he big day has finally arrived. Real Madrid meet Barcelona in the
final of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night at Mestalla, yet neither
side can boast of perfect preparations ahead of the latest Clasico
clash.
Madrid came out on top the last time the two teams faced each other
in a final of the cup competition (in 2011, also at Valencia's stadium),
but will be without their match-winner that night and finest
footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, in this game. Meanwhile, Carlo
Ancelotti's side have already lost twice to Barca in the current
campaign and have been generally disappointing against other top teams
this term.
But Barca have problems of their own. Blighted by off-field issues in
2013-14, the Catalans come into this final following the worst week of
their entire season after they were knocked out of the Champions League
by Atletico Madrid and then all but conceded La Liga with a shock 1-0
loss at Granada on Saturday. The European exit was described by coach
Gerardo Martino as a "failure", while defender Martin Montoya said the players were "pretty screwed up mentally" after their defeat in Andalucia.
So will the 2011 clash have any effect on Wednesday's final? Can
Madrid cope without Ronaldo? How will Barca put their problems behind
them? And which of the two teams has the psychological edge?
To answer all of that and more, Goal got in touch with respected Spanish sports psychologist Patricia Ramirez
and she, in turn, discussed the topics in a group exercise with her
students on the Masters programme at the ISEP (Higher Institute of
Psychological Studies) in Barcelona.
Here's what they had to say...
Will losing the last two Clasico clashes affect Madrid?
Even
though Real Madrid's results against Barcelona this season haven't been
favourable, it is the outcome of the last few games that will define
the cup final. Real Madrid reached the semi-finals of the Champions
League last week and then thrashed Almeria in La Liga (a comprehensive
victory which sees them move up to second place and back in the race for
the title, even though they still don't depend on themselves).
Barcelona, meanwhile, have suffered two painful defeats that have left
them out of the Champions League and seen them drop to third in La Liga.
These recent events could make the difference between the two teams:
one arrives with their morale restored, the other with their spirits
drained.
If we look at the last results in their direct meetings, it's true
that Madrid have lost the last two Clasicos. However, if we focus on
performance, their last match was a clash between two great teams which
was decided by small details and in which either side could have claimed
victory. Therefore, this final shouldn't depend too much upon those
games, but is likely to be decided by other factors.
Ancelotti must take advantage of the current situation and transmit
that positivity to his players, making them aware that they're alive in
all three competitons, while their rival has just suffered a big blow.
In terms of variable factors, that's one of the main weapons Ancelotti
can use for the benefit of his team.
Which of the two teams are under the most pressure?
Taking
the above into account, the team under most pressure to win at the
moment is Barcelona. The Champions League (in which they performed well
below what was expected) is now gone and after their last Liga game, the
outcome of the title is no longer in their hands. For both Tata and the
players, Wednesday's game is a chance to cheer up the fans and repair
the season somewhat.
For Madrid, meanwhile, the cup final has taken something of a back
seat. After advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League and the
uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo (a key player for this team),
the season's objectives have reorganised themselves, and now the
priority is La Decima.
That will all change if, at the end of the season, Madrid haven't won La Decima
or La Liga. In that case, the cup would be a good way to save the
season. All of that remains to be seen, but Madrid are a team where
winning titles is a must and even more so when you consider they have
only won one Liga, one Copa and a Spanish Supercopa in the last
three-and-a-half terms.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a key player for Real Madrid and playing
Wednesday's final without him could generate doubts in the other
players. All of that depends on whether there is a perception of
dependency or not, and whether the coach has worked on making the group
stick together and made the players feel like a team as a whole; that
each one of them brings something special and unique on the field of
play. If that has been achieved, Ronaldo's absence shouldn't be too much
of a problem because the player coming in should be willing to give
everything for his team and win the game.
As far as Barcelona are concerned, it could represent a boost. That
weak point in the rival can be worked on and turned into a strong point
for your own team. The more variables and factors studied before the
match, the more confidence the players will have when they go out onto
the pitch. Self-confidence and security in these games comes from
knowing your own strengths and the rivals' weaknesses.
How can Martino lift Barca after recent "failure"?
Essentially by changing the concept of what is "failure". He has to
instill in his players the belief that failure is part of learning, that
it's something on the path between what they have and what they want.
They played the game against Atletico Madrid and lost, they failed in
their objective of passing to the semi-finals and therefore must work on
their other aims still left this season. Every game now represents "a
final" and if they don't win all of their remaining matches, they will
never know what might have been. The coach and his staff first and
foremost cannot let that happen.
The reading of this situation is simple. The coach and the players,
first separately and then as a group, must answer the following
question: What could I/we have done differently to achieve our goal?
That way, they'll be analysing their performance and focusing on the
solutions (not on the mistakes) and those will help the team to evolve.
That's how they can overcome those defeats.
Ahead of the final, it's possible that morale has been affected by
the events of this last week, but the significance of this match is such
that it's an opportunity for them to redeem themselves and a reason in
itself for the team to be in conditions to perform at their maximum
level.
Are fees and off-field issues affecting Bale and Neymar?
It's true that the fees paid by Madrid and Barca for Bale and Neymar,
respectively, could be affecting them - as well as the other problems
surrounding the Brazilian's transfer, for example. However, players'
prices depend on the market and not on the footballers themselves.
So it's down to the players to deal with that or, often, the figure
of a psychologist or specialist coach to centre their attention on the
game itself. It has been proven that the mind can only respond to one
stimulus at a time and, in that respect, the player must train his mind
just like he trains his body, in order to concentrate on useful thoughts
that, in the moment they are competing, guide their actions towards
success.
That means focusing wholly on aspects relating to the match such as
plays, moves, tactics, etc, and eliminating any external distraction
which could interfere with the execution of those thoughts.
Will Madrid's win in the 2011 final have any bearing?
The final is 50-50. Barca need to win in order to restore some
morale, save their season and go into the final matches with renewed
enthusiasm, while Madrid need the title to add extra energy for what
lies ahead: the home straight in La Liga and the Champions League
semi-finals.
The 2011 final shouldn't be too relevant because situations have
changed, the two teams arrive in different conditions and the context
isn't the same. Every game is played in a determined moment and the
teams arrive in a certain shape. Both are eager to win on Wednesday and
there is no clear favourite, so there is unlikely to be any real
psychological advantage.
Having played at the same stadium and against the same rival could
have generated a negative emotional anchoring which influences the
present moment. Memories and past experiences are always present as we
assess our reality but players, with the help of a good motivator or
someone who can redirect those feelings and convert them into positive
vibrations, have the freedom to decide their thoughts. They can choose
between being anchored to the defeat three years ago or focusing on the
here and now, studying the rival in the present moment and using all
their skills (that are different to back then) and today's circumstances
to reach their objective.
As Ancelotti stressed himself: "I don't think the 2011 final gives us a psychological advantage."
