08:44 BST, Thu
7 May 2009
MADRID, May 7 (Reuters) - The ecstatic face of
Barcelona's Andres Iniesta adorned the front pages of the Spanish
newspapers on Thursday after his dramatic goal in added time sent
Pep Guardiola's side through to the Champions League
final.
Pictures showed the normally unassuming 24-year-old midfielder
from the village of Fuentealbilla near Albacete roaring in triumph,
yellow Barca shirt in hand, as he sprinted to the corner flag to
celebrate his 93rd-minute strike.
British newspapers sympathised with Chelsea's claims of a poor
refereeing performance by Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo but were
united in their condemnation of Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack's
post-match protestations.
"Iniesta, a heavenly goal," (El Pais), "Iniesta the quiet hero,"
(El Mundo), "Iniesta works the miracle," (As), were some of the
headlines in Spain, many with a religious theme.
"Now we know who the God of football is," As columnist Juan Cruz
wrote. "His name is Andres, he is shy and he comes from Albacete.
He's a good person and last night he made me cry."
Many newspapers also ran pictures of the thousands of Barca fans
who celebrated into the night at the Canaletes fountain on the
Paseo de las Ramblas in the Catalan capital.
They had barely had time to recover from the outpouring of joy
prompted by Barca's record 6-2 win at Real Madrid on Saturday that
all-but wrapped up the Spanish league title.
Writing in daily El Pais, Luis Martin said Iniesta had become
obsessed with improving his shooting in recent years and the work
had borne fruit on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge.
"Barca is in the final in Rome and Iniesta will rightly go down
in the history of the club," he said.
In El Mundo, Miguel Herguedas noted how Iniesta had arrived at
Barca's famed youth academy aged just 12.
"Those early days in Barcelona were hard for this diminutive and
shy Manchegan, far from his family and with the soccer ball as his
only reference point.
"He never raised his voice, nor let himself be seduced by offers
of millions, because he was faithful to the club that gave him the
chance of his life."
British writers also hailed Iniesta's pervasive
contribution.
"Exquisite Iniesta inflicts far worse suffering than UEFA will
devise" read The Guardian headline ahead of almost certain
punishment from European soccer's governing body for Chelsea and
its players after they angrily surrounded the referee at the final
whistle.
"Cheated Out", "Blue Murder at the Bridge" roared headlines in
the Daily Mail as the press shared Chelsea's astonishment that none
of their penalty appeals, especially a clear handball by Gerard
Pique, had found favour with the referee.
The sympathy dried up, however, as Drogba remonstrated with
Ovrebo as the distraught Chelsea players made their way off the
pitch.
"The rancour of Chelsea's response to defeat, orchestrated by
the incorrigible Didier Drogba, deserves to earn them punishment
from UEFA as well as the disdain of the rest of the continent,"
wrote the Guardian's Richard Williams.
