"Real Madrid's quick counterattack down the right, Di María carries the ball."
"Look at Real Madrid's combination play this time, the pass goes inside to Modric."
"Modric stops sharply and goes past Thiago."
"Beep!"
"The referee blows the whistle, a foul by Atletico Madrid."
"Foul from behind by Koke."
"The referee calls Koke over and shows him a yellow card."
"It is the first yellow card of the game, shown in the 11th minute."
…
Simeone on the touchline was furious.
He kept yelling at the referee and venting his dissatisfaction at the fourth official. He believed that this foul did not deserve a yellow card and that the decision was too harsh.
Referee Kuipers heard Simeone and stopped play. He ran over to warn Simeone to mind his words, having heard that the coach's comments had crossed the line.
The Argentine shrugged helplessly, turned, and walked back, still muttering under his breath.
He was clearly unhappy with the decision.
A yellow card after only 11 minutes, what does that mean?
Wasn't he supposed to be lenient, Kuipers?
"Damn it, if anyone tells me again that he's refined, gentle, and handsome, I'll kill him!"
Simeone dropped into his seat in the visiting dugout, still cursing, obviously feeling wronged.
Assistant coach Germán Burgos handed him a bottle of water. "Have a drink, calm down."
"The referee felt the pressure from the other side," Burgos said.
"Who wouldn't?" Simeone snapped. "A famous coach actually puts pressure on the referee, resorting to shameless tricks like that. No dignity at all!"
"I saw it long ago. He hinted before the match that the referee would be biased toward us, and now he's been piling on pressure from the start. All sorts of tricks. The kid is sly."
After venting, Simeone calmed a little, unscrewed the cap, and took a few sips.
Burgos smiled to himself.
When it comes to officiating standards, both teams know how to play the game. Plenty of tricks on both sides.
Objectively, appointing Kuipers for the final was indeed a lenient choice.
Does UEFA not know that?
Of course they do.
But this is the only viable appointment.
Why?
Because if a strict referee had been appointed, Atletico probably would not have been able to play their game, which is unrealistic.
How much are Real Madrid's players worth? What are their salaries?
And Atletico's?
Though not perfectly objective, in Europe's competitive football market, market value and wages do reflect a team's strength.
There is no comparison between Atletico and Real Madrid.
Therefore, Simeone's side can only rely on various methods, including defensive counterattacks and aggressive fouls, to limit Real Madrid's performance, barely keeping the match balanced.
UEFA understand this, hence the appointment.
Some may think it is unfair to Real Madrid.
Yes, it is indeed unfair, but what is fair in this world?
Real Madrid's membership model versus Atletico's shareholder model, is that fair?
Start with taxes, it is already unequal.
But this is reality, these are the rules. Either do not play, or accept them.
In European football, the reality is that football is first and foremost a show, a spectacle for fans and audiences.
That does not mean it is scripted. That would be a low-level show.
So what is a high-level show?
Like football.
A real contest.
But as the planner and promoter behind the scenes, UEFA must preserve suspense for the audience.
If the suspense dies early, is the game worth watching?
Fans who have watched for years know this. In a final, it is hard for the stronger team to get an early penalty or face an early red.
Why?
Because one penalty or a red card ends the game.
Conversely, the weaker team is more likely to get a penalty, because it adds suspense.
How is the balance controlled?
The answer is simple, the referee.
Of course, we are talking about marginal fouls, where the call is within the referee's discretion. If the foul is too obvious, it must be called.
Barcelona once asked the Spanish FA and UEFA to implement rules to better protect technical geniuses like Messi. Was it adopted?
No.
Because that would severely hamstring Barcelona's opponents.
Technical geniuses are always at strong and wealthy clubs. That is the market.
Real Madrid can assemble top midfielders like Toni Kroos, Modric, and Xabi Alonso, with top prospects like Pogba and Verratti, but Atletico cannot. They rely on Gabi, Thiago, Mario Suárez, and others to fight Real Madrid.
If Atletico are not allowed to be more aggressive and push the card limit, how can they compete?
Over the years, everyone in European football has grown used to these unwritten rules.
Because everyone benefits from them, even if Real Madrid occasionally suffer.
But that does not mean the elite clubs will let referees dictate the flow and allow weaker sides to wreak havoc.
Real Madrid will not let Atletico play the rules without response. They will use the rules too.
For example, just now, Ramos and his teammates applied pressure to the referee, and Gao Shen did so on the sideline. Gao Shen's language was polite, but look how angry he looked.
Was he anxious?
No.
He was acting to pressure the referee.
The Real Madrid players' reactions were similar.
From pre-match psychological hints to in-game statements, it was a combination designed to influence the referee's standard. Even if it does not favor Real Madrid, at least it should be neutral.
It is like a tug-of-war.
Initially, it leaned toward Atletico, but Real Madrid have pulled it back to the center.
That is what angered Simeone.
Especially since the referee warned him just for cursing.
Then why did you not warn Gao Shen earlier?
Is that not a double standard?
"If Kuipers does this again, I will block him in the tunnel at halftime!" Simeone fumed.
If the law is applied strictly to Atletico, how can they play?
In the first ten minutes, Atletico committed six or seven fouls, the whistle constantly stopping play. The game never flowed for more than two minutes.
That is what Atletico want.
But if the officiating is strict, how can they continue like this?
"No, Diego, with your temper, be careful you do not get sent off," Burgos warned.
"Relax, I am not stupid," Simeone waved him off.
He is certainly no fool.
How foolish? In 1998, they managed to provoke Beckham into a red in the World Cup and turn him from a darling into a target.
…
The officiating did not become very strict. It merely constrained Atletico slightly.
Clearly, Real Madrid's early protest had some effect.
Atletico reined it in, and Simeone even signaled the team to stabilize defensively first.
But Real Madrid's tactics tonight were cunning, even leaving Simeone uncertain.
He noticed Real Madrid's possession was high, at 73 percent, quite different from their usual profile.
Despite the high possession, their approach was specific.
They still insisted on using the wings, but as soon as Atletico stepped up to press, the wingers immediately recycled the ball without hesitation, sometimes even giving up promising attacks.
After the switch, Atletico struggled to attack.
If they kept pushing up, they exposed the space behind.
If they did not, Real Madrid kept the ball.
Once Atletico dropped off, Real Madrid slowed the tempo, passing in midfield and at the back, constantly pulling at Atletico's shape, occasionally breaking lines to force frequent shifts in Atletico's defensive block.
Gradually, Simeone understood Gao Shen's intention, and he grew even more annoyed.
It was shameless.
If I press, you switch it away. If I sit back, you keep it. Are you toying with me?
The key is that Real Madrid's "monkeying" is different from Barcelona's.
Barcelona use short passes, which Atletico can handle.
Real Madrid can go short, medium, or long, sometimes switching directly from one flank to the other.
That keeps Atletico extremely busy.
Simeone, sharp as ever, could see Gao Shen was draining Atletico's energy.
But so what if he could see it?
In pure strength, Real Madrid had the advantage. In pressing, dare they overcommit?
"Damn it, do not let me score first, or I will make you suffer," Simeone gritted his teeth.
He grew angrier when he saw his players occasionally dropping too deep. He kept shouting instructions from the sideline, signaling how to suffocate Real Madrid.
"Germán, I am telling you, this was arranged deliberately pre-match, they must have rehearsed it. Look how smoothly they are doing it," Simeone said acidly.
"But it is dangerous for us if we keep playing like this," Burgos frowned.
Simeone knew that.
It was like a bullfight. Real Madrid's tactics kept teasing Atletico. Sooner or later, an Atletico player would make a mistake, either out of impatience or imperfect execution.
Even if Atletico maintained efficiency, what would happen in the second half when their energy dropped?
Gao Shen's plan was an open trap, telling Simeone: you can decide how to die.
"This is disgusting," Simeone said through clenched teeth.
His tone betrayed his frustration, like a hungry wolf grinding its teeth, ready to bite at any moment.
But he was depressed to realize he was the prey.
(To be continued.)