On March 17, 2022, during a training session for the Real Sociedad first team in Zubieta, time seemed to stand still for all those who love this club: one of its captains, the flagship of this Real, the heart of this group, Mikel Oyarzabal, was seriously injured. Eibartarra tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee. Recovery time? An eternity. Guarantees of full recovery? nothing. The diagnosis could not have been more discouraging. La Real lost its most important asset in the middle of the match to get a place in the Champions League, and, in addition, the footballer missed the World Cup event in Qatar, where he was a permanent fixture of the coach. Luis Enrique.
Comparisons and references to similar situations were quickly used, which contributed to the development of more confusion, because the results of the investigations were not equal, depending on each case, each main character.
One can only hope that, again, Michael He will overcome adversity, and end up proving that he is made of different stuff. But it won’t be an easy task, even for him. The months of work will pass in solitude, a time where you can talk about almost everything; a time when failed threats of return are almost as painful as the injury itself. And then comes the stage when you start accumulating minutes in the body, but the sensations are far from expected. Critical voices are beginning to be heard, those demanding a bench Oyarzabalbecause, they even dare to prove, Real plays with ten footballers on the field when they play Oyarzabal. That sounds so obscenely cruel that it’s not even worth considering. But it was heard, and the most serious thing is that they probably really believed. And all this, and Michael He wasn’t deaf, he didn’t live on another planet either, it got to him. How he did it, I don’t know, but the truth is that Oyarzabalas before, is back to cover the mouths of “those who don’t understand football.”
STATISTICS, DAMN STATISTICS
“Damn statistics”, that’s what you should think Imanol every time he was reminded of his numbers against Barcelona since he became Real Sociedad’s first team coach. And the balance at home is particularly tough. Their particular crossroads began with a two-goal tie, being Valverde coach of Barça, but the worst was yet to come, as the next three matches at Anoeta ended in three defeats, each more painful. The first (1-6) against Barcelona Ronald Koeman; the second (0-1) with Xavi on the rival bank, and finally, also with one from Terrassa leading the troop of culé, the last (1-4).
It is true that against the Blaugrana, the same thing happens with Real Madrid, it is very difficult to maintain a clean statistic, for obvious reasons, but it is true that in the case of the Catalan team, the balance is disastrous.
Next Saturday they will meet again Imanol and Xavi, in a rivalry that promises a lot, given the potential of both squads. Realzales will logically ignore all those bad numbers and focus only on their team’s last visit to Camp Nou, which was a great memory. Normal!
A LADDER WITH SIX STEPS
That is, to put it very simply, what separates Real from its current cup-bearing rivals, CD Buñol. La Real is in the First Division, while the mediocre Levantine team plays in the Liga Comunitat Grupo Norte, which has become the Regional Preferente, in other words, the sixth step in the structure of competitive football in Spain. That is the chasm that separates both clubs at the moment.
LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES
The Cup occupies a certain place in the ranking of annual competitions in each country. It lives somewhat in the shadow of other tournaments, such as the League or European tournaments, but there is no doubt that it has a particular charm. And the first rounds, where teams and populations unknown to the majority see, also become an opportunity for those “forgotten” from other tournaments.
DID YOU KNOW…?
– Imanol’s statistics at Barça are as follows: 11 matches with a balance of 1 win, 1 draw and 10 losses.
– In front of Imanol-Xavi Hernández, the one from Terrassa added 3 victories (2 in the League and 1 in the Cup), for 1 victory in the league for Oriotarra.
– Last May’s win at the Camp Nou snapped a tough 32-year streak without beating Barça away from home.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
