When Luis Enrique announced that he would be starting a Twitch stream during the World Cup, he declared it was so that he could communicate to the fans directly, ‘without filters’. Spanish station Cadena Cope have gone out of their way to prove just why the Spain manager wanted to do so.
Joined by team psychologist Joaquin Valdes on Tuesday night’s stream, Valdes was asked if he could send a message to ‘Maria’ in order to calm her down.
Valdes then slowly asked Maria to inhale and exhale, after which Luis Enrique said ‘No doubt Maria is calm now, she will be sleepy now’.
On Cadena Cope later that evening, Juan Antonio Cala played a clip to several pundits where Luis Enrique says after Valdes’ instruction, ‘No doubt Maria is turned on now’.
Ojo @lalibreta. El amigo J.A. Alcalá manipulando un audio de Twitch de Luis Enrique, en un ejemplo más de su ética y profesionalidad. (Seg 40). pic.twitter.com/pHNPl5nPza
— Álvaro (@alvarito7697) November 30, 2022
Aquí el vídeo no manipuladohttps://t.co/sxKDtacTBw
— Álvaro (@alvarito7697) November 30, 2022
Y aquí de donde saca el fragmento para editar el audio. https://t.co/hce9FFJH0m
— Álvaro (@alvarito7697) November 30, 2022
Their panel then went on to criticise Luis Enrique for his comments, saying that it was not appropriate.
Juanma Castano, presenter of the show, issued an apology for the incident the next morning, stating that he was annoyed the next day.
La edición de un audio de Luis Enrique anoche en El Partidazo ponía en su boca una frase, en tono de broma, de una espectadora en el chat de su canal de Twitch. El más enfadado soy yo, lo aseguro, y pido disculpas en nombre del programa. Perdón.
— Juanma Castaño (@juanmacastano) November 30, 2022
This is not the first time Alcala has been involved in scandal. Over a decade ago he accused Espanyol of deliberately throwing a match against Sporting Gijon in 2012, which the latter won 3-0. He and Cope were forced to pay €98,868 to Espanyol by a judge for defamation.
It is the latest lamentable episode in the Spanish football press coming under fire for debatable practices. It gives further credence to footballers and those involved, like Luis Enrique, who are disillusioned with the media. Their reluctance to speak to the press is easily explainable.
