19:21 hours. Night closed in Donostia. The two buses from La Real arrive at the Anoeta Stadium. A score of young people wait for mobile phones in hand. A gang of kids bumps into the coaches at the exit of the sports center Josean
Gasca. There is no aroma to a great day. No t-shirts. No applause. No people. Last night's game was anything but a nice evening of soccer.
19:44 hours. The group of fans at the Mole's Gates has been reduced to 10 individuals. There are three Neapolitan ‘tifossi’ dressed from top to bottom in light blue. They do show that Real and Naples were going to face you one hour later. “Zero-tre, zero-tre”, shouted the most excited. They have had to pass part of the Erasmus coronavirus in Donostia. Not a bad place to live for six months.
Silence reigns in Plaza Ferrerías. Half entry into the Bar Maite. 'La Venta del Curro' with the lights off and the blinds down. “Surely a worker has tested positive,” said a lady to her husband as they headed for line 17 on the way to Gros. The curfew was approaching. Depressing scene at the gates of the most attractive match of the group stage of the Europa League 20/21.
Hymns for nobody
The protocol rules and with eight minutes to go before the start of the game, the “Txuri Urdin” was already sounded. For no one. In other circumstances, almost 39,000 scarves would have been proudly blown to tell Europe that “here is the Real”. Nobody sings. Nobody's skin cramps. The sofas are starting to get small in every Gipuzkoan house.
As soon as the ball was put into play, those present already realized what the most used word of the night was going to be “Modi”. Sagnan entered replacing Aritz and left the little more than 200 spectators cooler when they failed the first two passes. Hands at the head of Imanol, who did not stop giving instructions to the Frenchman throughout the meeting. “Modi, the line!Modi, with Petagna!Modi, simple!”. Everybody named the French. Remiro, You
Normand, Gorosabel. The screams could be heard from the Avenida de Madrid.
On the other side of the bench, an elegant GattusoWith a few extra pounds, he didn't know how to stop the Real. He lost his balance and came to touch the ground in a realistic combinatorial play, as if wanting to go behind the ball to steal. We are not for these trots, Gennaro. More trouble with Insigne's injury. “Chucky, Chucky!! ”. The Mexican came out cold but sore from the blows on his coach's back.
There was no rocket
In the first half he died without either team being able to unbalance the score. Bad fortune had reserved the worst of it for the second act. A harmless Naples from the first actions of the match found the goal in the most cruel way possible. Politano launched a missile that hit the head of Sagnan.A “Nooo !!” widespread throughout the stadium. “What do I do?” Sagnan with open arms. Because there was not even a rocket to corroborate the Neapolitan goal.
If the Real dominated with the 0-0, with the visitor goal the defensive attitude of Naples worsened. While, Monreal he recriminated his ex-partner Ospina, with whom he agreed at Arsenal, to do theater. La Real tried by all means while Gattuso he ate the linesman in every action. With the final whistle came the embarrassing action of the match. Fabian and a Neapolitan coach pounced on the realistic bench in a cocky attitude. With Anoeta without people it cannot be called football.