Before I get started on the match itself, let’s review something that has cause a little bit of controversy. I’m talking, of course, about Messi receiving a kick in the face from Amorebieta. Let’s review:

So, what’s your opinion of this play? Note that no foul was called and no cards were given.

Personally, I don’t really see a major problem with the play. I agree with the commentators in the above video- to me it looks like Amorebieta was following through and Messi just didn’t seem to be able to stop himself in time. I think Barcelona should have had maybe a freekick and that a yellow might have been a bit harsh if it were given. Red card? No way, no how. Anyway, I am glad that Messi wasn’t hurt by this play, unlike certain other teams (yeah, that means you Real Madrid) I have respect for Barcelona and unlike certain players (i.e. Cristiano Ronaldo) I don’t dislike Messi. Plus, I’m always a fan of seeing hard play from Athletic players- this may not quite be that, but, hey, it’s entertaining.

I, personally, don’t think this was too controversial, but read below for something I think actually is!

So, how about the match itself? Let’s review:

First, Athletic lined up in a 4-5-1 rather than 4-4-2. Good choice I’d say, given the deadliness of Barcelona’s midfield.

The game didn’t start off so well. For the first half of the first half,Barcelona looked threatening and this could have been a different story. Luckily, Athletic seemed to get it together and held firm, before themselves taking the ball and making some plays of their own. Athletic went into the locker room having held Barcelona, and the conservative, defensive play looked like it would continue into the second half- and it did.

Still, Barcelona were able to break through and Xavi was able to pull some strings and create a goal in the 53rd. Toquero came on a few minutes later (Athletic return to 4-4-2), and he grabbed a goal for Athletic just a few minutes after that. By the skin of their teeth, Athletic hung on. I’m very happy with the point, as getting three points against Barcelona is something that just doesn’t happen very often. Athletic did get some other god chances which didn’t amount to much but, hey, against Barcelona great opportunities can vanish pretty quickly. Also, if Barcelona converted all of their chances, the scoreline would have been much, much worse for our side. After this last game, Athletic is sittin’ pretty at 8th place. That may sound unimpressive, but it’s much better than the relegation battles we have seen recently.

So the controversy I was talking about earlier? Well, everyone’s talking about Messi, but to me, that’s really a non-issue. If it weren’t Messi, would it even have been noticed? Then again, Barcelona has enough stars that maybe it would have. I digress, though. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but, shouldn’t this have been a penalty in Athletic’s favor?:

Oh, and we can’t forget the game’s pitch invasion!:

Before I continue, I want to say I’m pleased about Athletic’s draw with Barcelona yesterday, and I’ll post a match report on that very soon- but right now I am stuck writing a paper for my Western Political Theory class. Till then, here’s a short intro by Elizabeth herself before the body of her work (comments are appreciated, I wanna know what you all think!):

So. What to say about myself as a simple collaborator/translator. Hm.

I’m also a huge FC Barcelona fan, but I’m usually able to keep the two “fandoms” separate. Most of the time…

Q: How did you get to Lezama?
A: I was a really young kid, I was 12 years old, it was my first time away from home, and well, one day they came to my dad and he told me that Athletic wanted me to play with them and I didn’t even need to think about it. I decided to come out here, and, well, I wasn’t wrong in that.

Q: Was it hard to adapt to the situation?
A: Well, yeah, at the beginning it’s always hard because I was young, I was separated from my parents, from my friends, and at the beginning it was a little hard, but whatever. Athletic treated me really well and through the Anzua (?) school which helped me a lot and there were some good times, and nowadays and they’re almost–no, not almost–they’re like my second family.

Q: And in the first pre-season what do you remember?
A: Well, the first time I walked into the dressing room. Joseba Etxeberria was there, who was the first person I saw, who was an idol for me, I’d seen him on TV, I liked how he played, and to share a dressing room with players like that, well, it’s an honor.

Q: You were 14 years old.
A: Yeah, I was 14, the coach got a lot of crap for teaching me at such a young age, but oh well, for me it helped me gain a lot of confidence.

Q: How would you explain your career?
A: After passing through the cadets I kept working as hard as always with my teammates because in the end work is what’s gotten me to where I am right now. And I knew that if I stopped, that if it drove me crazy I wouldn’t be going anywhere so I had to work and work to achieve what I wanted.

Q: It was through passing through numerous sections: Juvenil, Bilbao Athletic, 1st Division… Could you explain briefly what the differences are in the sections?
A: There are a lot of differences between the Juvenil level and the 1st Division, there’s more space and a lot less pressure on you, you have a lot more time to think. In 2nd B [2nd Division B, or Third Division] you’re playing with guys who have played professionally, at the highest level, and they may not be that great but damn, if they were at that level it had to be for something, right? In 1st Division it’s clear that all the players are at the highest level, you don’t have as much time to make a decision as if it were the last.

Q: Is there a lot of difference in the rhythm between Third Division and First?
A: Yeah, there is, it took me a while to get the hang of things at first but once you get it you’re good.

Q: A lot of people talk about seeing you play at sixteen years old, a kid at your age that you’re playing in a league for adults. What do you think of this definition?
A: In the end, when I step onto the playing field, it’s to have fun, and that’s what I try to show people. And in playing in a league like this, in 1st Division, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have to stop playing the way I usually do.

Q: One day, you began the 1st tour, on a trip to Valencia, in a pre-season match, and ultimately you ended up not dressing. How was that experience?
A: There were 19 of us called up, and in the end the coach decided that I would sit in the stands, but I took it as another step to learning how things worked in a dressing room in 1st Division, getting to know players, how players got dressed, the audience, everything. It really helped me just to learn.

Q: It was a first step, as you said, did you think it’d take a while for to get put back on the call-up list?
A: To be honest I didn’t think I’d be called up so soon but I had to be prepared just in case it was necessary. The coach had already announced the lineup for Valencia and I had to start preparing just in case the opportunity arose.

Q: You’d played in some friendlies, you’d had experiences in the red-and-white shirt, but you still had to be played in an official match. It was against the Young Boys at San Mamés, a two-sided match, right?
A: Yeah. I could finally work like I was supposed to, and be able to do it in San Mamés. But it was a great experience personally and it was a pity that the result didn’t match that. We were left with a bittersweet taste in our mouths, but we were able to fix that in the second leg. I had the chance to score the goal that helped us classify for the next round and the best part about my debut match was the ovation at San Mamés and whenever I remember it I still feel like crying. I never get tired of watching the video where I come onto the pitch and it’s really beautiful.

Q: And who were you reminded of that day?
A: My parents, my brother, of my entire family in general and of everyone who has pitched in in helping me get to where I am today.

– This is the goal where I scored my first goal in San Mamés.

Q: As you said earlier, this is where you scored your first goal. Can you tell us how the play went?
A: The play…was a ball that Iraola picked up in the middle of the pitch which he tried to connect with El Gallo [Joseba Etxeberria] which was cut off by a defender, I picked it up and passed it to Joseba, Joseba to Iraola in the gap, back to me to beat the goalkeeper, and we were only missing the world’s generosity in being able to score my first goal at San Mamés. I remember I went off that way to celebrate it and I could feel the fans and a lot of happiness and it was beautiful.

Q: It’s a new experience, isn’t it? Until now you’ve seen how your teammates score and then you get to feel from the fans when you score. It’s different, right?
A: Yeah, I really wanted to score one in San Mamés to feel what’s it’s like to score a goal. And I’ll tell you right now, it was unforgettable.

Q: The last goal, right?
A: Oh gosh here’s hoping. If it’s the last goal we can leave right now. I hope to score a lot of goals in San Mamés and to help the team keeping moving forward in their matches.

Q: Well, this is where you tend to change, in Athletic’s dressing room.
A: Yeah, this is the spot where I usually change, between Iraola and Fernando Llorente. Here’s where we prepare to go onto the pitch.

Q: How do your teammates treat you?
A: Very well, very well. From the first day I’ve been adjusting marvelously, I’ve received really good treatment. My teammates give me a lot of advice because they have a lot of experience and I’m extremely grateful for that because being at such a level as they are it’s nice receiving tips so I can improve.

Q: Iker, you have a good collection of records already, you’re the second-youngest player to debut at Athletic Club, the youngest player in the League to debut at Athletic Club, the youngest player to score at Athletic Club, and the youngest player to score in 1st Division. Do you think you’ve already made your mark?
A: It’s always really nice to achieve these kinds of things, but you have to keep them in the background and I don’t think I’ve arrived in the least. I have to keep myself here, keep working every day with a lot of desire and I hope to achieve a lot more things with this club.

Q: As for the people who love you the most, who support you, what kind of advice do they give you?
A: They’re very happy for everything I’ve achieved but at the same time they try to keep my feet on the ground and my head in the game. I’m really happy with the support that I’m given, and not just in the good times but also in the bad, that I should stay the way I am and that if one day you’re on the top the next day you could be at the bottom.

Q: In the dressing room, speaking of people who give you advice, you’re with guys like Javi Martínez, Fernando Amorebieta, what do they say to you?
A: Basically the same as my family does, work hard because you’ll be rewarded. I tend to focus a lot on Joseba, because to me he’s the greatest guy ever and I’m always learning a lot from him.

Q: Are things better on or off the pitch?
A: I’ve found out that on the pitch there is a lot of pressure, but that’s something that I like personally, and I’ve also realized that off the pitch there’s just as much if not more, you know? Because people want to be with you, they’re always asking for pictures, interviews, and well, to be a player at the highest level you have to be prepared for both.

Q: What would you say to all those who are watching this interview and are waiting for their “turn”, to have their own interview?
A: Yeah, there are always a lot of reporters who want to get to know me, but what I want to say is that I’m still young and there’s still time for everything, for interviews, pictures, and whatever else is left. But I just want to do things little by little, and as I said, there’ll be time for everything.

Q: What do you think about the club being like this with you, in other words, keeping you away from the media?
A: I think it’s great, because damn, if right now at sixteen years old the club let me do interviews with everyone by the fifth day I’d be exhausted and that could influence my work. I’m really grateful to the club for everything it’s done for me.

Q: [unintelligible]
A: No, I don’t think it’s important how old someone is, I think it’s more important to pay more attention to [unintelligible] matches as a player and that everyone has his own shirt. I’ve received some pretty tough tackles, but that’s the way things are and I’m going to keep playing the same way.

Q: Did you think it was going to be like that? That you’d be receiving a lot of tackles?
A: Yeah, I did kind of have an idea, because that’s what happens in a team, because in driving the ball a lot the other team wants to get it away from you however possible. And you just have to learn.

Q: Could it be a way to learn how to handle the ball?
A: Yeah, there’s a lot to learn, I especially have to learn about how to touch the ball, to differentiate where to put the ball, and where to let it go quickly.

Q: To finish up, what would you say to the boys and girls who look up to you as an idol in Athletic?
A: I’m very grateful to all of them, this is the best fanbase in the entire world. I’m grateful to people and for encouraging me and, I don’t know, for being so nice with me. I just want to tell them to relax, to keep going, and that all together we can achieve something great.

– Here’s a shirt with my name and number so that every fan who sees this interview can have it.

I really don’t know what to say- Athletic is out of the cup already. Shit.

I was able to turn on the game for the last 30 minutes or so- I had to reinstall Windows after a crash so spent time reinstalling TVU player and the required plug-ins to watch the match. I did get it going, though, and was happy to see Athletic up 1-0. “Ok, just one more goal, hang on and this will go to penalties, and I like Athletic’s chances in that.”

Then I saw every attack (of which there were many) be thwarted by Dani’s excellent goalkeeping (the guy seriously was putting on a clinic).

Then Collantes scored a beautiful goal making the score 1-1 with about 20 minutes left in the game.

A glimmer of hope came a few minutes later, after more (thwarted, but nice looking) attacks, Javi Martinez directed a beautiful header in- a glimmer of hope??

Only a few minutes after that, another goal by Rayo. I turned the game off and took a three hour nap.

But, hey, Rayo did well- I commend them on their upset. However, I may just be in a good mood about it because Real Madrid is out too.

I realize I didn’t post on the Nacional draw and the win against Racing. I missed them entirely, so decided my summary wasn’t necessary. Glad to see some good results coming back, though!

Before yesterday, it had been over a month since Athletic won their last game. They started off strong, winning the first three matches of the season for the first time in a long time, the last of those being a 3-2 victory against Villareal (yes, it has been that long).

The game was played on what seemed to be a below-average level, which is something that can be expected from two teams that have seen a dip in form. Still, Javi Martinez’s lone goal was enough, and that’s something I can be satisfied with.

The next game will be played on Thursday at Nacional in the Europa League. I’m expecting another win, and hoping that Athletic can finally shake off bad form officially and come back strong into La Liga.

Has poor form gotten to the heads of Athletic’s players??? I expected that, after a recent rut in the league, this would be the game that Los Leones would be able to pull through and build some pre-Halloween confidence. This should have been the game that the team went into, ready to prove themselves, and came out victorious- whether it was by one goal or ten. Hell, the least that we should have been able to pull out of this was a draw, that way the next leg would be at home which should make things even easier. What I saw yesterday reminded me of the pre-season friendlies, and that scares me.

Before I continue my bickering, I will point out one bright spot from the match- for the first time in a while, there wasn’t excessive fouling on the part of Athletic. Maybe it was because they realized (or at least thought) that fouling wouldn’t be necessary to win the game. Or maybe it was just because Ustaritz wasn’t in the lineup. Whatever it was, this is one good thing I saw.

However, the bad far outweighs the good.

First point worth mentioning was the debut of Iñigo Pérez. Normally I wouldn’t be opposed to this, but when the team is on a poor run of form wouldn’t it make sense to start a regular or at least a bench player, that way they can hopefully get in some practice against weaker opposition? Pérez has had largely unimpressive statistics for Athletic’s reserve team and I really don’t see him breaking into the first team any time in the forseeable future, so why Caparros made this decision is beyond me. Caparros did sub him out in the 54th minute, but it was for Toquero- who I still don’t rate. I personally would have much preferred to see Gabilondo get the start on the left side, then see Pérez subbed in if he did well enough.

Another problem I had with Capparos’ lineup was the exclusion of some players due to “fitness issues”: Yeste, de Marcos, Ustaritz, and De Cerio. I’m glad that Ustaritz didn’t play, because he probably would have found a way to get a red card and/or give up a penalty, but where was Yeste? Yeste was another option on the left side of the midfield that Caparros could have started instead of Pérez. I also believe this would have been a good time to give de Cerio an appearance. I understand he is coming off of a long injury layoff and may still not be at his best, but when you’re starting Pérez you aren’t exactly starting the best players available, are you? I don’t necessarily believe he should have had the start, but giving him a few minutes in the second half to warm up and test himself in competitive play with his new teammates may have been a good decision- I’m pretty sure he played in some pre-season friendlies and looked relatively fit back then. I’m not saying Athletic needed to start the best XI available, but there are some inclusions that could have been made to the squad that could have made an impact, if only as subs.

The biggest problem I had, however, was not with Caparros, it was with Athletic’s players. I did not see official statistics from the match but was able to watch most of the action and my impression was that Athletic were the better team. At one point in particular (sometime about midway through second half, can’t remember the exact minute) there was a beautiful cross delivered into the box to Etxeberria, he was open with no defenders close enough to catch him. In fact, the only players close to him were two other Athletic players. Etxeberria takes the ball at his feet and I remember thinking “alright, at least my boys will be getting one back!” I sat, fists clenched, ready to stand and cheer. Exteberria took his shot and overpowered it away from the goal. That was basically the story of the game, good chances that were utterly exploited. It makes me question the team’s current composure. Hopefully they aren’t low on confidence, I would rather it be that they were trying too hard. Regardless of why this kept happening, these guys are professionals and should play like it.

That’s about it. To me, Athletic looked like the better team but flubbed their chances. Vallecano seemed to have fewer, but were able to make the most of them, and should be commended for that.

Athletic will be playing Atlético Madrid on Halloween at 4pm Eastern time. If I am not busy at that time, be on the lookout for a liveblog. Atlético have looked piss-poor this season, but did in their Copa match what Athletic should have done and grabbed a win. The game will be at home, so hopefully we’ll be safe there.

I wouldn’t be surprised if nowhere was safe, though…

Today, Athletic will be in Madrid for their first match in this year’s Copa Del Rey. They’ll be facing Segunda Division side Rayo Vallecano; a game that I expect them to win, but wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t given recent form and the way that they had performed against weaker teams in the pre-season.

Selection: Iraizoz, Toquero, Koikili, San José, Amorebieta, Etxeita, Orbaiz, Llorente, David López, E.Bóveda, Armando, Etxeberria, Iraola, Gurpegi, Castillo, Xabi Etxebarria, Gabilondo and Iñigo Pérez.

Starting XI:
GK- Iraizoz
RB- Iraola
CD- Etxeita
CD- Amorebieta
LB- Koikili
RM- David López
CM- Orbaiz
CM- Gurpegi
LM- Inigo Perez
ST- Etxeberria
ST- Llorente

Prediction: Athletic are missing Yeste, De Marcos, and Ustaritz have been deemed unfit apparently, while de Cerio still seems to be rehabbing from his long injury lay-off. Aitor Ocio, Inaki Munoz, and Zubiaurre are all out injured; Muniain is away with the Spain U-17s. This is a game where I would have liked to see Muniain get a start and hoped de Cerio would get to play, but that doesn’t look like it’ll happen. Despite missing these players, I still think Athletic will have more quality about them than Rayo will. Final score- 3-1

What are your impressions going into the game?

P.S.- Remember this from the same stage of last year’s Copa? It still brings a smile to my face.

Three days ago, Athletic returned to Europa League action, facing CD Nacional from Portugal. I was able to watch the first 25 minutes or so of the game, which really were rather pedestrian. However, I am pleased with the result that was obtained. The win was the first we’ve seen since September (yes, it has really been that long!) and was an instance of Fernando Llorente saving the team- something he seems to do quite often. Our boys fell 1-0 before half-time, with Etxeberria equalizing in the second half, and Llorente bringing a late winner four minutes before the final whistle. It looked to be a good sign, Athletic was able to fight off recent bad form and battle back. Sure, I don’t think it was their best display, but I personally was given some added confidence going into the game against Getafe, which ended just a few hours ago.

Today’s game was, once again, a game I missed. For my research methods class, we have to conduct opinion polling of Virginia residents, as Virginia has elections coming up for state offices. My time was occupied from 1pm to 4pm, but I wore my Athletic shirt today as a show of support. Obviously, this couldn’t help Los Leones, who lost the game 2-0. Not only did they lose, but they did not lose in style at all. Two players were given their marching orders- Ustaritz and Gurpegi- and one of the goals scored was from a penalty. Really, it seems like Ustaritz has been doing this a lot as of late. I understand that Athletic has a reputation to uphold as tough, scrappy, hard-men, but a little discipline would be nice- especially if you’re a player like Ustaritz who seems to be collecting reds like Pokemon cards. Gurpegi collected 2 yellows before the first half ended, take what you will from that.

After a very bright beginning to the season, I am disappointed. I don’t know about you, but I thought this year would be different. There are many games left, of course, but my earlier optimism is almost all gone.

In better news:
Llorente has signed a new contract, committing to Athletic until 2013 and has become the club’s highest-paid player ever. Glad to see this because I can’t count the number of times he has almost single-handedly pulled out wins for Athletic.

I am missing the spark given by Muniain right now, I must say. However, Spain begins U-17 World Cup action tomorrow against the United States at 2pm Eastern. The game will be shown on espn360.com and I’ll tune in once I return from class at 2:10. I will be rooting for the Americans to take the game, but I hope that Muniain scores 15 goals and the U.S. wins the game with 16.

The Football Manager 2010 demo is out. I’m playing as Athletic and doing very, very well- my virtual team is in third place and it’s now December in-game. The full version comes out on Friday and I have it pre-ordered so I’ll be playing as Athletic on there. Hopefully I can have as much success in the full version as the demo, because it helps me forget the real-life Athletic Club Bilbao for a short time.

Athletic’s next game is the first match of this year’s Copa del Rey, and will be played away at Rayo Vallecano. This should be a win and might make me feel a bit better.

The first news to report is the result of Athletic’s last game: a 2-1 loss to Sporting Gijon. Once again, I missed this game (I spent Sunday moving back into my room after the break and reorganizing for the second half of the semester). Now, I know I have missed many games so far this year, but this is because of school- luckily I’m almost finished with that.

But, I digress. I am quite unhappy with the result- Sporting is a weaker team than Athletic, the game was played at home, and Athletic tend to do well against Sporting anyway. From all reports, Athletic played a better game and created more chances, it just seems that the Sporting defense was too much this time. Toquero managed to make himself useful (!) and scored a late goal, but the scoreline says it all- this is another loss. I have three questions coming out of this game: Where is the De Marcos we saw during the pre-season? Why the hell hasn’t de Cerio been given a game yet, even a sub-in? Most importantly, what the hell has happened to the team since the terrific start??

Whatever, the next game is another Europa League game, to be contested against CD Nacional of Portugal this Thursday (another game I’ll likely miss- I have class almost all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

There is some news to report about Athletic’s stadium. Construction on San Mames Barria will begin in April 2010 and the stadium should be ready for the 2014/15 season (check out a translated news article here). For photos of old men in suits standing around a model of the new stadium, check out Athletic’s official site. Oh, and here are some computer-generated photos of what the stadium should look like:

As you also may know, I have expanded the services of the Athletic Club Offside itself recently.

If you haven’t already, I would suggest taking a look at the Twitter page I have created for the Athletic Offside. I know firsthand how difficult it can be as a non-Spanish speaker to follow Athletic, so I try to post news articles I find (some translated, others originally in English) to provide fans of the team with Athletic news in English. I also like using Twitter as a means to generate more feedback and to communicate with readers and find other news, so I think the project there is working relatively well.

Speaking of the team being difficult to follow as an English speaker, check out the English section of Athletic’s official website, and please tell me how much of that is actually written in English. Thanks is due to the team for now officially making it more difficult for non-Spanish speakers to follow the team. If it weren’t for my class load, I would just suck it up and learn Spanish myself. However, I do have some exciting news.

Because I am not myself a Spanish-speaker, I posted last week looking for someone who would be willing to write up transcriptions of videos about the team. I received a quick response from a very qualified individual and will be posting his first work on here very soon. A college student like me, it may be a little while before I can post the first translation, but I believe it will be worth the wait; I have always wanted to be able to understand those interviews and press conferences that Athletic posts on their website.

Also, Muniain and Aketxe are away in Nigeria with the Spain U-17 squad. Unfortunately, that means that Muniain, who I believe has provided a huge lift to the team, will be away from duty with the Lions for a while. Still, I wish him well and believe that playing some games in Nigeria could help him further develop. I will post some updates about them once games have been played there.

That’s all the hot news I can come up with now. I will probably post a preview of Thursday’s game tomorrow, and will try to actually watch that game, class schedule permitting.

If you are interested in my personal life, I do have a personal Twitter account. But, if you’re interested in my personal life, you might be a bit weird.

Anyway, add the Athletic Bilbao Offside on Twitter!

NEVER refer to Athletic Club Bilbao as “Bilbao”. You may have noticed me coming in commenting on posts by recent opponents saying this, but I decided to write this so everybody is aware that the team’s name is not Bilbao.

So what should we call them? Acceptable “official” names are Athletic Club Bilbao (the only time it’s 100% acceptable to use “Bilbao” when referring to the team), Athletic Club, Athletic, or, and please use this sparingly, Athletic Bilbao. Unofficial nicknames that can be used are Los Rojiblancos, Los Leones, or Zurigorri. NEVER call them “Bilbao”.

So, you may ask “what’s the problem with that name?” Well, for starters, I’m not even 100% sure that Bilbao is even in the official team name, I believe it’s only on the crest- I’m relatively sure that the official name for the team is Athletic Club- no Bilbao involved. Regular reader and commenter Isabel also explained:

I’ve noticed that calling the team just Bilbao (as opposed to Athletic, Athletic Club or Athletic Bilbao) is quite common amongst non-Spanish supporters. But anyway, here’s a long-ass explanation: Although there was at one point in time a club called Bilbao FC, it was started by the English workers who came to the Basque Country. The Basques saw that and thought that new game was pretty cool and decided to start their own club, taking the name “Athletic Club” the Athletic portion being a sort of homage to the British who introduced the game to us. Then, during the era of the Franquismo, the name was forcibly changed to the “more Spanish” Atlético Bilbao. But once that was over, they reverted back to the way it always was.

Plus, on a really shallow note, I like the sound of Athletic, Athletic Club or Athletic Bilbao more. (I couldn’t have said it better myself, for a reference to what our friend Isabel is talking about check out wikipedia)

That’s about it. NEVER call them “Bilbao”.

Sincerely,

Paul

P.S. Atletico Bilbao, Athletic de Bilbao, and Athletic Club de Bilbao are also unacceptable (there is no Spanish in the team’s name anywhere).

P.S.S. If you’re a Real Madrid fan, call them whatever you want because I hate your team anyway.