Tenis Iberoamericano 19 May 2005 ***original Spanish article below*** Everyone against Coria: The Düsseldorf Schism The atmosphere is tense in the Argentinian team, currently resting in Düsseldorf, hours before Saturday's World Team Cup. Some of Guillermo Coria's attitudes, and those of his entourage were criticised behind the scenes by the rest of the players, but criticised openly by Gaston Gaudio. Although it had been agreed beforehand that Argentinian Merlin would not play the singles against Chile, it bothered all the other members of the group. The decisions are certainly made by the ex Argentinian number 1 (now number 2), then assessed by the organisers, who also allow the players' coaches to be courtside giving instructions in the breaks. The Spaniard, Josep Perlas, fictitious captain of the now also fictitious Argentinian "team", desperately wants his charge to be rested for Roland Garros. But this same wish is the same for the other coaches, Franco Davin (Gaudio's coach), Hernan Gumy (Cañas' coach) and Tim Azar (Chela's coach). So it would be great to ask all of them, why they went to Düsseldorf if they have to look after themselves so much leading up to the all important Grand Slam, which is the most favourable for the Argentinians. Various reknowned specialists have said it's for monetary reasons. Well, let it be welcome then and get paid. But one thing's for sure: refusing to play by citing ("supposed") minor problems when a a teammate is feverish and hasn't slept well is pretty cruel and doesn't show solidarity. What's more, it seems unfair which, according to the doctor of the Santo Tomás de Aquino church, is an outrage. And this was intensified after the match by Gaston Gaudio who, tired of various things that everyone had excused during the week in Germany, gave a piece of his mind, revealing the irritation that Coria creates within the group. Alberto Mancini making note. The Davis Cup captain, who rarely misses a trick, doesn't usually like people taking leave when it could affect goals. On Wednesday night, the players approached Coria and it was Cañas himself, with a hoarse throat and a headache, who asked the Rome finalist to play: "Willy, I'm not very well, you play". Coria reminded them that Perlas had already announced he wouldn't play and that his shoulder was sore. He then dared them to ask the physiotherapist, Ivan Gutierrez, if they didn't believe he wasn't fit. This angered the group even more and they went away very annoyed, so they let Coria know. The players also didn't like the fact that Coria didn't attend his teammates' matches, they didn't see it as being good team spirit. As they say in Venado Tuerto, their supposed territory: "he went his own way". Let's see what the player from Buenos Aires said, who seemed angry yet honest at the same time after beating Gonzalez: "I got tired. To be honest. This is not a team, because there is someone who makes decisions choosing what's best for himself, decisions that are only beneficial to him, this was the most important match of this round. I understand that a player is tired and, with Roland Garros coming up, he decides to rest, because I also did it, but not in the most important match. But here, the decisions aren't made by the entire team, but rather, they're made individually...just imagine if I had lost, they would have gone on about it, they would have killed me like they did in Malaga in 2003, and you (the press) know it. Here, everyone suits themselves. If you come here, things should be done how they're meant to be done. If you're tired, you should rest. If you're tired, you shouldn't have played the first day. He played against the easiest opponents, no disrespect to them. But today, who would you put in? ("Gaudio and Coria", the Argentinian press replied). Well...if we were a team, the best players would have played. Cañas played even though he felt feverish." Coria, on the other hand, defended himself and resorted to his well known script: "Willy (Cañas) told me he thought it was very important I play but I told him I had a stiff shoulder and I think I was fair in saying no, that I wasn't going to play and needed to rest. I don't understand. Everything had been talked about and organised previously, amongst all of us, although Gaston wasn't there because he was training...This really doesn't help anything. It's a shame. It's something you have to talk about face to face, but he chose a different route...If I wasn't interested in this, I wouldn't have come, I would have stayed quietly in Barcelona. I'm old enough to be able to decide and not be told what to do." Guillermo Cañas, the middle man and real hero of the day by beating Massu despite flu problems, confirmed: "It's difficult to unite everyone and get everyone on the same side. I think we're doing quite well getting Gaston and Guillermo together despite the fact that they didn't get on well before, I think it's quite a good atmosphere. I asked Coria to play because I was sick. I had a fever, I have a cough, I didn't sleep well the last two nights and now I'm going to take antibiotics, but I played because Guillermo said he was worse, 'injured' in the leg and with a stiff shoulder." The group reacted against Coria and Gaudio was their spokesperson. Victory isn't a veil that can cover up such cheek. Beyond the final result, the certainty will remain that in Germany, cradle of the Protestant schism in the 16th century, with Lutero and company because of the sale of papal indulgences, a new conflict is born, in the episcopacy of Argentinian tennis. The Düsseldorf Schism. ***original Spanish article:*** Todos contra Coria: El Cisma de Dusseldorf Los ánimos están caldeados en el equipo argentino que descansa en Dusseldorf a horas de la final del sábado por la Copa del Mundo. Ciertas actitudes de Guillermo Coria y su entorno fueron censuradas entre bambalinas por los demás jugadores y abiertamente en el caso de Gastón Gaudio. Si bien se había acordado de antemano que el Merlín argentino no saldría a disputar el encuentro de singles ante los chilenos, ello molestó a todos los demás integrantes del grupo. Cierto es que las decisiones las toma el por entonces número uno de Argentina (hoy número dos) pues así está determinado por los organizadores, que además permiten que los entrenadores de los tenistas estén a la vera de la cancha dando indicaciones en los descansos. El español Josep Perlas, capitán ficticio del también ahora ficticio "equipo" argentino, desea fervorosamente que su pupilo llegue descansado a Roland Garros. Pero ese mismo deseo es el que ostentan los demás técnicos Franco Davin (Gaudio), Hernán Gumy (Cañas) y Tim Azar (Chela). Bueno sería entonces preguntarles a todos para qué han ido a Dusseldorf si se deben cuidar tanto, a pocas horas del trascendental Grand Slam, el más favorable a los argentinos. Varios especialistas de renombre han dicho que por dinero. Bueno bienvenido sea entonces y a cobrar. Pero lo cierto es que negarse a jugar alegando problemas menores ("supuestos") cuando un compañero se halla afiebrado y mal dormido no deja de ser cruel y de nula solidaridad. Es mas parece una Injusticia, que según el doctor de la Iglesia, Santo Tomás de Aquino no deja de ser violencia. Y ella arreció luego del match de boca de Gastón Gaudio quien cansado de varias que todos perdonaron esta semana en Alemania se despachó a gusto revelando la incomodidad que genera Coria dentro del grupo. Alberto Mancini tomando nota. El capitán de Copa Davis, a quien no suele escapársele detalle alguno, no suele ser amigo de las licencias que puedan afectar los objetivos. En la noche del miércoles los tenistas se acercaron a Coria y fue el propio Cañas, que con carraspera y dolor de cabeza le pidió al finalista de Roma que jugara: "Willy no estoy bien, jugá vos". Coria les recordó que Perlas ya había anunciado su ausencia y que le dolía el hombro. Luego les conminó a que le preguntaran al fisioterapeuta Iván Gutiérrez, si dudaban de su malestar. Esto indignó aun más al grupo que se retiró muy molesto y así se lo hizo saber al rufinense. Tampoco gustó a los jugadores que Coria no presenciara los duelos de sus compañeros, no lo vieron solidario. Como dicen en Venado Tuerto, su tierra putativa: "hizo rancho aparte" Veamos que dijo el bonaerense que tras vencer a González lució caliente y honesto a la vez: "Me cansé. Hay que decir la verdad. Esto no es un equipo, porque hay alguien que toma las decisiones eligiendo lo mejor para él, decisiones que sólo lo favorecen a él, éste era el partido más importante de esta ronda. Entiendo que un jugador esté cansado y de cara a Roland Garros decida descansar, porque yo también lo hice, pero no en el partido más importante. Pero las decisiones acá no se toman por el conjunto del equipo, sino que son unipersonales... Fijate que si yo hoy hubiera perdido me hubieran dicho de todo, me hubiesen matado como en Málaga en 2003, y ustedes (la prensa) lo saben. Acá cada uno hace lo suyo. Si se viene acá se deben hacer las cosas como deben ser. Si estás cansado te conviene descansar. Si estás cansado no hubieras jugado el primer día. El jugó ante los que eran los más fáciles, sin desmerecer a los rivales ¿Pero hoy a quien pondrían ustedes ? ("A Gaudio y Coria" -constestó la prensa argentina -). Bueno... Si fuésemos un equipo hubieran jugado los mejores. Cañas jugó pese a que estaba afiebrado", Por su parte Coria se defendió y apeló a su reconocido libreto: Willy (Cañas) me dijo que él pensaba que yo era muy importante para jugar pero le dije que tenía el hombro cargado y creo que fui justo al decirle que no que no iba a jugar y necesitaba descansar. No entiendo, todo se había hablado y arreglado con anterioridad, entre todos, aunque sin la presencia de Gastón porque estaba entrenando... La verdad es que esto no ayuda para nada. Es una lástima. Es un tema para hablarlo cara a cara, pero él eligió otro camino... Si no me interesara esto ni hubiese venido, me hubiera quedado en Barcelona tranquilo. Tengo bastantes años como para decidir y no para que me manejen. Por su parte un centrado Guillermo Cañas, verdadero héroe de la jornada al vencer a Massú con molestias gripales, confirmó: Es difícil juntar a todos y que todos tiren para el mismo lado. Creo que se esta haciendo bastante bien para que Gastón y Guillermo estén juntos pese a que antes se llevaban mal, creo que es un clima bastante bueno. "Yo le pedí a Coria que jugara porque yo estoy enfermo. Tuve fiebre, tengo tos, no dormí bien las últimas dos noches y ahora voy a tomar antibióticos, pero jugué porque Guillermo dijo que estaba peor, ´tocado´ en una pierna y con el hombro cargado". El grupo reaccionó contra Coria y Gaudio fue su interlocutor. La victoria no es un velo que pueda tapar tanto caradurismo. Mas allá del resultado de la final, quedará la certeza de que en Alemania, cuna del cisma protestante en el siglo XVI, con Lutero y compañía por la venta de indulgencias papales, ha nacido un nuevo conflicto en el episcopado del tenis argentino. El Cisma de Dusseldorf.