FA CHIEF executive Martin Glenn wasted a lot of breath admonishing Pep Guardiola for wearing a yellow ribbon.
He got over-excited about it, too, summoning comparisons with the hammer and sickle, swastikas and even the Star of David to make his point.
Overkill comes no more ridiculous than this. A host of Jewish organisations soon rousted him about their inclusion among the genocidal madmen of the 20th Century and he duly apologised.
Glenn’s reaction might have been prescribed by Guardiola. For the price of a small knot of ribbon, the Manchester City manager had drawn attention to the imprisonment of protesting Catalans in their campaign for separation from Spain.
The FA charged him with ‘wearing a political message’ and promptly accepted City’s request for a paper hearing, before fining him £20,000 — leading to more publicity for the Catalan cause.
You may have noticed that the Uefa Champions League will allow him to wear his ribbon. While Fifa, until last November, banned British teams from wearing poppies.
In a league of twisted knickers, this pales beside the chaos of the Video Assistant Referee and the World Cup in Qatar.
Guardiola knew he was out of line when he pinned the ribbon on. Instead of doing what they are there for, the FA re-opened a debate which will never go away.
GUARD IS UP Manchester City put Pep Guardiola contract extension talks on hold over summer plans
But someone has to be a guardian and because the task falls to the FA they should marshal their arguments most carefully, omitting swastikas.
Guardiola knew as the most successful manager in football, he can bust a small rule and win huge headlines. He even prepared the way by agreeing the ribbon would come off if the FA didn’t like it?
MOST READ IN FOOTBALL
He is a subtle manipulator who has several close rivals in such a funk they won’t come out to fight.
Even Sir Alex Ferguson was never able to inspire the degree of fear that this Catalan Caesar has created among one or two managers who, at the start of the season, thought they would be within reach of the title.
He is astute enough never to have used bull-at-a-gate tactics to come out for Catalan independence, rather to have made the case that his people have a right to let the Spanish government know how they feel.
Against such classic hair-splitting, what chance had the FA?
Indeed, similar feelings of puzzlement must be occupying many minds in top football.
Already, Antonio Conte at Chelsea has fallen victim to angry frustration; Arsene Wenger has lost his sheen as the prince of beautiful football and Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp are aghast that the points United, Spurs and Liverpool are amassing may not be enough for a return to the Champions League next season.
For Guardiola, the yellow ribbon affair has been a small political victory to set beside the League, the League Cup and possibly the biggie, City’s first Champions League trophy.
Leave a comment