Arshavin shocked at tight La Liga race: 'Surprised only a point separates Barça and Madrid'
Former Arsenal star and self-proclaimed Barcelona fan Andrei Arshavin expressed disbelief at the narrow gap between the Catalan giants and Real Madrid in La Liga.
Former Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin has revealed his surprise at Barcelona’s slim advantage over Real Madrid in the La Liga table, admitting he expected a bigger gap given Madrid’s struggles this season.
Barça fan Arshavin speaks his mind
The Russian, who never hid his love for the Catalan side during his playing days, was speaking on Russian television when he made these comments. Arshavin seemed genuinely baffled that there’s just a single point separating the two Spanish giants in the league standings.
“Me sorprende que solo haya un punto de diferencia entre ellos,” said the former Gunner, showing his Barcelona colours once again.
What’s particularly interesting is Arshavin’s take on Madrid’s situation. He reckons Los Blancos have been performing well below par, which makes the tight race all the more surprising to him. The Russian also had some thoughts about interim manager Raúl Arbeloa, suggesting the former defender needs to focus more on connecting with players rather than just tactical diagrams.
Tactics not everything at Madrid
Arshavin didn’t stop there. He went on to discuss the importance of man-management at a club like Real Madrid, pointing to Xabi Alonso’s experience. According to the Russian, Alonso’s tactical approach didn’t work because he expected players to simply follow his instructions without building proper relationships.
It’s worth noting that Barcelona currently top La Liga with 52 points after 21 matches, with Real Madrid just a point behind. That’s proper close, innit? Not the daylight between them that Arshavin clearly expected to see.
The comments have raised a few eyebrows, especially given how competitive the Spanish title race has been this season. For a neutral, it’s been proper box office - though clearly our Russian friend was hoping for a bit more breathing room for his beloved Barça.
Seems like Arshavin’s still keeping his mince pies on Spanish football despite hanging up his boots years ago. Once a Barça supporter, always a Barça supporter, as they say in the Catalan capital.