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Spanish press highlights pressure on Perez, Benitez after Clasico

Xinhua, November 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona's crushing 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium has sent shockwaves through the Spanish league with the sporting press reflecting both Barca's brilliance and Real Madrid's deep problems.

   The 4-0 score, which came thanks to two goals from Luis Suarez, plus goals from Neymar and Andres Iniesta, hardly reflects Barca's display in which they totally dominated from start to finish.

   That allowed the pro-Barca dailies: Diario Sport and 'El Mundo Deportivo' to celebrate their side: "Barcelona destroy Real Madrid" headlines, while El Mundo Deportivo said the game was "A Symphony from Barcelona and a chorus of boos for Real Madrid."

   The Real Madrid papers focused on the damage the result had done to club President, Florentino Perez: "A hammering for Florentino," headlines AS, whose editor, Alfredo Relano highlighting "the Bernabeu turns against the Directors' box."

   "The fans know that you can fool a lot of people a lot of the time and some people all of the time, but you can't fool everyone all of the time," writes Relano, whose paper also focuses on the problems faced by coach Rafael Benitez with a project "which was born dead."

   "Marca" which is usually 100 percent loyal to Perez, also highlights the calls for Perez to resign saying "The Bernabeu wants heads to roll," and even has a poll asking its online readers 'who is to blame?'

   While Perez is under clear pressure, one thing the paper has clear "Benitez has been sentenced," it declares, saying that the coach, who was only appointed in June is on borrowed time.  

   "All that needs to done is for the date to be named, but the decision has already been taken," said the paper, which raises another question: if Florentino Perez decided to sack the popular Carlo Ancelotti and then offer the job as Real Madrid coach to Benitez, shouldn't he carry the blame? Endi