2 d. ago Viva Vitinha: how PSG’s deep conductor proved Lionel Messi wrong | Barney Ronay

Midfield fulcrum was not rated by the Argentinian maestro or Wolves but was central to Champions League triumph“Not only are you bad, but you’re hurting me.” The words, there, or so it was claimed, of Lionel Messi; and however you spin it, a fairly tough six-month performance review from the greatest player of all time and your own footballing idol.Back in February 2023 Vitinha was very quick to deny that any such training ground altercation had taken place between himself and Messi, whatever the reports in the French football press at the time (another version of that conversation has Messi saying: “Do you see? This is why you’re shit.”). Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Wembley turns a shade of Selhurst after a victory for Palace’s Concrete Catalonia | Barney Ronay

Sound the tram bells, unleash the smoke plumes from the Tasty Jerk shack – Crystal Palace have finally won a major trophyAs the final whistle was blown at Wembley there was a moment that seemed to stretch out and become frozen in time. The Crystal Palace players collapsed where they were standing, crumpled across the grass like a battle scene fresco. The colours made it beautiful, red and blue against the deep green, new optics, new names, the unstyled celebrations of players unused to these moments, Jean-Philippe Mateta face down, Will Hughes flat on his back, arms spread like a snow angel.There was rush of noise as the clock began to tick again. And that was that. Sound the tram bells, unleash the smoke plumes from the Tasty Jerk shack – 119 years into Crystal Palace’s existence this mercurial club with the clanky corrugated stadium has finally won a major trophy. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago FA Cup final buildup, Barney Ronay Q&A, Bradley’s new Liverpool deal – matchday live

All the buildup to the FA Cup final, 4.30pm kick-offShare your thoughts with matchday live or post BTLChat over. Will Hughes strolls across the car park to get some photographs taken. As it happens, the man emerging from the gym at that very moment is the Crystal Palace midfield partner whose praises Hughes has just been lavishly exalting.“Just added about £20m to your fee in that interview,” Hughes shouts at Adam Wharton as they pass. “You can have half,” Wharton retorts. All delivered with a knowing smile, for this is the Palace of Oliver Glasner, where – as Hughes puts it – “there’s egos, but good egos”. No arrogance, none of the blame culture he sees elsewhere. “You watch other teams and hands are in the air, there’s moaning,” he says. “But I honestly don’t see any of that here.” Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago FA Cup final buildup to Crystal Palace v Manchester City – matchday live

All the buildup to the FA Cup final, 4.30pm kick-offShare your thoughts with matchday live or post BTLComments are open so please bombard me with your thoughts, including questions for Barney Ronay.Alternatively you can email our matchday live address. Continue reading...

Sport

3 w. ago Cricket paying the price for being ruled by the big stick, and the big cheque | Barney Ronay

The suspension of the IPL has ramifications for the game worldwide, but it has allowed itself to be too in thrall to the Indian money machineThe thing about always saying yes to the person with the biggest stick is that, in the end, you don’t get to say yes any more. Or no. Or anything else for that matter. The thing about always taking the money is that in the end the money has to be repaid. The thing about aligning all your interests with a single furiously nationalistic political party is Well, it’s the thing we have now.It would be incorrect to say English cricket and the ECB are in danger of being compromised, financially menaced and basically screwed by ripples from the deeply distressing, potentially apocalyptic escalation of military conflict in Kashmir. Or rather it would be incomplete to say this. English cricket is all of these things. But more widely cricket everywhere is screwed by this. Financially, structurally, even – and this feels like laughter in the dark – morall...

Economics

3 w. ago All cake, no icing: Arteta’s Arsenal left sensing a familiar ghost in the shadows | Barney Ronay

Arsenal dominated the start of the match, as they knew they had to, but without a genuine centre-forward it was all in vainHow to lose a game of football part 94: losing while appearing to win, advanced level. It will be tempting to see in the opening 27 minutes of this Champions League semi-final second leg a perfect little miniature, an executive summary of a team and a mini-era, out there under the hard white lights of the Parc des Princes, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal pinned and wriggling on the wall.The club’s supporters will feel the pain more keenly because for the first 26 of those 27 minutes this was a slick, luminous, dominant Arsenal away performance. They flooded the midfield, controlled the ball, won it back aggressively. Martin Ødegaard squirrelled about, all malevolent invention. Arsenal had 75% possession, six shots and 10 crosses. They were all over this game, arms on both lapels, pressing PSG back against the edge of things. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Trajectory, vibe, a sense of progress: why Arsenal can’t afford a Paris mismatch | Barney Ronay

There is a fair chance Mikel Arteta’s team won’t beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. If they must lose, lose rightIs this thing still on? After last week’s strangely enervated first-leg performance against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium it has been tempting to get a bit ahead of things, to see Arsenal’s season as already a zombie entity, still out there walking around the place, limbs twitching, skinny hands rattling the perimeter fence, not exactly dead, but not too far from undead.On Monday night, even, Paris police declared Wednesday’s return leg at the Parc des Princes an event “of no particular concern”, as in no great flashpoints, no obvious tension. Just don’t tell Mikel Arteta that. And not just because rumours of the death of Arsenal’s season are widely exaggerated. There is even a nightmare scenario available to the club’s supporters, a product of the deep banter-verse, where Arsenal don’t make the Champions League next season but Tottenham do. A...

Politics