Whatever the result, a cup final is one of the most beautiful things that someone who truly loves their club can experience. Congratulations to Real Sociedad.
01Estadio de La Cartuja · Seville
The neutral stand
While writing the preview on the flight, I could imagine how difficult the match would be. Then I entered the ground, discovered that my seat was in the neutral stand among the Real Sociedad support, and saw that the tifo was for Aitor Zabaleta. The two teams were fighting for different reasons.
If Atlético were fighting for the result and for what the trophy would mean to Griezmann, Real Sociedad were fighting for history, for dignity and for the figure who will always be absent yet never forgotten.
Even without Atlético’s elementary lapses in concentration, that difference in will could have closed the gap in individual quality. Atlético were also carrying heavy physical fatigue, visible especially down the right side during the match.
02The morning after
After the final
Atlético are not particularly good at recovering quickly from negative emotion. After the match, I did not see the coach or players proactively accept responsibility in the media, in the way Juanfran once did.
This is not about blaming anyone. The humanity of football begins with accepting mistakes. As long as the players and coaches have given everything and acted professionally, they deserve applause.
But emotion without responsibility leaves no room for self-reflection. Emotion alone lets a team sink deeper into the inertia of deflation and can become another excuse for avoidance. That is a dangerous signal.
Saturday was not the end of the world; there were still matches to play. I can accept defeat and mistakes, but not going through the motions or becoming numb. Applause will always be reserved for those who honour the shirt.