Last season saw a somewhat rise to prominence for 22-year-old La Masia graduate Sergi Roberto. Making 27 appearances in the first team last season, the young midfielder was often the first choice to rotate into the Barcelona line-up when key first team players – Xavi, Iniesta, Fàbregas – were either injured or being rested. … [Read more...]
Raul Jimenez signs for Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid are in need of strengthening their attack and Raul Jimenez may be the last piece Simeone needs for his new look attack. The departures of Diego Costa and Adrian Lopez this off season have left Atletico without two key attacking players that played a vital role in their La Liga championship run. Simeone has already signed Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich and Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad to supplement his team’s attack. Both players are great signings and no doubt will provide goals all throughout the season. ‘El Cholo’ is looking to add one more striker to the fold and … [Read more...]
Is Luis Enrique the Right Choice for Barcelona? They better hope so.
Barcelona wasted no time in appointing Luis Enrique as their new manager. As a former player, captain, and coach of Barcelona B, Enrique seems like the perfect hire to ensure Barcelona returns to its winning ways. However, his C.V. doesn’t necessary mean success is guaranteed; the coaches’ graveyard is littered with epitaphs of managers who seemed destined for success. In today’s game there are too many factors involved and too many unknowns for success to be a given for any manager. … [Read more...]
Defeat is hard to take but Atletico Madrid can look back on the season with pride
Mike Larsson, football editor at Superbetting.com takes a look at ATLMs season after they lost in the CL final. As the clock in the Estádio da Luz stadium ticked over to 90 minutes, Atletico Madrid’s season was about to go from absolutely fantastic to downright unbelievable. Diego Simeone’s team had already secured the La Liga title and broken the hegemony of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the league; something that hadn’t been accomplished since Rafa Benitez’s Valancia did so back in 2004. To the unobserved it seemed as though Atletico’s season had come out of nowhere however the steady … [Read more...]
Real Madrid v Atletico match preview
The 2014 Champions League season comes to an end this Saturday, with an all Madrid final. Real Madrid overcame the title holders, Bayern Munich, overwhelmingly in the semi-finals, while Diego Simeone’s men beat Chelsea in the other semi-final to set up the first City derby final in the history of the competition. … [Read more...]
The best it will get for Atleti?
This past year must feel like a dream for Atletico Madrid and their supporters. It started on May 17 of last year, when Atletico did the unthinkable and beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Copa Del Rey Final. Now, a year later, and despite losing Radamel Falcao, the team is only one victory and one tie away from being crowned the Spanish and European Champions. It’s a great story and Atletico Madrid’s current success has been celebrated by not only their fans but by La Liga watchers around the world. The reason? Many believe this team will reform the league by being able to consistently challenge and … [Read more...]
GUEST POST: FC Barcelona – what went wrong this season
Despite the current media and pundit narrative, this season isn’t Barcelona’s Waterloo. Yes, the team lost the Copa Del Rey to Real Madrid, crashed out of the Champion’s League, and barring a miracle won’t win the league. However, taking a realistic view of this season, Barca’s results seem appropriate. Last year the team effectively had two managers as Tito fought his battle with cancer and before that, they lost arguably the best coach of the modern era after a historic four year run. With the hiring of Gerardo Martino this past summer, Barcelona is on its fourth coach in the last three … [Read more...]
GUEST POST: Making the game Beautiful again…Thanks Tito Vilanova
I like many La Liga Blog readers first knew about Tito Vilanova from seeing him take over as Barcelona manager in 2012 although I began getting properly into Spanish football thanks to the Barcelona team run by his predecessor, Pep Guardiola. That team was absolutely brilliant and It's only since beginning to follow Spanish football properly that I realised just how big a part to play Tito Vilanova had for Barca. So I wanted to thank him for making the beautiful game beautiful once again... Barcelona to me have always been one of the really big clubs. However for years I always had them on a … [Read more...]
Man United and Liverpool among clubs in the race for Antoine Griezmann
Real Sociedad star Antonine Griezmann is wanted by a host of Premier League clubs including Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal the Sunday Mirror reports. The 23 year old French winger has lit up the Primera Division this season with a series of top drawer performances, netting 16 goals in the process. … [Read more...]
Derby defeat for Betis may push Mel closer to the edge
"I don't know if my players are good or if my players are bad, all I know is that they are my players and I have to pick them up” said a dejected Pepe Mel after he had watched his Real Betis side dismantled against Sevilla. He had just had to watch Sevilla's indulge in the 4-0 thrashing with their fans who chanted "Let Pepe Mel jump” around the Sanchez Pijuan and the 2.1 mile journey back to the Villamarin would have felt like the longest of journeys as, in another fact Sevilla's faithful were quick to point out, Betis were heading to the Segunda. … [Read more...]