CURRENT
CRISS CROSS
From the kick-off, the season of 2013-14 has witnessed the rise of the teams constantly termed as
sprats in the European leagues. The smaller regional teams have always had power in South
American leagues, especially in Brazil. There, regional leagues are as important if not more
important than the national league. But the prominence of national leagues in Europe has made
smaller clubs continue being small if not bought by a big money investor. And whenever money
was pumped in a smaller club, it transformed into a bigger club but lost its original identity
(read Manchester City).
Nowadays the so called smaller teams are no longer showing respect to the richer, bigger clubs.
The concept of bullying on which bigger managers and clubs thrived on, is disappearing. The
proverbial Goliaths are shrinking, at least on the Football field. And it is visible in almost every big
league of Europe.
Malaga, a club made rich by oil billions and brought down again by that money only, rose to the
occasion when they faced Barcelona on September 25. They didn’t allow Barcelona to take a single
shot on-goal en-route to a credible 0-0 draw.
Hamburg has scored only once this season. And no one expected them to score when they faced the mighty Bayern Munich on
September 20. They met the expectations, they didn’t score on the day. But nor did they allow the brute attacking and passing machinery
of Bayern Munich to score.
The oil rich Paris Saint Germain is finding it very hard to win games this season. And on September 28, they had to come back after
being a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Toulouse. In this league (Ligue 1) itself a smaller team (not in history but in stature these
days), Marseille under the tutelage of the fearless Marcelo Biesla is rampaging and is leading the league.
Bottom placed Cagilari’s 4-1 defeat of Internazionale at San Siro, means that the Italian league has also not been untouched by it.
Though detractors will say that smaller teams have always sprung a surprise or two, and can’t sustain their performances at this level.
They may be speaking the truth, stating the facts. The smaller teams don’t have the depth to maintain the quality, or the players to
maintain the style or the flair. But their biggest triumph is the fearless, relentless mentality they have developed. My own eyes witnessed
the fear factor of old Trafford disappearing in one season only and smaller teams taking the game to the giant.
This season, I am expecting something- for the lack of a better word – special in at least one big league in Europe. Because with these
teams on the prowl, everybody is fair game. Even the top-4 of the English Premier League.
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Photo Credit: Soumick Nag