Last week was a disastrous time for Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals. A lesson in humility for two teams used to claiming victory with clean sweeps. But they were held back by the Germans.

As soon as they lost, the first feeling was defeatist: end of cycle in the Barça Guardiola created, a real blow for a Madrid set up by cheque books… And, although the results were devastating (4-0 in the Bayern-Barça match, 4-1 in the Borussia-Madrid), the hope and the fighting spirit started to arise, and the belief in a comeback against the German teams became stronger.

And yet, a week later, and with the moral strength of both clubs and their supporters in the clouds, it is the Teutonics who are trying to stop the latent euphoria in the Iberian Peninsula.

The legendary Franz Beckenbauer, symbol of Bayern Munich (where he was player, manager and president), “hinted” at the possibility of Barça cheating during Wednesday’s game, although he soon had to retract his statement. Bavarian Bernd Schuster, who played in Barça and Madrid (and coached the latter), declared that this meant the “end of cycle for Spanish football” and the future was now German. Intelligent words, that perhaps he should have saved until next year’s World Cup. Let’s see what happens in Brazil.

Everything is going to be decided between today and tomorrow: if the Wembley final is Spanish, German or a mix. Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are the obvious winners so far, but the Spaniards are not going to lose their hope until the very moment the referee blows the final whistle.

An unlikely recovery? Maybe, but not impossible.

Then again, I might have to eat my words by Wednesday night…