One of the many reasons why sport is so enduringly popular is that it often provides the most incredible sense of occasion and timing. Some of the best stories written in sporting history would be laughed out of Hollywood if proposed by a scriptwriter, yet it is these moments which live long in memory, adorn the history books and make us love sport that little bit more.
Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph—‘The Miracle of Medinah’—in 2012, Jonny Wilkinson’s drop kick in 2003, Liverpool’s Miracle in Istanbul in 2005 and ‘Ian Botham’s Ashes’ at Headingly 1981 are all moments that live in sporting memory for the sense of timing and narrative that they created.
Narrative can sometimes be considered a ‘dirty’ word in sports journalism; the easy way to create a story for an upcoming event. These include (and are not limited to) a player returning to their former club or two teams facing off, one looking for revenge over another for a past defeat.
Camp Nou set for celebration of Cruyff
In the case of this weekend’s El Clásico, the game is one of the few in recent memory that hasn’t had the destiny of the La Liga title riding on it. But far from being unimportant, it is has the potential to be one of the great events in the fixture’s history.
The untimely death of Johan Cruyff, barely one week ago, has seen a great emotional outpouring from across the world of football. One of the standout images of the mourning at the Nou Camp memorial was that of Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez and Barcelona’s equivalent, Josep Maria Bartomeu, walking side by side to pay their respects.
That the first round of fixtures since Cruyff’s passing should feature a match between the two at the Nou Camp is possibly the most appropriate match that Barcelona could have been scheduled. It goes without saying that the first two fixtures looked for on the La Liga calendar are the matchups between the two titans of Spanish football, but with the title picture already painted in Barcelona’s favour, the latest instalment in this historic clash can be solely focused on honouring the man responsible for laying the foundations of this great club.
Firstly as a player and then as a coach, Cruyff’s influence can be felt deeply in the fabric of Barcelona. The playing style, developed by the inspiring football cultivated by Renus Michels at Ajax, and perfected by Cruyff as a coach at Barcelona has transcended generations. The concepts of ball retention and movement have continually made a great impression on La Masia graduates and self-confessed disciples of Cruyff such as Pep Guardiola and Xavi.
Guardiola’s reverence to the Dutchman was clear when he said; ‘Cruyff painted the chapel and Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it’.
Amongst the usual noise and colour, the Nou Camp will pay its respects in a pre-match mosaic spelling out ‘Gracies Johan’. The match itself will have the general ongoing base narrative of the two superpowers facing off in search of pride and honour, but for the Catalans, this match will be about more than three points. It will be a chance to say ‘thank you’ to the man who lit up stadiums wearing the famous blaugrana; the man who created the philosophy of modern Barcelona, and for the world to show thanks to the man who believed that beauty was more important than winning.
