Everybody was Kung Fu fighting… in the Bernabeu

It’s May 1984. A Catalan newspaper announced the cup final between Barcelona and Athletic de Bilbao with the headline: The Kings of the K.O. Prophetic words. The biggest low in the clash of these two clubs would without a doubt be Maradona’s knee in the neck of Basque Sola, who would remain down unconscious.

Barca and Bilbao were – and still are – the clubs who won the Spanish Cup most often. But the announced K.O. was taken too literally by Maradona in Real Madrid’s home venue. The pitch was smudged with blood while the royal family looked on in bewilderment on the stands.

The game was over. Bilbao had won, 1-0, but instead of the big party what ensued was a dramatic and filthy fight.

After Maradona’s knee, two historical karate kicks followed. Barca players Miguel and Clos took out two opponents, and they hit them smack in the middle of their shoulders in the back.

Andoni Goikoetxea, the butcher of Bilbao, took revenge – of course – but the Barcelona players now say that he was the insitigator of this evil. Goiko had taken down two of Barca’s star players in the seasons before. He broke Maradona’s leg on two places and crushed Schuster’s knee.

Tonight, Athletic and Barca meet again, in Valencia, for another Copa del Rey finals. The players of 1984 are pulled in front of cameras and microphones to reminiscence on that infamous night, 25 years back. Most quip stuff like” “I’m ashamed to have been part of that…”

Paco Clos, one of the kung fu fighters: “I’ve never seen the footage. I totally regret this in my life and I regret that Spain, the world and more in particular, the children watched us do this.”

So what went wrong? The relationship between both clubs was already bad. Schuster then said: “Playing Bilbao is like going to war in Korea.” Javier Clemente, the Bilbao coach, responded: “Schuster is a retard.”

Jose Carrasco looks back: “I think the ref was to blame. The Bilbao players never allowed Maradona to do anything. They fouled him all the time and when we were down 1-0, it became even worse. The ref should have stopped that.”

Miguel Sola, Maradona’s victim who still bears the scar of that hit: “I think the game was too early aftetr the Goiko incident with Maradona. He thought we were out to get him again and he took it out on me. But the memories that last- for me at last – are the victorious feelings for our city and the joy for the Basque people.”

Six players were suspended for three months, but when Maradona moved on to Naples that summer, the suspensions were canceled.

Like then, Barcelona today is the fave to win the cup. And like then, the Bilbao team is made up of big, strong boys… Everyone hopes, that’s where the comparison ends…