Real Madrid v Getafe: Judgement Day

Tonight is a crossroads for Real Madrids season. They either shake off the stinging criticism they have recieved during the last 15 days and push on. Or they succumb to another disappointing result in what is turning into a potentially fatal run for the Bernabeu outfit. The former will consolidate Manuel Pelligrinis position as manager, for the time being at least, whereas the latter would surely be the end of the 'Engineer' in the Madrid hotseat.

Whatever happens, he will be without Cristiano Ronaldo and Guti. Ronaldo still hasnt managed to shake off his ankle injury, and has also been ruled out of the crucial Champions League match in Milan midweek, so Real will be eager to prove they can cope without the man from Madeira. Guti on the other hand has been left out as punishment for his outburst at Pelligrini at half time in Alcorcon, where he made it abundantly clear where his coach could shove his decision to substitute him. It has been claimed Guti is injured, but having declared himself fully-fit yesterday, Pelligrini finally appears to be exerting what little power his president affords him. It will be interesting to see if Raúl starts.

Strangely, Getafe will have more Madrid youth players in their line-up than Madrid themselves, with Soldado, Parejo, Adrián and Miguel Torres all aiming to sink their former employers. Their manager Míchel was a crowd favourite during his time as a 'blanco', but has made it clear there will be no favours come saturday evening. The match-up will also see the coming together of the protagonists of last seasons ´Pepegate´ (see video), with Pepes victim Casquero set to be named on the Getafe subs bench. Four years ago this fixture spelt the end of Wanderley Luxumbergos reign as Real Madrid manager, will lightning strike twice over the Santiago Bernabeu?

One for the futuro: Iker Muniain

When a team only allows players from their region to play for the club, you´d think it wouldnt be long before they were plying their trade in the murky waters of sunday league. Some call the rule xenophobic, but footballing traditionalists would think it´s how it should be. After all, who doesnt feel all warm inside when told how Celtics European Cup winning team of 1967 was comprised from players all born within a 30 mile radius of Parkhead? Football folklore in its purest form.

Athletic Bilbao are one of very few clubs who adopt this policy in modern day football, and having never been relegated from the top flight in their history, who's to say it's a disadvantage. The key to this sustained success is the 'cantera' (translated as the 'mine'!) or as we know it, the youth system. Bilbao have dug out a few diamonds over the years, with Llorente, Yeste, Iraola and Susaeta all plucked from the Basque bedrock, and all now stars of the current first team. Yet not even one of these players created the media furore that is currently engulfing little Iker Muniain.

Muniain arrived at Bilbao when he was 12 years old and his rise to the first team has been meteoric, smashing club records for fun. He started off in the junior teams, moved up to the Bilbao B team and at just 15 years of age coach Joaquin Caparros had him training with the first team, alongside his childhood hero Joseba Etxeberria. Youth coach Unai Melgosa witnessed Iker´s progression firsthand, and among the youngsters many virtues he lists 'his ability to learn, he never stops wanting to learn' as the most impressive. On the field Muniain has a low centre of gravity, enabling him to twist and turn defenders into submission. He is devastatingly quick, skillful, great with both feet and scores vital goals. He is also Rooney-esque in personality. Fiery and passionate, he doesnt give defenders a moments rest.

On 30th July 2009, he made his official debut against BSC Young Boys in a UEFA Europa League prelimanary, and in the return leg, scored the goal which took Bilbao to the group stages, becoming the youngest ever player to score for Atletic in an official match. He made his La Liga debut on the 30st August, becoming the youngest ever Bilbao player to do so and on the 4th October he became the youngest ever player to score a top flight goal in Spanish League history, when he scored against Real Valladolid.

Big big things are expected of Iker Muniain, and if he continues at this rate we could well see the emergence of a Spanish Lionel Messi/Wayne Rooney clone. Right now his is showcasing his talents in the World Under17 Championships in Nigeria, but at this rate it might not be the only World Cup he plays in this season.

Cloud with Silva Lining: Manchester United chase Valencia duo

With winter darkness looming and a pityful defeat to Liverpool which offered the added insult of a goal from David Ngog, Manchester United fans needed something to lift their spirits. Their ray of sunshine arrived yesterday when the Fleet Street mob splashed their back pages with news of Fergies pursuit of David Villa and David Silva. A half-hearted attempt by United to sign the pair last summer didnt work out, but it seems Sir Alex has now been given the green light from Valencia to make a renewed bid for the pair, as the mediterranean club sinks desparately deeper into red numbers.

The figure quoted in the papers was £50 million, and if Ferguson manages to sign both Villa and Silva for this fee, it will be tantamount to daylight robbery. Villa scores goals for fun and is as ruthless infront of goal as they come, whilst Silva is the footballing twin of Andres Iniesta....delightful touch, stunning vision and an eye for goal. Doubts linger as to whether they would struggle physically in English football, but as Zola, Fabregas and Joe Cole have proven, size doesnt always matter. Valencia have managed to stave off the vultures circling above the Mestalla until now, but it appears the time has come to cash in on their most prized assets.

The backdrop to this headline paints a sorry, yet all too familiar, picture of how clubs like Valencia, steeped in tradition and one of the few that could conceivably push the top two, are regularly forced to sell their best players. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two financial powerhouses in Spanish football, regularly handpicking talent from the clubs below them, which only serves to widen the chasm between them and the rest.

The sheiks and Asian businessmen that have bloated the bank accounts (and overdrafts) of English clubs are yet to reach Spanish shores, and until the La Liga can attract the same sort of fervent interest from Asia and the Middle East as the Premier League, the situation is unlikely to change. Florentino Perez´s proposition of moving the kick-off times to 3pm could be a start, but it has been met with divided opinion among managers and presidents as well as the spanish public as, after all, this is the sacred siesta hour. Personally, I believe the national team is just as important to any sustained ´Battle of Asia´ against the Premiership, with their brand of total football more than capable of capturing the imagination of the Eastern empires. The World Cup in South Africa is the perfect shop window and could well spark a transformation in the make-up of La Liga, of the like we are now witnessing in England with Aston Villa, Man City and Spurs beginning to challenge the established order.

But until then, we will continue to see the Villas and Silvas of this world moving from, what are essentially, Spains feeder clubs to Madrid, Barca or the European big guns, and the spanish football equivalent to the poverty gap in Brazil will continue to grow.

Epic cupset in Alcorcón

It wouldnt be an understatement to say tonight was the most humiliating night of Real Madrid´s 107 history. After poor showings against AC Milan and Valladolid, this trip to lowly Alcorcón in the cup was supposed to get the Bernabeu bandwagon back on track. A strong lineup including Raul, Benzema, Guti, Van der Vaart and Albiol was sent out by Pelligrini, with the aim of getting Madrid back into the winning habit. What happened next will haunt ´Madridistas´ for years to come.

Madrid never got into their stride and were hounded by a rampant Alcorcón side, who could easily have scored six or seven, but had to settle for four. Alcorcón are currently 17th in the Segunda B league (Third tier), with this match-up being the spanish equivalent of Man Utd v Leyton Orient. Upsets in cup competitions are an occupational hazard for top teams, but the manner of this defeat, as well as the scoreline (4-0), will hit hard into the very core of Real Madrid Football Club. Fans are predictably calling for Pelligrini´s head, and the clubs directors were seen lurking around the changing rooms both a half-time and the final whistle, which is never a good sign.

One has to feel for poor Manuel Pelligrini. He is a humble and likeable guy and, as his exploits with Villarreal would testify, an excellent manager. But the nature of Real Madrid, and the extent of Florentino´s summer spending, demands instant success. When will they learn that it´s continuity that breeds success and not a blank chequebook?

(The chap celebrating in the photo is Borja López of Alcorcón, who notched two goals in tonights rout. He now boasts six goals against Real Madrid in his career, all in cup competition)

La Liga Oscars

Last night was the chance for Spanish football to honour the finest performers of the 2008/2009 season with the annual awards at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid. Proclaimed by sponsors Marca as the ´La Liga Oscars´, the ceremony did its best to emulate its American Film counterpart, with a fair amount of glitz and glamour to the occasion. La Liga´s new golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo will have been disappointed to have missed out, especially given the famously dubious nature of the newspaper´s awarding criteria (they recently presented Kaká with the Marca Legend Trophy for his spectacular career so far in football, curiously labelling it as his first trophy in Spanish football!). If Madrid end the season empty handed we can surely expect to see the inauguration of ´La Ligas Most Handsome´ award next year.

Not to be outdone this year though, the newspaper did manage to sneak one of their own into winning a category, with the gentleman on the far bottom-right, Megía Dávila, winning the ´Best Referee´ category. Regarded as one of the better spanish whistleblowers before his recent retirement, and a self-proclaimed Madrid fan, the club have recently employed him as an advisor to the first team squad on how to treat referees. Cue the predictable outrage from Barca fans who already had lists of 10 or so stonewall penalties he turned down when refereeing their matches.

Here is a list of the nights main ´oscar´ winners:

Diego Forlán (Athletico Madrid)  - Picichi Prize / Top Goalscorer
Victor Valdés (Barca)  - Zamora Prize / Keeper with least goals conceded
David Villa (Valencia)  - Zarra Prize / Top Spanish Goalscorer
Pep Guardiola (Barca)  - Migual Muñoz Prize  / Best Manager
Megía Dávila (Real Madrid)  - Guruceta Prize / Best Referee

De la Red fights on

Its almost a year to the day since that fateful night in Irun when Rubén De la Red had the whole of the footballing world fearing the worst. On 30th October 2008, during a cup match away to Real Unión, De la Red was running back to position in anticipation of a goal kick when he suddenly fell face down the turf. As he lay motionless, everyone watching saw flashbacks to the tragic death of Sevilla´s Antonio Puerta the season before. Fellow players and club doctors rushed to his aid and to the relief of all, Rubén regained consciousness and was promptly taken to hospital for tests.

One year on and the Spanish international is still no nearer to finding out exactly what the problem is. Originally diagnosed as a heart syncope, all that is known is that his heart stopped beating momentarily. Other than that all medical examinations on the player have proved inconclusive, which means he is no closer to a comeback.

To those who have seen him play regularly, Rubén is a sublime footballer, who was on the verge of a huge breakthrough in Spanish football. After three years in the Real Madrid B team, he was sent to Getafe to get a taste of first team action in La Liga and it proved a masterstroke. Getafe, only a small suburb outside Madrid, enjoyed one of the the most successful seasons in their history, playing an stylish and attacking brand of football with De la Red the brain in the middle. He then went on to make the triumphant Spain squad for Euro 2008, and scored a cracker against Greece in the third group stage match. Real Madrid immediately called him back, and he scored another belter in the Spanish version of the Community Shield (Supercopa) against Valencia. It´s this immense promise and talent that makes the whole episode even more of a bitter pill to swallow.

Rubén makes it clear he feels fortunate, he says it could have been worse. He states his role as father as a useful therapy to help him come to terms with it all and although he isnt prepared to take any risks, he still harbours hope that he will make a return. The player is taking mental strength, humility and determination to a new level, so fingers crossed it´s not the last we´ve seen of him on the playing field.

Diego Lopez on Fergie´s radar

After the shambolic early-season performances of Ben Foster and with Edwin Van der Sar fast approaching retirement, you couldnt blame Alex Ferguson for setting his sights on landing an accomplished goalkeeper to take over the dutchman´s mantle. Igor Akinfeev´s name has already been banded around the english press, but according to ´Marca´ it seems he has fixed his gaze upon Diego López of Villarreal.

A couple of things from Marca´s article will raise a few eyebrows and surely question Ferguson´s faith in Foster. Firstly it seems he is prepared to do a deal in January, which shows just how strongly he feels about the need to strengthen that position. Secondly, it appears he is prepared to pay the 35m euro buy-out-clause to land him during the January transfer window.

Now Diego López is a solid enough goalkeeper, but he is not worth 35m euros, not even in todays ´madrid-inflated´ market. He is generally regarded as Spain´s fourth choice goalkeeper behind Casillas, Reina and Palop, and in fairness rightly so. A great shot-stopper, useful with his feet, and usually commanding in the area....but he is also susceptible to the odd clanger, and one would think the pressure that would come with filling Van der Sar´s boots could prove a challenge too far for the ex-Real Madrid keeper.

Sunday Round-Up: Barca back in business

Barca responded to those questioning whether their golden era had come to an end with a stunning 6-1 victory over Real Zaragoza in the Camp Nou. Barca dominated from the off with Keita orchestrating events from midfield. The man from Mali scored his first hat-trick for the club and created two others in an all-action display. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two in another dazzling performance, with Messi notching the other goal with a delightful chip after being played through by Iniesta. Both Messi and Barca answered their recent critics in style, and they open a three-point gap over Real Madrid.

Valencia moved up into the Champions League spots with a 0-3 win at Almeria. Their spanish contigent got the goals with David Villa, Pablo Hernandez and Juan Mata all on the scoresheet. Hernandez´s goal is worth catching on youtube: a sumptuous lob from 40 metres.

Team of the moment Deportivo La Coruña crashed to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the ever-unpredictable Real Valladolid. A scoreline that no-one could possibly have foreseen was the fruit of four brilliantly-taken goals, with two from man of the match Nauzet. But even this wasnt enough for coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who berated his team´s performance as being ´not good enough´ in the post-match conference. Hard man to please.

In the other matches, Roberto Soldado looked to remind Spain coach Vicente del Bosque of his goalscoring ability with a goal in the 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao. Racing saved a point with the last kick of the match against Osasuna, where seasoned hardman Walter Pandiani got yet another goal; his sixth of the season. Xerez fell to a miserable defeat away to Tenerife, a match where they showed little ambition and in which coach Ziganda again baffled with his strange team selection; Alfaro scoring with a powerful header. And finally, Villarreal got their season back on track after a 2-1 home win against Malaga. Goals from Nilmar and Capdevila were enough to get the ´Yellow Submarine´ off the bottom.

Barcelona 6 - 1 Zaragoza
Almería 0 - 3 Valencia
Valladolid 4 - 0 Deportivo
Getafe 2 - 0 Athletic
Racing 1 - 1 Osasuna
Tenerife 1 - 0 Xerez
Villarreal 2 - 1 Málaga

Saturday Round-Up: 24.09.10

Real Madrid were left to rue an injury crisis that has left them blunted upfront, as they drew 0-0 away to Sporting Gijon. In a match that was dominated by the hosts in the first half, Madrid stepped it up in the second with Gijon indebted to keeper Juan Pablo who kept them in the match with crucial saves from Kaká and Granero. It´s clear Madrid already rely too heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo, with ´Cristianodependencia´ the latest phrase coined by the national press, so Pelligrini´s got plenty of work to do on the training ground as they await his return.

It seems there are no limits to the farcical situation at Atletico Madrid. 1-0 up at home and with Mallorca down to nine men for most of the second half, they somehow succumbed to a 92nd minute equaliser from Borja Valero. Atletico were gifted two penalties within the first 52 mins, with the first sent wide by Forlan, only to make amends with the second. Both those penalty decisions saw Mallorcan defenders handle in the area, and both saw them recieving their marching orders with second yellows. But instead of dominating, Atletico were caught out time after time and it was no surprise when Mallorca equalised at the death. The final whistle prompted ugly scenes as 500 fans attempted to gatecrash the president´s balcony, as the Vicente Calderon soap opera continues.

The other match on saturday saw Sevilla and Espanyol share the spoils in a 0-0 draw at the Sanchez Pizjuan. An entertaining match that swung from end to end, Sevilla were left frustrated by a fantastic performance from flamboyant keeper Carlos Kameni, who made several vital interventions, most notably a fingertip save from Perotti´s free kick. Sevilla piled forward after Pareja´s red card in the 60th minute, but to no avail. Sevilla are the only team that can be realistically expected to challenge the top two this year, so they´ll be disappointed not to come away with three points against a limited Espanyol side.

Sporting Gijon 0 - 0 Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Mallorca
Sevilla 0 - 0 Espanyol

Madrid in real trouble

After confirmation that both Gonzalez Higuaín and Karim Benzema would miss the next league fixture at Sporting Gijon on saturday, it´s beginning to look a little desparate for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo´s ankle injury and Ruud Van Nistlerooy´s ongoing nightmare leaves Raúl as the only recognised striker.  Lassana Diarra has been by far Madrid´s most consistent performer so far this season, breaking up play, launching attacks.....striving to emulate Madrid´s former galic warrior Claude Makelele. But even ´Lass´ misses out after having to travel to France for personal reasons.

With Sporting having enjoyed a solid start to the season and Madrid´s morale shot to pieces by Alexandre Pato´s right boot on wednesday, I wouldnt bet against a shock result at El Molinón Stadium.

Weekend Fixtures:    *  Saturday Fixture

Atlético - Mallorca *
Sporting - R. Madrid *
Sevilla - Espanyol *
Tenerife - Xerez
Villarreal - Málaga
Valladolid - Deportivo
Getafe - Athletic
Racing - Osasuna
Almería - Valencia
Barcelona - Zaragoza

Adios Abel

After Wednesdays 4-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid finally decided it was time to replace coach Abel Resino. ´Los Colchoneros´ have endured a disastrous start and currently lie 1 point above the relegation zone. Put into perspective, they are currently worse off at this stage of the season than the infamous Atletico side of 1999/2000 that was relegated to La Segunda. That team contained stars such as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Kiko and Juan Carlos Valerón, so there´s no guaranteeing Sergio Agüero, Maxi and Forlan will save them this time, thats if they´re still around after January.

Many will question how a team that qualified for the Champions League last year have suffered such a drastic change in fortunes in one summer. They managed to hold onto their deadly duo and signed a couple of future stars in Jurado and Sergio ´The Next Casillas´ Asenjo.

Yet what they failed to address was an ageing and porous defence. Centre backs Pablo and Ujfalusi appear clueless, whilst Antonio Lopez and Pernía have seen their careers in steady decline since being included in the Spain squad for the 2006 World Cup. They were propelled last year by the awesome form of Forlan and Agüero, but now the goals have dried up, so have the points.

It was only a matter of minutes after Abel´s solemn farewell speech to the Atletico faithful, that former Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores was officially named as his replacement. A man known for his giggle fits during press conferences wont find anything funny about his new home. He´s got two weeks to get it in order before the neighbouring Galacticos come to town.

Probably the best league in Europe? La Liga v The Premiership

On the surface it appears a matter of national pride, but with the cosmopolitan nature of football leagues these days, its now more a matter for the marketing executives and over-excited football commentators. But that doesnt stop fans, aficionados and tifosos across the continent arguing over; Which is the best domestic league in Europe?

In Italy, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus are simply not the European superpowers they once were. Teams such as Genoa and Sampdoria are currently in the running for the Champions League spots, and if someone asked you to name a footballing superstar currently playing in Italy you´d feel obliged to offer the ageing legs of Totti and Del Piero alongside the brilliant, yet erratic, Samuel Eto´o. Serie A currently struggles to attract star names, apart from those winding down after successes in other climes, so can it really be considered as the best league in the world? No Signore.

Then we have another pretender to the throne: Die Bundesliga in Germany. The sleeping giant Bayern Munich havnt had a great time of it in the Champions League of late, and although they were the last German winners of the Champions League in 2001, they have seen teams like Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and the unfashionable Wolfsburg snatch league titles away from them in the last five years. The Bundesliga attracts higher attendances than any other league in Europe and five teams were still in the running last year with two games left, which gives the league a touch of unpredictability, but these teams struggle among Europe´s elite. World class players? Ribery...perhaps Robben when he´s not fixing his hamstrings. Not good enough.

Which leaves the big two. La Liga v The Premiership. Important first to highlight those all-important deciding factors. A couple have been thrown in already...world class players and success in the Champions League. I´d like to throw a couple more into the arena....excitement and strength in depth.

WORLD CLASS PLAYERS: The Premiership has certainly had a monopoly on this one, but last summer changed all that. Florentino Perez and the spanish taxman secured the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Benzema. Barcelona signed up Ibrahimovic. Suddenly the Premiership had been robbed of their most marketable asset. Lampard, Fabregas, Gerrard, Torres and Rooney remain, but its safe to say that with Messi, Villa, Silva, Xavi, Agüero and Iniesta added to Florentinos merry band of galacticos, La Liga is the new home of Europes finest. La Liga takes an early lead.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Looking at the last five winners, its 2-2 between Spain and England. But six of the last ten finalists have been English clubs. There´s no doubting the success of the Premiership´s big four in recent years, with all four having reached at least the final in the last five years. Only Barcelona (ironically) has been flying the spanish flag. The Premiership draws level.

EXCITEMENT: If they´re good enough for Señor Benitez they´re good enough for me. Facts. Last season (2008/2009) 'La Liga' scored 1101 goals with a ratio of 2.90 goals per game. 18% of these goals came in the last ten minutes and there were only 18 no-score draws. Surprisingly The Premiership lags behind on 942 goals at a ratio of 2.48 goals per game. 20% of these goals came in the last ten minutes and there were a sleep inducing 42 0-0 draws last season. Facts aside, you´ve got the pace and power of the Premiership against the skill and passion of La Liga. Its a mightily tough call, but La Liga sneaks back in front.

STRENGTH IN DEPTH: In the Premiership, Man City, Tottenham and Aston Villa are all looking to force their way into the top four. Everton and Fulham are a match for anyone. Wigan and Sunderland have proved their credentials against the big guns. Suddenly Bolton at home isnt a given and Burnley away can leave you with a nasty claret stain on your shirt. The Premiership has toughened up. In La Liga it´s all about the top two, Real Madrid and Barca. The last few seasons have seen Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia offer some resistance, but beyond that it can be very predictable. Pit any of those teams against Osasuna, Mallorca or Valladolid and there´s only one result. Even the once mighty Athletico Madrid receive regular 6 goal hidings from Barca. The Premiership scores a last-gasp equaliser.

So we have the dreaded penalty shoot-out. All sorts of factors would come into play from Martin O´Neill´s tracksuit to Guardiola´s suit, but we all know it would end with England firing over the crossbar in sudden death. I may be doing my home country an injustice but I truely believe La Liga would snatch it. It´s such a close call, but football has always been decided by fine margins. La Liga has arguably the finest player of our generation in Messi, who has scored the closest we will see to Maradonas wonder goal in ´86. So take a bow La Liga, you´re probably the best league in Europe.