Spain has started welcoming tourists again, but that Corona virus lingers on and The government of Madrid is responsible for some of the deaths during this pandemic. What is the mood like in Madrid and across the country?
The mood here has recently improved considerably due to the reopening of bars and restaurants – extremely important institutions in everyday Spanish life. It’s been an incredibly difficult month, so it will be some time before normality is restored, but the people here are resilient and carry on. It will be interesting to see how the next few weeks go when the domestic tourism season gets underway and foreign visitors arrive. If the country can survive the summer relatively unscathed, it will mean an enormous psychological and economic upswing.
On to soccer matters. Barcelona have changed coaches since the dramatic Supercopa semi-final loss to Atlético. Has Quique Setién done a good job considering the chaotic circumstances?
Given the squad he inherited, it would always be a difficult task for Setien. There were many injuries, but once again it was largely thanks to Lionel Messi. They have become very predictable and they really lack the midfield personality to dominate the opponents and really hurt them. And of course Antoine Griezmann doesn’t have to prevail in the changing room.
There is no doubt that Setién deserves some form of criticism. He has been at Camp Nou since January and I don’t see how he developed as a manager. It’s pretty much the setien ball we saw in Las Palmas and Real Betis. On a scale of 1-10, I would give Setien a lukewarm 6.
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Photo by David S. Bustamante / Soccrates / Getty Images
Griezmann made a crucial mistake on Iago Aspas‘Balance on Saturday. He has only played 88 minutes in the last three games. What went wrong for him in his first season at Barça?
I think a lot has to do with personality. He was never the loudest player, but he was a kind of calm leader at Atlético Madrid. It must be said that Atleti built her attack on the Frenchman’s strengths, and now he is in Leo Messi’s team and still finds a lot of his own place in the locker room, it seems. He’s obviously still a world class player, but I’m sure that Barça fans expect him to do much more in the coming months.
I know my answer, but who do you prefer – Jan Oblak or Marc André Ter Stegen?
In this case I have to stay true to the Slovenian. He will go under as Atlético Madrid’s greatest goalkeeper ever.
Finally – what is your scoreline prediction?
After a brilliant return to action, Atleti basically comes with house money – nothing to lose – and if Simeone chooses an aggressive lineup, I think they can get a result at Camp Nou. 1-1.
