Greeting everyone,
I came here to post just to add some points to the discussion.
People here compare Barcelona to Liverpool even thought the football played in Camp Nou and in Anfield serves purposes quite different from each other. For sure, we are talking about the same sport in a technical sense, but the values behind the different implementations should not be forgotten.
English football is more about sports entertainment nowadays and as such, it serves mainstream audiences extremely well. In Spain, however, a stronger degree a social notions goes with football. In Barcelona's case, the club stands for a specific identity, one that hasn't been able to legalize itself thoroughly even though it has legitimized its essence. And with Barça, a lot of this essence is showcased on a regular basis.
Therfore, Barça is a club that shows a very visible part of the Catalan identity to outside world. And as such, it forms this identity. The defeats and victories are a part a process to get recognized. Think of yourself trying to object something which has more right to exist and which for you has no basis. The situation may not be so drastic nowadays, but the basis of the club shouldn't be underestimated nevertheless.
With cules, this year has been hard for the identity. There was a lot of misgiven promises - the fans lived in a different reality in which Barça was going to succeed this year. This was because of certain statements. Therefore, the failures of the season are far more influential. If there is a club which highlights a certain identity, one should do the utmost to not betray the structure of the identity. Regarding Barça, the illusion was to beat Madrid and to regain the strength to the identity. I'd say that people put more influence on Barça regarding their lives than they did at some points of Gaspart regime, for instance. Of course, I'm stating that without valid facts.
During this year, the fans have had to restructure the identity of Barcelona. There have been few solid references, but when there have been such, they have been recognized in the way of Messi and Bojan, for instance. But because of the fractured identity, the blame has been diversified as well. Therefore, different figures have been the main culprits during different periods.
Regarding the discussion about Eto'o a different perspective could be beneficial. Because of what Barça means to some of cules, this year's failures have been very personal. The wounds have been social, by nature. Because the essence of the club cannot be controverted, someone has to take blame for the failures. During this period it would have been essential that the team would have shared the feelings with the fans in order to remind of the shared identity. Everything else will hit the nerve, in a manner of speaking.
This is exactly what Eto'o managed to do, even though it was most likely by accident. I don't think he was criticized because of his form. His far too beloved for that. But when he made the statements to the press he willingly made himself an outsider for not being part of the ingroup. During another time this would be forgotten but now it's going to take longer for him to regain the trust. It's not merely about fans believing his not going to leave, but that he shows that he's indeed a part of the "family". The notion of family could have saved players from criticism but this time it was not to be. And the reason why there isn't this kind of conduct in Anfield is because there are fewer of these kind of nerves there. For every boo, there is a reason. Even if it's the pressure in the stadium.
Also, when speaking about the criticism against Laporta, we should remember the historical background of the club. During Franco's period, Barça stood for the Catalan culture and, to some extent, objected centralized power and authoritarian system. I'd say these notions co-exist with modern Barcelona even if implicitly. Yet, there are implications when it comes to the management of the club. The day the president shows signs of authoritarian nature, the cules react. Again, the perspective is discursive, but for me it would be natural reaction against experiences of dictatorship. And the effect of such reactions goes within the speech more so than in concrete actions. Of course, some of the Catalan fans here would have more to say whether there is this kind of notion in the Catalan culture.
In essence to this conversation, I'd say that the day the comparison between F.C. Barcelona and English clubs is valid, is the day the soul of the club vanishes.
Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is another issue altogether. However, one should never forget how different the football is in the stadiums around the world even though it might appear the same. This doesn't add or take value from any of it, it's just something we should keep in mind before criticizing.
I would have booed as well in Camp Nou, had I felt betrayed by the actions of the team.
