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useless-catalanfacts · 4 years

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Im not trying to be offensive but do you really think independence is what’s best? I understand the police brutality is unacceptable but can Catalonia really survive on its own? A complete separate country? If this happens that means that FC Barcelona can no longer play in La Liga and it would have to build a league of its own. I know some people don’t care about that part but I think it’s worth mentioning

No offense taken on your question or on your having a different opinion, of course, but I hope you realise that the last part is very offensive (the considering the fact that foreign people can watch a football match twice a year more important than a whole country not having rights). I don’t take offense because I know you didn’t mean it and it’s probably something that bothers you as a football fan, but please do not say this. It feels horrible to see people care more about watching a match that if your friends and family are in jail for nothing (I personally know people in, so yeah).

Also, Andorra FC, a team that is obviously from Andorra, and not from Spain, participates in La Liga. So it isn’t closed to Spain necessarily.

Catalonia can survive without Spain. Any economical study shows that Catalonia would be much richer without all the colonial taxes we have to pay to Spain. But we are not doing this to be richer. In fact, it was said as part of negociations that Catalonia offered to pay compensations to Spain for a long time.

And this is not to say Catalans are rich. Not at all. Catalonia as a land is richer than most Spain because there are businesses and some rich people with make the stats get higher, but the people as a whole are not richer than Spaniards at all. And because of the taxes we have to pay for being Catalan that never come back, we are even poorer. For example, we don’t have a good public transport system, new highways we need, etc because Spain doesn’t want to invert money here. Meanwhile in Madrid and Andalucía some highways and trains are expensive to maintain while nobody passes there ever because they already have so many highways that some are just not needed at all.

Or how we have to pay about 2000€ per year (sometimes even more) to be in a public university while in other places like Andalucía it’s free with our taxes. We don’t complain that it’s free (it should be free for everyone), but we say that the decision on wether you get something for free or not should not depend on “are you from Catalonia or from x place” but on your socioeconomic background. A rich person in Andalucía gets free university with our taxes. A poor person in Catalonia cannot go to university because we don’t have enough scholarships. We have no problem with sending money to someone who needs it in Andalucía, or Syria or Palestine or Mexico or wherever. What we say is that “because you’re from Catalonia” should not be the reason for people to not get things, and that when it comes to inside a State there should be a distribution of aid to people who need it based on how much they need it.

So yes, economically we would be very well without Spain. In fact, so well that Spanish media uses this to pretend we only want independence for the money we would get.

And no country is “completely separate on its own”, especially not in Europe. And obviously we want to be part of the European Union, though we know Spain would veto us, there’s legal ways that can be tried to go around that. And with the economic power that is Barcelona, it’s for the interest of all Western Europe that we would be part of the EU.

The police brutality is not the problem alone. The problems are so many that it feels asphixiating to be under Spanish rule. At this point, we have to do this for our mental health’s sake.

As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, my mother is a teacher. She teaches Catalan language in the adults’ school. Fascists call her on her job’s phone to insult her and threaten her for teaching Catalan. They don’t even know her political views (which she never mentions in class and at her job there are obviously no symbols or anything, she just teaches the language). The adults’ school of Catalan language in the city next to mine had to be evacuated because some fascists threw gas bombs in it (here is a link to the local newspaper reporting on it).

And it’s worse for others. I have some family friends who have a printing place and anothers who work in a bookshop in our town, and they’re known independentists. Besides the constant threats over phone, their workplaces keep getting vandalized with spray-paintings of swastikas and white supremacy crosses and fascist slogans.

When my aunt hang the independence flag from her balcony, some days later someone prayed swastikas around our quarter. They sprayed one on the door of my grandmother’s house (she lives in the ground floor and my aunt lives on the 1st floor). My grandmother’s father was killed in the gas chamber of the Mauthausen extermination camp. Believe me when I say this “paintings” have a direct effect on people, even if “just” emotional.

But Spanish law doesn’t do anything to protect people who are victims of this. It didn’t even jail neonazis who murdered people for being Valencian Catalan independentists like Guillem Agulló. The police force, the juridical system and the State as a whole constantly give their support to neonazis.

We want independence from Spain because we have a different project. Spain is anchored on its fascist past (remember that Spain was a fascist dictatorship from 1939 to 1978, until the present “democratic” Constitution was written by the fascists). In Catalonia we have so many ideas, but we cannot do them because Spains blocks us always.

We want to do things differently. The Catalan government wanted to let refugees come, and Spain didn’t let us. There was also a plan to combat climate change and by 2022 rely only on renewable energy, Spaind didn’t let us either. They also didn’t let us pass the law to end the gender pay gap. Nor the laws for “historical memory” (what we call rememberance of the crimes of fascism). Nor the law to stop evictions. Nor protection for Aranese (a minority language). Nor help to migrants. Nor the numerous attempts at a law so that companies can’t cut water and light to poor families who can’t pay. Nor many more. (A while ago I talked about some of those, check it out in this post).

When people put their bodies in front of police knowing what they’re capable of, we do it because living under Spanish rule is so unbearable that we are willing to risk it. Just the thought of continuing to live like this is depressing.

So not only can Catalonia live without Spanish rule (it’s not like they are helping us in any way, we don’t rely on them for anything), but we can do so much better than now because we are a more progressive country with initiative to do something about problems.

Now, to the part about football…

Iberian people are crazy for football. Including us Catalans, and including Spaniards. You can take away their rights and most won’t do anything about it, but touch their football and they will riot. That’s why I don’t have any doubt that they will find a solution.

Besides the fact that Barça and Madrid would play matches every year nonetheless in the European league, as I said before Andorran teams can take part in La Liga. This is not even an issue because football is such an important thing in the Iberian Peninsula, and especially in the economic sense, that it would be solved without any problem, because everyone wants Real Madrid and Barça to have more matches. My guess is that they would make La Liga an Iberian league, maybe Portuguese teams could come too.

If you care about football, respect what Barça has historically meant to us. During the dictatorship, when being Catalan was illegal, Barça was the only way Catalan people had to express themselves. That’s why dictator Franco forced it to lose on purpose matches against Real Madrid. That’s why Barça is “més que un club”. Please respect that.

#sorry i went a bit on a tangent #but i think people who don't live this situation don't realise how strong it is and how different it could be #independence is not a caprice it's a real life decision for real life reasons #ask #liftlower

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writingguide003-blog · 5 years

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World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

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World Cup 2018: Guardian writers give their predictions for the tournament

Who will triumph in Russia? Which player will be top scorer? Who will be the breakthrough star? How far will England go?

Which two teams will reach the final – and who will win?

My time of selecting Spain to win every tournament is now officially over probably four years too late and Im reverting back to Germany, in a penalty shootout against France. Daniel Taylor

Brazil and Argentina, with Lionel Messi to illuminate the grandest stage, then retire from international football clutching its ultimate prize. Maybe. Dominic Fifield

Notoriously hard to call before a round of games has been played. Brazil beating Germany would be my preference. Barney Ronay

Brazil against Germany – the ultimate test of Brazils temperament and a tale of vengeance in result if not in scoreline. Amy Lawrence

Brazil to beat Germany. Brazil have got everything but, most importantly, balance and a hardier mentality under Tite. Germany remain intimidating and even greater than the sum of their parts. David Hytner

Brazil and Germany, and Brazil will ultimately be champions. Stuart James

France and Germany would not be a massive surprise but a lot depends on which Paul Pogba shows up; the player who dictated a 100m move or the one which has struggled for consistency at Manchester United. Martha Kelner

Brazil and Spain, and Brazil will win. Tites side have been impressive in the build-up to the tournament, have solidity and have rested Neymar. Sid Lowe

The dream final would be France versus Brazil – a repeat of the final from 20 years ago, and hopefully with the same result. Marcel Desailly

Germany against Brazil, and Germany will win. Thomas Hitzlsperger

Im certain Brazil will be in the final. Who will join them is a hard choice to make but it would certainly be interesting, and make for a great match, if Argentina joined them. Marta

Neymar is well rested, in form and ready for revenge on Germany. Photograph: APA-PictureDesk GmbH/REX/Shutterstock

Who will be leading individual scorer?

Neymar is a decent shout and should be particularly fired up bearing in mind the way his last World Cup finished. DT

Neymar, whose goals will propel Tites side to the final and presumably then earn him a long mooted move to Real Madrid. DF

Romelu Lukaku. Or someone else. Ideally a surprise from a minor nation who gets four in one game then goes home. BR

Gabriel Jesus, supplied by Neymar and Roberto Firmino, could fill his golden boots. AL

Luis Surez. Uruguays draw is a dream and they will make the quarter-finals, at least, giving Surez plenty of game-time to do damage. DH

Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has a good scoring record at international level and is the spearhead of a team that should go far. SJ

Antoine Griezmann could light up this tournament, arriving in Russia on the back of inspiring Atletico Madrid to a Europa League title. His record for France isnt bad, though, with 20 goals in 53 games. MK

Neymar.The Brazilian arrives in Russia with fresh legs and a desire to take his nation all the way. Frances Kylian Mbapp is also a decent shout. SL

Romelu Lukaku. Hes on great form, has everybody playing for him and some great passers to provide him with the ammunition he needs. MD

Gabriel Jesus. I watched him quite a lot last season and really liked his movement, not to mention his scoring rate. Hell get plenty of service playing in the same team as the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho and, given Ive predicted Brazil will get to the final, he should play plenty of games, also. TH

Neymar. He was hurt, played two games and scored in both I cant wait to see him in action. M

Frances Kylian Mbapp and Antoine Griezmann are contenders for the World Cup golden boot. Photograph: Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?

Switzerland. The Fifa world rankings are not the best way to judge a team, perhaps, but there must be some valid reasons why they are currently sixth (ahead of France and Spain). DT

Serbia. Mladen Krstajics team are unfancied, but boast strength and quality. The key will be ensuring players perform to the same levels they invariably achieve at their clubs. DF

This question contains an internal contradiction. Colombia for the semis, maybe. BR

Uruguay, a mix of renewed confidence and wily old know-how. AL

I see Croatia going deep into the tournament maybe even the semi-finals. Any team with Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic deserves respect. DH

Denmark. Theyre 15 matches unbeaten and this could be the stage for Christian Eriksen to shine. Mind you, their opening game, against Peru, wont be easy. SJ

Peru return to the World Cup after a 36 year absence but they are full of hope, galvanised in part by their captain, centre forward and all time top scorer Paolo Guerrero managing to overturn a 14-month drugs ban just weeks before the world cup. MK

Would it count as a surprise for Egypt and Uruguay to do well? The two sides from group A certainly could do so. Uruguay have their usual qualities, have Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and a quiet, competitive confidence. SL

Belgium. Technically they are so good, they have so many talented players. I truly think they can bring a new name to the nations that have won the World Cup. MD

England. There is little expectations around the squad but I think they will get to the quarter-finals. TH

Sweden. It is a country that I have a lot of affection for and I want them to do well in this World Cup. M

Denmark are unbeaten in 15 matches and Christian Eriksen makes them tick. Photograph: Lars Ronbog/FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Who will be breakthrough player of the tournament?

Hirving Lozano of Mexico sounds good fun: talented, fiery and nicknamed Chucky because of his apparent resemblance to the Childs Play doll. Lozano scored 19 goals as a winger for PSV Eindhoven last season and is likened to Luis Suarez, though hopefully he will manage not to bite anyone. DT

Samuel Umtiti. That may sound odd given the French centre-half plays at Barcelona, but he was rushed into the team at Euro 2016, making a senior debut in the quarter-final, and is a far better player now. DF

Hes already at Barcelona and cost 90m but I think Ousmane Dembl could remind everyone exactly why. BR

Kylian Mbapp, who has achieved so much already but in his teens this will be his first major tournament. AL

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The 23-year-old Serbia and Lazio midfielder is tall, dynamic and has an eye for goal. Im looking forward to watching him, together with Moroccos creative midfielder, Hakim Ziyech, who plays for Ajax. DH

Polands Piotr Zielinski. The 24-year-old was a key member of the Napoli team that pushed Juventus all the way in Serie A last season. SJ

Karol Linetty. The Polish midfielders inventive play has seen him glitter for Sampdoria and catch the eye of one or two Premier League clubs. More could take interest if he has a good World Cup. MK

Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbapp. This could be the tournament when they underline just how brilliant theyre going to be. SL

Its difficult to say, but, if pushed, Kylian Mbapp. He has the potential to be a big World Cup star. But will it be at this World Cup? He is still very young. MD

Benjamin Pavard, a young defender I work with at Stuttgart and part of Frances squad. He can play right-back but, for me, is much better suited to being a centre-back. He is calm and composed, good in the air and aggressive when he needs to be. A real talent. TH

Hes still only 19 and there were ups and downs in his first season at Paris Saint-Germain but I feel Kylian Mbapp could make a really big impact for France. M

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

How far will England get?

There is a potential quarter-final against Brazil or Germany looming. Even with the new wave of optimism, surrounding Gareth Southgates team its difficult to see them getting past that stage. DT

The quarter-finals, playing some encouragingly enterprising football along the way. DF

Respectable/brave 2-0 quarter-final loss after narrow squeak to that stage based on discipline and a couple of flukey clean sheets. BR

The usual in all probability, maybe a quarter-final this time. AL

The quarter-finals, where we will lose on penalties to Germany. DH

They will get out of the group but its hard to see them progressing any further than the last 16. SJ

Quarter-finals. This is the minimum target the FA has set and is eminently achievable for a team which seems to have had the shackles removed. MK

Quarter-finals. Am I alone in thinking that England are actually quite good? I like the look of them offensively. SL

It is hard to say as England are short of experience. I feel they will need this tournament to grow as a group of players. MD

The quarter-finals. With a bit of good fortune and good play, they could even make the semi-finals. TH

They will definitely get out of their group and possibly go beyond that. M

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Who will be Englands best/most important player?

Harry Kane. People forget how poor he was in the European Championship, booed by the England fans, but if Kane is on form the team have a striker who can trouble any defence. DT

Harry Kane, making his mark at a major finals. The one player of real pedigree in English ranks. DF

Raheem Sterling. Will bring a dash of Manchester City to things and finally score a couple of goals – hopefully with his gun foot, before suggestively unfurling his sock for the cameras. BR

Harry Kane. Has to be. AL

Kyle Walker. He has a pivotal role on the right of Gareth Southgates back three, where he brings defensive cover and, crucially, pace on the transitions. Confidence is high after his superb debut season at Manchester City. DH

Harry Kane.Englands captain, principal goalscorer and, its fair to say, best player. SJ

Harry Kane is vital to Englands success as one of our few genuine world-class players. The captain has no shortage of motivation, claiming a World Cup victory would be trump winning the Champions League with Tottenham. MK

Marcus Rashford. On the basis he is given continuity, confidence and a certain level of freedom. SL

The guy who has really confirmed his talent on the big stage is Harry Kane and if he gets good service he could be one of the top scorers in Russia. MD

Harry Kane. He needs to score goals and Im sure he will. TH

Harry Kane. He had a great season with Tottenham Hotspur and his goals will make a difference for England. M

Harry Kane

What are you most looking forward to, on or off the pitch?

The final. Its a World Cup final. For a journalist, theres no better moment when it comes to covering the sport. DT

Off the pitch, seeing The Motherland Calls in Volgograd. On it, that jaw dropping contest to match the drama of Belo Horizonte in 2014. DF

Discovering that, in fact, everyday Russians arent all Putin-mad dopes or gumshield-clad football hooligans. Also vodka. BR

Exploring Ekaterinburg and watching football in an unexpected place. Japan versus Senegal in a city known as the gateway to Siberia is what its all about. AL

The best thing about the previous World Cups Ive covered has been the carnival vibe. I hope its the same this time. DH

Seeing Colombia play. I had the pleasure of watching them in Brazil and they were a joy. I also havent forgotten how a few of their fans felt sorry for me when I ordered a table for one in a Brazilian steakhouse four years later and were still in touch. SJ

Im genuinely intrigued to see what sort of World Cup-host Russia will be and if they can succeed in reversing opinions of some visitors that the country is cold and unwelcoming. MK

The same thing you always look forward to at the World Cup loads of fans from loads of places making loads of noise and discovering players and teams..Some random player being brilliant. SL

Im excited to see which teams are going to surprise us AND which teams are going to show from the very outset that they are here to win it. MD

Although I think Germany will win the World Cup this looks like a really open tournament, with quite a few genuine major contenders as well as teams would could cause a major surprise. It should be fascinating. TH

Talking about soccer, watching beautiful and clean games, with sportsmanship, fair plays and no dirty plays. Thats what I hope to see, anyway. M

The Colombia fans were already out in force to cheer on their team at Kazan airport. Photograph: Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images

What are you most concerned about, on or off the pitch?

This might be the worst prediction of them all, but I dont think there will be the racism or riots that people fear. We heard similar before Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, plus other scare stories before the World Cups in South Africa and Brazil, but it tends to be different in the big tournaments. DT

The inevitable shambles and confusion which will be VAR. DF

The only thing any football hack ever really worries about is the wi-fi. Will it be good? Will it come and go? Will it fade at kick-off? Im worrying about it right now. BR

Having been in Marseille for England versus Russia, digging out the old Italia 90 No All Violenza T-shirt and hoping for a peaceful tournament. AL

VAR leading to confusion inside the stadiums and, potentially, killing the emotion of big moments. DH

The battery life on my new mobile phone. Any incomplete answers in here are down to the fact my phone died while trying to file. SJ

That we will spend the next five weeks talking exhaustively about decisions made by Video Assistant Referees. MK

Connection issues and late goals. Long distances. Cyrillic script. On the pitch: teams turning defensive when it gets decisive. SL

That all the talk about security and organisation will overshadow the football. As a Fifa ambassador l have visited many stadiums, met many Russians, and l am confident in the capacity of Russia to run a great tournament. MD

Vladimir Putin and Gianni Infantino appearing on our television screens more often than the actual players. TH

Ugly incidents between supporters. Sport is not a tool for spreading hatred and disagreement but rather love, passion, and unity. M

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years

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Ajax return to the Cruyff ideologies as Peter Bosz results new generation

After touching aside Lyon in the Europa League semi-final first leg, the Dutch squad can scent a chance of a first European trophy in 22 years

It is a cold Thursday morning at Ajaxs De Toekomst complex, where the canteen doubleds as a trophy area, the sheer heavines of football insight can be overwhelming, and the atmosphere is unsurprisingly buoyant after the events of the previous evening at the Amsterdam Arena. Nothing is being taken for granted but Ajax can be excused for pity pleased to see themselves after their stunning act in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. These reasons are supposed to be cagey, cautious liaisons and they have just torn up the write by beating a dangerous Lyon side 4-1.

Out on one of the tones, the team are doing a light-colored improvement discussion. The rondos are over and the time has come for some shooting pattern. Edwin van der Sar is watching from the touchline and the coach extending the sends is Dennis Bergkamp. One of the players to catch the eye is Justin Kluivert, a young winger who hinders finding the top angle with eerie calm.

It is a scene that summing-up up Ajaxs philosophy, with each reputation representing the a part of the clubs someone, and the past and present combining to create a brighter future. Bergkamp is the cerebral genius who ogles as if he could still do a job on the pitch, Van der Sar the former goalkeeper who has become an unlikely marketing expert and Kluivert the teenage son of the man who tallied the triumphing aim when Ajax won the last of their four European Cups by beating Milan 22 years ago.

The manager is abroad. Peter Bosz, who was so mesmerized by Ajax in the 90 s that he would drive from Rotterdam to Amsterdam to watch Louis van Gaals training sessions and whose principles developed from his heaving scrapbook of Johan Cruyff articles, expends the morning inside its term of office, pinpointing neighbourhoods for improvement before Thursday darkness second leg at Stade de Gerland.

He is worried. Alexandre Lacazette, Lyons star striker, is fit again after a thigh trauma. I already ascertained five or six times where if my champions accept like they were digesting yesterday, against Lacazette he will score, Bosz says. I have to show them.

Not many guilds can match this level of patrimony, which justifies the romance attached to the thrilling resurrection that has taken Ajax close to their first European final in 21 years, an achievement realise even more impressive by how they are staying true to their identity: seven members of the starting lineup against Lyon were 21 or under.

For the time being, of course, they cannot hope to take part in the latter stagecoaches of the Champions League. Van der Sar announces it a playground for the rich and famous and Ajax know to their cost how much money talks in the modern period, how market coerces have conspired against them and interested the most difficult squads in the richest leagues. For a society of the stature of Ajax, its been too long that we were away from the international platform, he says.

Edwin van der Sar, formerly a goalkeeper and now the CEO of Ajax, and the organization manager, Peter Bosz. Image: Chris de Bode/ Panos Pictures for the Guardian

One of the most significant goalkeepers in Europe during his playing eras , now Van der Sar is one of the Ajax enormous striving to turn Cruyffs vision of how the game should be played into a reality. Bergkamp, Richard Witschge and Aron Winter are on the coaching personnel, and Marc Overmars is the technological director. Jaap Stam worked with the defenders before moving to Reading. He taught me how to use my limbs, Jol Veltman, a veteran in this crew at persons under the age of 25, says. I was too shy in struggles. He said dont smash-up in but use your arms.

They are a fascinating radical who regularly collaborate and debate football. There is no shortage of minds. Thats the entertaining event, Van der Sar says. It is not always easy but we speak as one voice. We have a technical heart.

Intriguingly, however, Van der Sars capacity is not on the pitching. Marketing, rather than coaching, appealed to him after he adjourned. Now the former Manchester United No1 is responsible for increasing Ajaxs financial competitiveness. They do situations differently here.

When I got a call from Johan Cruyff and Dennis Bergkamp two months after I retired, this is only the relevant recommendations that they had for the team, to accompany an ex-player into the directors power and eventually as the central male, he says. Those six years at United showed me what a club involves. You necessary commercial-grade revenue and revelation. I have brought that a bit, get three Chinese sponsors. Its trying to connect two worlds. Thats why we want a footballer as a CEO.

While Van der Sar watches instructing from great distances for 10 instants, Bosz eventually emerges from the main structure shortly after midday. He is looking like an inspired appointment. His predecessor, Frank de Boer, won the name in each of his first four seasons but Ajax faded in his final two safaruss and manufactured little impact in Europe. Bosz has energised the team since his arrival in the summer and is favourite, despite expend five years at Feyenoord as a player.

Ajaxs detested Rotterdam competitors are likely to triumph the Eredivisie, despite their 3-0 defeat at Excelsior last weekend. They are a spot above Ajax with one equal left but optimism crowds the Amsterdam Arena these days. Boszs young squad started nervily against Lyon but the noise never expired down during an tricky opening 20 times. The devotees cherish what they are watching.

Bosz cannot stand negative football. He was a defensive midfielder a destroyer but that is not his managerial mode. When I consider my team only defending and destroying like I did I will not enjoy it, he says. I made when Im on the bench at the least I will give myself a glad afternoon. If I grant myself a joyous afternoon, I can give it to the fans.

In an repetition of Pep Guardiolas Barcelona, Bosz privileges a feverish pressing competition. Barcelona have a three-second convention, he says. Were not Barcelona, so I make two seconds on.

Bosz chortles. The five-second govern is something that if you lose the pellet, this is the best moment to get the dance back again. The resist necessity more or less five seconds to get in the right points. We have to get wise back right away.

The 53 -year-old is an admirer of Guardiola. His favourite work is Pep Confidential, Marti Perarnaus account of Guardiolas first season at Bayern Munich. He learned from Guardiolas attention to detail, how he would work out in advance which resist actor was always free-spoken on the attack. I always thoughts Bayern Munich is such a strong team that you dont have to watch for the opponents for two or three days, Bosz says.

There are similarities between Bosz and Guardiola. Boszs pundits accept his high-risk programme asks for hardship but his principles have not changed since his first responsibility at lowly AGOVV, from where he went on to enjoy success at Heracles and Vitesse Arnhem.

What they call naive is that my defence was on the halfway cable with a lot of space at the back, Bosz says. But you have to organise really well. If you do that, you have the five-second rule. You lose the ball and press them immediately, then its possible. If you look at our concerts in Europe, yesterday was[ exclusively] the second duration “were having” confessed in our stadium.

That level of severity asks mental sharpness as well as physical fitness. Any player who permits his head to put after wealth is lost knows himself on Boszs wrong side. Dont be disappointed in yourself, he says. Dont be disappointed in your team-mate.You have to press. This is the moment. Not one participate. The whole team. If you do that privilege, you will not relinquish. We have young players, so when we lose the ball, in their recollection, they go back immediately because they have to defend. My way of thinking is we go forward immediately because we want the pellet back.

Bosz should not be mistaken for a foolish idealist. He is focused on preserving organisation and expends hours poring over parallels to find apparently innocuous mistakes. He does not smile much and his mother tells him to chortle more on television but he insists he is a positive guy. But I am also critical, he says. “Were not receiving” such thought as a perfect activity. It doesnt exist. It will never exist.

What about when Barcelona Beat Real Madrid 5-0? There were a lot of things in video games that they didnt do well. I look on the computer and I write down the right-back, ah, he is too high.

The five-second rule works only if Ajax are alert to danger when they have the projectile. Bosz calls this rest defence. There may be 50 situations “weve got to” do well, Bosz says. First I explain to my participates how we will performance. Then I will show them an living of residual excuse. Then clips of training and the game. Then we show them the mistakes we make and what we have to do better. You also show them when the pressing activity was astounding. We show them clips from big teams in Europe. Then the idea is in the heads of the players.

His approach stems from his appreciation of Cruyff. I would just like to one idol, Bosz says. I knew from the age of 16 that one day I will become a manager. So I was educate by writing down what my coach-and-fours were doing right but too reading a lot from Johan. With some pals, we more or less wrote our own book. Every clause, all his interviews were in there. We compiled them and tried to organise them this is for attacking, this is how you defend, this is tactical.

Ajaxs eye-catching young winger Justin Kluivert leaves the training tone. Picture: Chris de Bode/ Panos Pictures for the Guardian

At the start of last year Bosz met Maccabi Tel Aviv, whose technical head is Cruyffs son, Jordi. Just before Johan expired, “hes come to” Israel, Bosz says. We wasted a few weeks together. It was just amazing. Instead of the book that you made, he is talking to you. I was just listening. In 1 week I learned enough for 10 years. He understood two Maccabi recreations and he was there at every improve session.

Boszs head was brimming with impressions but he is aware that not every participate is a football obsessive. This is dangerous for a coach, he says. If I want to give all my knowledge to my players, they will get bored. My communication before the game is not more than five minutes. Its important from those 50 situations that I pick the right ones.

His players took some convincing at first, specially the defenders, and Ajax descended costly levels early on. Veltman says: It was tough. If the left winger goes to the sphere, you go with him. I was like: Ninety times soldier, its hopeless. But it is fun. Sometimes Im on the pitching merely enjoying it like a follower on the side. Then I get goosebumps.

Veltman is a product of Ajaxs academy, along with the officer, Davy Klaassen, and a younger generation is developing. Kluivert revolved 18 last-place Friday. Matthijs de Ligt, a 17 -year-old defender, recently obliged his Holland debut. Van der Sar says: It has intensified in the last five or six years. We have changed the establishment and set an all the more important emphasis on training and change hours and facilities and coach-and-fours. We instruct more during the first year. Then the schoolteachers come here and then they improve again instead of first attending school and then train. So we have two or three more civilize times than before. Hopefully that will pay off.

Van der Sar known to be shunning a knack exhaust will not is very easy. Klaassen is being links between a summer move. Ajax cannot compete financially with the leading sororities in England, Germany, Italy and Spain. Can they hold on to Kasper Dolberg, their lethal Danish striker, or Hakim Ziyech, their brilliant Moroccan attacking midfielder? Can Overmars impede seeing inexpensive gems such as the outstanding Colombian centre-back Davinson Snchez?

Van der Sar says: We dont have the spending supremacy of other sororities. We want to create our own players through of course here i am money to invest but ideally we want to develop participates. If theyre good enough for the top European grade, you meet the average ages of the players who join the big clubs.

You touch everything in this guild. As a participate I ever had a look at the people doing the laundry or the guy scavenging the boot or the security guards. Its important to feel that everyone is gathering in the same lane. Thats reflective in how the organization acts. You need a good right-back, a good centre-half, a No10 I involve a good operational director, a financial person. Its forming sure everyone get forward. Theres the goal we need to rating. Everything behind me was bad because thats a objective. We need to push.

The Ajax players in exercise. Image: Chris de Bode/ Panos Pictures for the Guardian

Ajaxs scouting must be cunning. Selling Arkadiusz Milik to Napoli for 27 m last year enabled Overmars to smashes the 10 m barrier for the first time when David Neres, a 19 -year-old Brazilian send, assembled from So Paulo in January.

Boszs tough three-year spell as Feyernoords technical director not only allowed him to broaden his mind by passing “the worlds” but also offered him an revelation into Overmarss job.

All Bosz asks from Overmars is that he fetches him ingenious players. I dont care what they did at institution, he says. I congregated some guys who went to university and were not intelligent musicians. Smart actors foresee. Unintelligent players react. Always. If you think faster, you are faster on the field. If you react, you are always too late. Just knowing that going to happen , not whats already happened.

This is the Ajax way. It goes back to Cruyff. We have to be different, Bosz says. Its the only route we have a chance.

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agent-kentauris · 7 years

Text

oh this isnt even mostly edited yet so im not tagging it but. i was watching netflix and i got really upset about the thing characters do? the whole saying mean things to make people that they love go away when said people are in terrible danger thing? yeah that. and apparently what I do about this is go make my characters do the thing. the that thing. i suppose ill edit it and put it on ao3 at some point. anyways. i digress.

“You’re not a bad agent, Mikey,” he broke in sharply. “But look at your track record.”

Thorton’s lips paused mid-word, eyes still flashing.

He counted the examples off on his fingers. “Barcelona, Leipzig, Operation Inkblot...”

Thorton shook with the impact of each one, the motion slight, suppressed.

“I mean,” he continued, “go back far enough and there’s the whole Alpha Protocol thing.”

This time the tremor running through Michael was easily visible, unsuppressible. He blinked a little, vibrant green eyes fixed on Sean’s.

Sean didn’t look away. He could manage that, for Mike.

“Taipei,” he said. “The embassy in Moscow...”

Madison Saint James, he almost didn’t add, but Michael needed to leave, Sean needed him to get out while he still could and if that meant crossing lines, well, he’d once claimed he’d do anything for Michael.

“Madison.” Sean sketched her name, intended to say it louder than a whisper, but Michael was blinking faster now, shivering, water starting to gather in the corners of his eyes and a whisper was as loud as Sean could go.

“That wasn’t my fault,” Michael whispered back, barely breathing.

“Yeah it was,” Sean said.

“I didn’t…I never meant…it wasn’t…” Michael choked out, tension running through his raised shoulders. Sean’d given a world and a half to reach out and smooth them back down, knead away the anger and the frustration and apologize and make it all better. Maybe, if they were lucky, one day it would be. Maybe one day he’d wake up next to Michael and never have to worry about losing him again. Maybe one day Thorton would forgive him.

Michael shook the tensions out, shook his head, looked back up at Sean. He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself. Sean recognized the series of emotions, recognized the forced return of his regular poise, resting on his toes and letting his abdomen carry most his weight, letting his shoulders fall back just enough so he could trick himself into thinking he was fine again, reshuffling his face until his expression landed on something that was both alertly analytical and disinterested at the same time, his hard green eyes vaguely passing over the room but always somehow connecting with the exits, cover, possible places for weapons to be stashed. Agent mode. Sean recognized it from seeing Michael in action. He hadn’t been on the receiving end of it in years.

Sean recognized, too, the way Mike caught himself doing it. Caught himself doing it, and then willed it away, broke down his own defenses and wiped his eyes off on the back of his hand and crossed the room swiftly to pull Sean into his arms-

Sean had known this was going to be hard. He’d hoped Madison would have been the end of it. But even people Mike didn’t know he trusted too deeply, too easily. With Sean…

He let Michael hug him. It wasn’t the heat, Sean told himself. Or the last few moments of security. Or the knowledge that this was as close as Sean would ever be to Michael’s heartbeat ever again.

It was because, he tried to convince himself, it would make what Sean was about to do hurt more.

“Last week,” Sean started.

Michael didn’t go still. He only pulled Sean in tighter, elbows notching around his side, head nesting on Sean’s shoulder. His breathing quickened.

Please don’t, he was saying, and Sean knew it.

“That little girl,” Sean continued, and Michael’s quick breaths grew shallow.

The kicker was, it really hadn’t been Michael’s fault. But Sean couldn’t show him those reports. If he knew, he’d stay, and then they’d turn him over to the CIA and let him be summarily tortured and broken and executed as a traitor. No statute of limitations on feeling betrayed.

Sean pushed it all away. None of that mattered anymore. He had a job to do.

“That little girl,” he said, “She didn’t have to die. But you took the shot. That’s on you. You didn’t do your research, and now she’s dead and buried in some unmarked grave somewhere. Or did you even bother with that?”

He had. Sean knew it. He’d seen the images – Michael cradling the body and sobbing in the dirt, the explosives still strapped around the girl’s waist and absorbing the evening sunlight. The small mound of dirt in the forest and the crooked sapling on top, another sprout in a clay pot left in front of an unmarked wooden door in the city. The video footage of Thorton’s debriefing and medical reports from Agent Hartford’s subsequent trip to the hospital.

“It’s like I said – you’re not a bad agent…but…”

He let the word dangle. Felt wet drops on the back of his shirt and realized Michael was crying silently.

“I’m sorry,” he said, because he couldn’t stop himself.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, because he had to stop himself, “but you’re a liability. You’re dangerous. You’re sloppy, you’re lazy, impulsive-”

Meticulous, resilient, and yeah, impulsive, but-

He couldn’t take a deep breath without Michael feeling it, and he couldn’t finish things like this, he was starting to feel dizziness hinting at the bottom of his vision, so he unpried Michael’s arms and gently pushed him back. The last second of warmth and connection and the fact that Michael even wanted to hold him gone in an instant. And breathing wasn’t any easier with him gone now, Sean’s throat was tight and tears were running down Michael’s face and getting caught in rough stubble. Sean hadn’t slept the night before, either.

“I lo-” he said, tongue getting caught on it even now, even on his last chance to say it. It didn’t matter. “I care about you. You know that.”

Michael nodded slowly, and Sean felt slightly sick at the sight. Saliva pooling behind his teeth like he was about to throw up, and it was really going to be better to get it all over with, wasn’t it? To let him go? He’d said he’d do anything.

I’m sorry, he thought, one last time, and then he pulled on his own agent persona, smiled at Thorton with half of his mouth, spread his arms and made loose, casual gestures.

“I didn’t stick up for you yesterday because I agree with Hartford. You don’t deserve to be here. Ya don’t deserve to be here, and I’m supportin’ your resignation.”

Michael didn’t shake. Michael didn’t do anything. Michael wouldn’t even look at him.

“And lemme be clear,” he added. “I’m gonna be workin’ with ‘em to make sure you do go. Because you’re an embarrassment to this agency, and I’m not gonna let you hurt anyone else.”

The tears were slower, now. “But I love you,” Thorton said, sounding confused and far away and very small.

“I know. Why do you think I get the lovely job of talkin’ to ya? You lo-” he tripped up, cursed mentally but kept going- “I’m the very last reason you’d stay, so now I gotta lose my whole evening making sure you know we don’t want ya here anymore. Thanks for that, by the way. I had plans.”

“But-”

“No more buts, Mikey. You gotta own up to what ya did. I called security. They’re coming to escort you, and you’re gonna go with them, and you’re not gonna come back.”

Some part of Sean was hurting. Michael was beyond the tears now, all wide-eyed shock and pain, and breaths so light Sean couldn’t hear them at all. He could barely make out the motion of Michael’s chest going in and out. And some part of Sean was hurting with that fact, but training was setting in. The motions of being Agent Darcy were locking into place. It was getting easier to look at him coldly, like a particularly difficult asset who needed to be moved out of the line of fire and not like the man who would heap extra blankets on the bed in the middle of winter, put the A/C on, and would stay buried underneath them until ten in the morning, unless it had snowed during the night, he had a supernatural sense about snow, although he claimed that was the gunshot wound in his leg-

Sean’s breath caught in his throat. He could still take it all back. It wasn’t too late. Michael was rocking on his feet, compressed into himself, but the files existed and he would understand and it could all go back to normal, at least for one night-

He pushed Agent Thorton aside, moved past him. Reached the door, yanked it open, and waved at the security officers outside.

They wouldn’t just kill him. They’d brand him a traitor. They’d take everything he’d ever believed away from him, and if it was the first time, Sean might’ve let Thorton risk it, but he knew, he knew Michael could not go through that a second time. He couldn’t survive another Alpha Protocol. He couldn’t even survive Sean.

The three security officers piled in, cold blue uniforms matching focused, neutral stares. One rested a hand on her holstered Taser.

Two of the officers fastened their grip on Michael’s upper arms, and he didn’t resist.

“Don’t bother tryin’ to get back in,” he said, stepping over and lifting Michael’s chin so their eyes met briefly, and even the agent part of him was having trouble resisting the urge to run his fingers over Mike’s jawline, to work a thumb gently across his throat until he brushed up against his Adam’s apple, to climb up the pack of his neck and fluff his hair.

“Why?” Michael asked, voice rough, and breaking even with one word.

Sean knew what he was asking about. But Thorton couldn’t come back. Sean knew what he was asking about but he pretended he didn’t because Thorton could never come back.

“Don’t bother tryin’ to get back in, because I lied.”

The tiniest bit of hope sparking in his eyes, and he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t, anything less and Michael might come back one day but Sean couldn’t. So, he let Agent Darcy do it instead. Smiled, just on the border of a smirk, patted Agent Thorton’s head and nodded at the security agents.

“I lied, Mikey,” he lied. “You are a bad agent. And we both know it. I don’t know why we’ve put up with it for so long, but that ends today.”

And he knew what he’d find happening in Thorton’s eyes if he looked. And he knew if he looked that would be the image he fell asleep and woke up picturing for weeks, months, maybe even years alone in his empty room.

He couldn’t do it. Not even for Thorton he couldn’t, he’d said he’d do anything but he felt sick and Agent Darcy didn’t need to pay attention to the figure anyway, he was done for.

He focused on security instead.

“Try and play nice,” he advised one of the men holding on to an arm. “He is my friend, after all.”

The man nodded curtly. The two started walking him out, and when he went limp in their arms, breathing ragged and uneven, they dragged him.

#next week on #will i ever edit things before i post them #(no.)#actually #if there was any danger of people seeing it i might #im pretty sure im talking to myself over here #obviosuly #or i wouldnt be bitching in the tags like this #i am deeply sorry if you are reading this #im having a pity party ill stop now