, vividly illustrating the gulf in squad depth between the two clubs.
In recent years Barca have lost Xavi without adequately replacing him, allowed Andres Iniesta (now 33) to gradually decline without adequately replacing him, allowed Dani Alves to leave without adequately replacing him, and now they have unexpectedly lost Neymar to Paris St Germain.
Thankfully they still have Lionel Messi, who is capable of winning any game against any opposition, but the overall decline cannot be masked any longer and is being recognised with alarm by many fans, who have lost confidence in Bartomeu and his board to lead the club effectively.
Life at Barcelona is always a soap opera and their situation is not as bad as it is being portrayed, but sometimes perception can be more important than reality and the club is in danger of falling into a spiral of negativity which would be difficult to escape.
On Wednesday night Barca have an opportunity to restore some lost dignity as they travel to Madrid for the second leg of the Super Cup, but another heavy defeat would potentially be very damaging to those elusive but all-important intangibles which can be so pivotal in sport… and in life.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.