Despite extravagant links with Dubai-based businessmen, Getafe haven't made the sort of progress they had anticipated. The Royal Emirates Group had, according to reports, agreed a deal for the club back in 2010 paving the way towards Champions League football and more for the Madrid minnows. However those hopes quickly evaporated as it became clear that the group had no intention of shovelling money into the club. Instead Getafe look on in envy at Malaga who begin their first European quest into the Champions League, heavily backed by their Qatari owners. It's a case of what might have been … [Read more...]
Betis Season Preview
Returning to La Liga following promotion in 2010/11, Betis' season of consolidation was about as much as could have been asked of them. A whirlwind start of five wins from their first five games triggered fans to dream and took them to the summit of the league, but inevitably it wasn't to last. A run of six straight defeats then followed until their results became more sporadic and Betis hovered above the relegation zone for a while. Avoiding the drop back down to the Segunda straight away was the first objective outlined at the start of the season and it was duly achieved as the Andalucian … [Read more...]
Espanyol Season Preview
When your Sporting Director hints at an added reliance on the youth system within the club you automatically begin to think the worst, especially if you play second fiddle to a team like Barcelona. That's the complex situation currently unfolding at Espanyol however as worrying financial details have become visible over the past year. Espanyol had no option but to watch star players leave the club last summer and have already witnessed Javi Marquez exit for Mallorca and Kalu Uche for Turkey this year as another exodus beckons. … [Read more...]
Granada Season Preview
Events surrounding Watford FC have been encapsulating during the summer break as Giampaolo Pozzo's takeover of the club kicks off. Having already fired one manager in Sean Dyche and replaced him with compatriot Gianfranco Zola it looks to be the beginning of a busy summer at Vicarage Road. As the Italian businessman's latest development roars into life another of Pozzo's ventures, Granada CF, ponder the implications of the magnate's actions and how it can work to their advantage. … [Read more...]
The top 10 La Liga players of the 21st century
In football terms, few would argue that the 21st century has so far belonged to Spain. The national side has risen from the ranks of perennial under-achievers to become undeniably the dominant force in the international game, winning the European Championship and World Cup tournaments in succession. European football fans have drooled over the sublime technical skills of Spanish clubs featuring stellar line-ups of home-grown talent mixed with modern greats of the game. Catalan giants FC Barcelona developed a side which has not only won every possible major honour in club football, but they've … [Read more...]
My Spanish 2012 Olympics Squad
Tickets may not have completely sold out for the Olympic Football event, but once the hype gears into full throttle then you can be sure to see queues from as far away as Cristiano Ronaldo believes he can score from. Accumulating players from 4 countries is no easy feat and a draft of nearly 200 players have been murmured so it's unsurprising for us Brits to be perplexed as to what will materialise come August without a known squad as yet. Spain don't have to deal with that dilemma, and with their Under 21 squad winning the European Championships last year, the country … [Read more...]
Valencia v Stoke: The key battles
After seeing Lionel Messi rip apart yet another Champions League defence with tantalising ease a couple of years ago,the wise, old pundit Andy Gray once remarked that he'd love to see how the Argentine would fair on a dark, damp, dreary night under the floodlights of Britannia Stadium. This question has almost been turned into cliche it has been bounded about that much recently by the media and whilst Barcelona being demoted to the Europa League was never really a possibility, we will get to feast our eyes on arguably the next best thing as Aver Banega, Jordi Alba, Roberto Soldado and Adil … [Read more...]
La Liga Ones to watch – Adrián López
Introducing our brand new 'Ones to Watch' feature where we preview all the most anticipated young talent ahead of the 2011/2012 La Liga season! We begin this feature with the star of this year's Euro under 21 Championships Adrian Lopez Alvarez who was the tournament's top scorer with 5 goals in Denmark last month. … [Read more...]