Di Stefano, Madrid's honorary president, wrote in his weekly
column in sports newspaper Marca on Monday that the Portuguese coach's team
showed no “personality” after a result Saturday that practically clinches
Barcelona's third straight league trophy.
“Barcelona's football in the Bernabeu was simply brilliant.
Their superiority was there for the whole planet to see,” Di Stefano wrote. “Madrid
was a team without personality. The decision to try and play Barcelona on the
counterattack was clearly not the right one.
“Barcelona play football and dance while Madrid just run
back and forth constantly, tiring themselves out.” The 84-year-old Di Stefano
hopes Madrid realizes that new tactics are needed for Wednesday's Copa del Rey
final — the second of four meetings between the Spanish rivals inside 18 days.
The pair will also meet in a two-legged Champion League semifinal series.
“We saw clearly that their approach was not the right one.
Barcelona were a lion, Madrid a mouse,” Di Stefano wrote before heaping further
praise on Barcelona's tactics, a surprise for such a famous Madrid personality.
“You don't just watch their football with your eyes but you
feel it inside. They treat the ball with adoration and respect, almost
nurturing it. To see this team in action is a delight.” Di Stefano helped make
Madrid one of the world's biggest clubs after being a key player in five
straight European Cup victories in the 1950s.
