August is over, but there is money to be made and prestigeto be fought for in La Liga. Such is the omnipotence of the Castillian club,Real Madrid, and the Catalan team, Barcelona, that this is already the 13thmeeting between them in less than two years. On the score sheet, nobody won orlost. The aggregate of the two games played on successive Wednesdays ended up4-4. And Madrid received the trophy on the basis of having scored more awaygoals.
The ideologies between the two clubs’ managers are worldsapart however. Vilanova is obviously as committed as his predecessor, PepGuardiola, to Messi, and who would not be, given the 73 goals the littlemaestro conjured up for Barcelona last season? Mourinho is somewhat lessaccommodating to talented individuals. Heaven knows, he has enough of them atMadrid. He inherited one of the world’s finest play-makers, the Brazilian Kaka,when Mourinho arrived as coach two years ago.
But Kaka’s chronic knee injuries made Real go out and buyGermany’s Mesut Ozil. This week, the club also paid at least $ 43 million toacquire Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Modric, of Croatia. The three play makers “Kaka, Ozil, and Modric “ would fetch close to $200 million on the open market.Their wages are prohibitive to all but a handful of other clubs.
And there lies a terrible dilemma. Mourinho, in his ownunpleasant way, has let Kaka know that he is surplus around the SantiagoBernabeu. He can stay if he wants to, or go if he chooses. With Ozil preparedto run slavishly for Mourinho, and with Modric the new arrival, it is painfullyobvious that Kaka, the best player in the world until his injuries struck, canwither away in reserve.
Mourinho spoke dismissively about Ricardo Carvalho, thePortuguese defender he has relied upon at Porto, at Chelsea and Madrid. “Ricardois not part of our plans for the season,” he said. “It is up to him whether hewants to continue playing, or stay at Real Madrid and meet his contractualobligation and practically end his sporting career.” Carvalho’s age, 34, is anissue. So is salary because few clubs could match the money that Madrid pays.Mourinho wants him, and Kaka, out of the way.
