On Sunday, the game that was supposed to see Celta Vigo take on Real Madrid the Estadio de Balaidos was postponed because of stadium concerns. Extreme weather on the Friday before the game had caused some damage to Celta’s home stadium and after a report presented by Vigo’s city council, Balaidos was not deemed safe for the game to go on.
However, since the game was postponed, all the focus has been on Real Madrid and Vigo’s mayor, Abel Caballero, a battle that was started on Monday by Mr. Caballero and has continued through Tuesday when he said he was disappointed by Real Madrid’s behavior, and even accused them of being arrogant and inconsiderate of the dangerous conditions.
¡OJO! Abel Caballero, ALCALDE de Vigo, INDIGNADO: "El Madrid NO MANDA AQUÍ". #JUGONES pic.twitter.com/TZe8N5oXEw
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) February 6, 2017
This prompted a response from Los Blancos, who slammed Vigo’s mayor by virtually calling him a liar and saying his claims were completely false.
Official Announcement.
https://t.co/Pc4MmFxspF#RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/wTwN3gXcMJ— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) February 6, 2017
Opportunism at its fullest.
In terms of the game being postponed, there is nothing to argue. Vigo’s city council made a report stating the potential liability and it was wise to cancel the game. In fact, it was Abel Caballero who announced on Saturday afternoon that the game would not be played, even though the league office didn’t officially cancel the match until later that evening.
Regardless, Abel Caballero’s behavior this week was nothing more than an opportunity for him to reinforce his political image. He claims that Real Madrid tried pressuring the city to play the game at any cost. Something that, as previously stated by Madrid, is completely false. Not just that, no one at club, from Florentino Perez to Zidane to the players, has even said anything publicly in regards to Sunday’s postponed fixture.
So why would Abel Caballero make a big deal about this? It has nothing to do with media reports, closed door conversations, or public statements.
Very simple, it’s all a political stunt. By challenging Real Madrid, Spain’s most successful and hated football club, he is:
Winning easy votes.
Strengthening his political image amongst fellow colleagues.
Gaining some global awareness.
