LA LIGA: Nothing changes at Real Zaragoza

It's been two long seasons since I was last present at La Romereda. Real Zaragoza spent the first battling out of hell. The second was largely spent fighting not to slip back in. You would have thought one season in the second division for one of La Ligas 'historicos' would have been enough to learn a few hard lessons. Yesterdays horror show against Malaga proves otherwise. It reminded me very much of a game I witnessed during the 2007/2008 campaign against Real Valladolid. A team, like Malaga, many were predicting to be part of the relegation scrap come the end of the season. An easy three points were on the cards. One devastating counter attacking performance from Valladolid later and 'Los Maños' were planted firmly on their way towards 'La Segunda'.

Trouble at Zaragoza, is that nothing is easy. Not one win or draw comes easily. Every match is a battle of attrition. A downright struggle. And when things often go all curveball, we get to see a goalfest. And Real Zaragoza are more often than not on the wrong end of it. Think the opposite of Keegans Newcastle United! Malaga at home is really a game they need to be getting three points from. But they were systematically ripped apart in a whirlwind opening 35 minutes, which saw the away side storm into an unassailable 0-5 lead and had fans leaving the stadium before the half-time whistle. Defeats of this nature will more often than not lead to relegation. So where have lessons not been learned?

Success starts at the back. For the comedy centre backs of the 2007/2008 elect, Sergio and Roberto Ayala, read Matteo Contini and Jiri Jarosik. Simply not good enough. Diogo is a liability, not to mention a maniac, whilst Leo Franco is a joke. Tough times ahead in that department. Don't sign for the sake of signing. When it comes to summer transfers, Agapito Iglesias is a poor mans Florentino Perez. It's quite astounding how many players Agapito gets through, with very few actually making any difference. Two that did make a difference last season, Humberto Suazo and keeper Roberto, were not kept on the books. Utter lunacy. Mr Iglesias is one of those businessman presidents that has no idea about football, and he simply needs to go. 

Get a decent manager in. Real Zaragoza supposedly had a good manager when I first set foot in La Romareda. Victor Fernandez was his name. Lead the team into the UEFA spots the year before and he was even being touted as a future Spain manager. A few shocking results later and his was packing his bags. They've never replaced him since. The current incumbent is the unfortunately named Jose Aurelio Gay. And what's clear to me is that he's not up to the task. Perhaps Agapito is hesitant to start the manager merry-go-round that took place in 2007/2008 when four came and went, but if Fernandez wasn't good enough, neither is Gay. Get a proven, seasoned pro in there. Time to trust in youth. The 2007/2008 elect was ridden with players on a downward curve, counting down the years and the pay cheques. Leo Franco, Gabi (a truly shocking excuse for a midfielder), Diogo and Jarosik all fit that bill. Time to get youngsters like Laguardia, Kevin, Borque or Alex Sanchez in there to help out poor Ander Herrera. Kids that will fight tooth and nail for the badge.

It's sad for me to see a team like Real Zaragoza slip into this mess once more. I can only imagine what it's like for those who have been fans since the glory years of the 60s and 90s. I hope for the sake of the club and their loyal set of fans that this season doesn't turn into the nightmare that I was part of two seasons ago. Only time will tell. Next up: Racing Santander.

LA LIGA SUMMER TRANSFERS 2010/2011

Now the World Cup is done and dusted expect teams across La Liga to part with some serious cash as they seek to bolster their squads ready for the start of the 2010/2011 season. There had been a few transfers before the South African showpiece, David Villa and Fran Merida among them, with Real Madrid now clicking into gear with the recent signings of Angel Di Maria, Pedro Leon and Sami Khedira. With Barca having signed Adriano from Sevilla and still chasing Cesc Fabregas and Real Madrid in the hunt for Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil there promises to be a few more big money signings before the start of the season. It's been rather quiet on the Sevilla, Atletico and Valencia front, although yesterday did see Valencia part with around €4 million to sign Aritz Aduriz as they seek to replace the unreplaceable, Mr Villa. And of course it's out with the old as we welcome in the new. Thierry Henry has already sealed a move to New York as he winds down his career with Guti (Turkey?) and Raul (United States/Saudi Arabia/Premiership?!) expected to follow suit in the coming days.

A couple of Liga transfers that raised my eyebrows were those of Yaya Toure and David Silva, both off to Manchester City in the Premiership. In the case of David Silva I see it as a total waste of talent. Should have stayed in Spain where they'll nurture that fantastic talent. Many here are likening it to the transfer of Gaizka Mendieta who went to England and his career spiralled out of control.  As for Yaya Toure, I had thought they had made a massive blunder letting the big man go, but after the form of Sergio Busquets in the World Cup, I've changed my mind!

Nowhere near as active as the famous Florentino summer of 2009. Will we ever see another summer like it? Doubtful.

ALMERIA:
In: Leonardo Ulloa (€900k, CD Castellon), Michael Jakobsen, Aalborg BK), Miguel Angel Luque (free, Barcelona), Diego Valeri (loan, FC Porto), Marcelo Silva (€1.3m, Danubio)

Out: Domingo Cosma (Free, Racing Santander), Fernando Soriano (Free, Osasuna), Natalio Lorenzo (free, Tenerife), Guilherme Oliveira (loan, Albacete), David Rodriguez (free, Celta Vigo), Chico (€5m, Genoa)


ATHLETIC BILBAO:

In: Mikel San Jose (€2.74m, Liverpool), Igor Martinez (€200k, Alaves), Ibai Gomez (Free, Sestao River Club), Xabier Etxeita (Recalled Loan, FC Cartagena), Raul Fernandez (Recalled Loan, Granada CF)

Out: Julen Goni (Loan Signing, Barakaldo CF), Xabier Etxeita (Free, Elche), Iban Zubiaurre (Loan Signing, Albacete), Inaki Munoz (free, FC Cartagena), Ander Murillo (free, Celta Vigo)

ATLETICO MADRID:

In: Fran Merida (free, Arsenal), Mario Suarez (€1.8m, Mallorca), Keko Gontan (Recalled Loan, Valladolid), Roberto Batres (Recalled Loan, Shanghai Shenhua), Filipe Luis (€12m, Deportivo La Coruna), Diego Godin (€8m, Villarreal), Tiago Mendes (loan, Juventus)


Out: Roberto Jimenez (€8.5m, Benfica), Ruben Perez (loan, Deportivo La Coruna), Cedric Mabwati (free, CD Numancia), Jorge Molino (loan, Real Murcia), Leandro Cabrera (loan, Recreativo Huelva), Eduardo Salvio (loan, Benfica), Ibrahima Balde (loan, Albacete), Jurado (€7 Schalke 04)

BARCELONA:

In: David Villa (€40m, Valencia), Henrique (Recalled Loan, Racing Santander), Adriano (€10m, Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (€17.5m, Liverpool)

Out: Alberto Botia (Free, Sporting Gijon), Yaya Toure (€34m, Manchester City), Dmytro Chygrynskiy (€15m, Shakhtar Donetsk), Keirrison (Loan Signing, Santos FC), Thierry Henry (Free, New York Red Bulls), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (€17m AC Milan)


DEPORTIVO LA CORUÑA:

In: Michel Herrero (Loan Signing, Valencia), Yves Desmarets (Free, Vitoria Guimaraes), Jonathan Urretavizcaya (Loan Signing, Benfica), Stopira (Free, C.D. Santa Clara), Ruben Perez (loan, Atletico Madrid), Felipe Ramos (free, Real Madrid Castilla), Claudio Morel Rodriguez (free, Boca Juniors), Knut Olav Rindarey (loan, Molde FK)


Out: Brayan Angulo (Recalled Loan, Leixoes), Mista (Free, Toronto FC), Rodolfo Bodipo (Loan Signing, FC Vaslui), Alex Bergantinos (Loan Signing, Granada CF), Filipe Luis (€12m, Atletico Madrid), Sergio Gonzalez (free, Levante), Ivan Perez (loan, SD Ponferradina), Jairo Alvarez (free, CF Palencia), Ruben Castro (€1.5m, Real Betis)

ESPANYOL:

In: Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (Extended Loan, Bologna), Gregory Beranger (loan return, UD Las Palmas), Valdo (Recalled Loan, Malaga), Milan Smiljanic (Recalled Loan, Sporting Gijon), Jesus Datolo (Loan Signing, Napoli), Felipe Mattioni (free, Mallorca), Sergio Garcia (€1.8m, Real Betis)


Out: Gregory Beranger (Free, Elche), Fernando Marques (loan, Parma), Ben Sahar (loan, Hapoel Tel Aviv), Milan Smiljanic (loan, FK Partizan), Angel Martinez (loan, Girona FC), Nicolas Pareja (€10m, Spartak Moscow), Roman Martinez (loan, UANL Tigres), Valdo (free, Levante), Moises Hurtado (€2m, Olympiakos)

GETAFE:

In: Borja Fernandez (Free, Valladolid), Ivan Marcano (Loan Signing, Villarreal), Franck Signorino (Recalled Loan, FC Cartagena), Pedro Mosquera (Free, Real Madrid), Adrian Colunga (€2m, Recreativo Huelva), Victor Sanchez (loan, Barcelona)

Out: Joffre Guerron (€1.2m, CA Paranaense), Pedro Leon (€10m, Real Madrid), Miguel Pallardo (loan, Levante), David Belenguer (free, Real Betis), David Cortez (free, Hercules), Kepa Blanco (free, Recreativo Huelva), Adrian Gonzalez (free, Racing Santander), Roberto Soldado (€10m, Valencia)

HERCULES:

In: Olivier Thomert (Free, Le Mans), Matias Fritzler (loan, Lanus), Abel Aguilar (€1.5m, Udinese), David Cortez (free, Getafe), Cristian Pulhac (loan, Dinamo Bucharest), Nelson Valdez (€3.8m, Borussia Dortmund), Mohamed Sarr (€300k, Standard Liege), David Trezeguet (Juventus), Royston Drenthe (Loan, Real Madrid)


Out: Edu Moya (Free, Xerez), Sergio Diaz (free, Gimnastic de Tarragona), Ionel Danciulescu (free, Dinamo Bucharest), Jorge Alonso (free, Real Valladolid), Gerardo Noriega (free, Gimnastic de Tarragona), Rodri (free, Gimnastic de Tarragona), Andrija Delibasic (free, Rayo Vallecano), Dani Bautista (free, Girona)

LEVANTE:

In: Xavi Torres (Loan Signing, Malaga), Miguel Pallardo (loan, Getafe), Sergio Gonzalez (free, Deportivo La Coruna), Christian Stuani (loan, Reggina), Gustavo Munua (free, Malaga), Valdo (free, Espanyol), Nano (free, Real Betis), Javi Venta (free, Villarreal), Ignacio Gonzalez (loan, Valencia), Asier del Horno (loan, Valencia)


Out: Javi Guerra (Recalled Loan, Mallorca), Pau Cendros (Recalled Loan, Mallorca), Jorge Pina (free, Albacete), Albert Serra (free, Girona FC), Manu Herrera (free, AD Alcorcon), Angel Sanchez (free, AD Alcorcon), Daniel Carril (free, UD Las Palmas), Marc Mateu (loan, Real Union Irun)


MALAGA:

In: Eliseu Pereira (€500k, Lazio), Edinho (Recalled Loan, PAOK Salonika), Javier Malagueno (€2m, Indios de Ciudad Juarez), Salomon Rondon (€3.5m, UD Las Palmas), Sebastian Fernandez (€2.5m, CA Banfield), Rodrigo Galatto (free, Atletico Paranaense), Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (free, Al-Sadd Sports Club)


Out: Milan Stepanov (Recalled Loan, FC Porto), Roberto Santamaria (Recalled Loan, Las Palmas), Valdo (Recalled Loan, Espanyol), Felipe Caicedo (Recalled Loan, Manchester City), Victor Obinna (Recalled Loan, Inter Milan), Fernando Forestieri (Recalled Loan, Genoa), Xavi Torres (Loan Signing, Levante), Javi Lopez (loan, SD Ponferradina), Pere Marti (free, CD Castellon), Miguel Angel Lozano (free, SD Ponferradina), Gustavo Munua (free, Levante), Jordi Pablo (loan, FC Cartagena), Daniel Toribio (loan, SD Ponferradina)

MALLORCA:

In: Felipe Mattioni (€1m, Maga Esporte), Javi Guerra (Recalled Loan, Levante), Pau Cendros (Recalled Loan, Levante), Oscar Diaz (Recalled Loan, Recreativo Huelva), Jonathan de Guzman (free, Feyenoord)

Out: Mario Suarez (€1.8m, Atletico Madrid), Borja Valero (Recalled Loan, West Bromwich Albion), Aritz Aduriz (€4m, Valencia), Fernando Varela (free, Kasimpasa SK), Julio Alvarez (free, Tenerife), Javi Guerra (€300k, Valladolid), Oscar Diaz (free, Xerez), Felipe Mattioni (free, Espanyol), Javi Castellano (loan, Real Union Irun), Oscar Trejo (loan, Rayo Vallecano), Juanmi Callejon (free, Cordoba CF)

OSASUNA:

In: Fernando Soriano (Free, Almeria), Asier Riesgo (Free, Real Sociedad), Dejan Lekic (€2.5m, Red Star Belgrade), Nicolas Medina (Recalled Loan, CD Castellon), Damia Albella (loan, Real Betis), Lolo (free, Sevilla)


Out: Cesar Azpilicueta (€7m, Marseille), Dady (Free, Bucaspor), Jorge Galan (Loan Signing, Huesca), Oscar Vega (Loan Signing, Huesca), Jokin Esparza (Loan Signing, Huesca), Andres Fernandez (Loan Signing, SD Huesca), Roberto Fernandez (Free, Granada CF), Roversio (loan, Real Betis)


RACING SANTANDER:

In: Francis (Free, Xerez), Domingo Cosma (Free, Almeria), Kennedy Bakircioglu (Free, Kayserispor), Henrique (loan, Barcelona), Ariel Nahuelpan (free, Coritiba), Alexandros Tziolis (loan, Siena), Adrian Gonzalez (free, Getafe)


Out: Nasief Morris (Recalled Loan, Panathinaikos), Juanjo Esposito (Loan Signing, Watford), Jose Moraton (free, UD Salamanca), Toni Moral (free, FC Cartagena)

REAL MADRID:

In: Angel Di Maria (€25m, Benfica), Sami Khedira (€10m, Stuttgart), Pedro Leon (€10m, Getafe), Mesut Ozil (€15m, Werder Bremen), Ricardo Carvalho (€7.5m, Chelsea),

Out: Miguel Palanca (Free, Elche), Pedro Mosquera (Free, Getafe), Raul (Free, Schalke 04), Guti (Free, Besiktas), Christophe Metzelder (Free, Schalke 04)


REAL SOCIEDAD:

In: Joseba Llorente (€2m, Villarreal), Francisco Sutil (Free, SD Eibar), Diego Ifran (€1.5m, Danubio), Jeffrey Sarpong (free, Ajax Amsterdam)


Out: Asier Riesgo (Free, Osasuna), Franck Songo’o (Recalled Loan, Real Zaragoza), Inigo Sarasola (loan, Real Union), Iosu Esnaola (loan, Real Union)

REAL ZARAGOZA:

In: Abel Aguilar (Loan Extended, Udinese), Pablo de Barros (Recalled Loan, Gimnastic de Tarragona), Braulio Nobrega (Recalled Loan, Recreativo Huelva), Franck Songo’o (Recalled Loan, Real Sociedad), Leo Franco (Free, Galatasaray), Toni Doblas (Free, SD Huesca), Matteo Contini (€2.1m, Napoli), Nicolas Bertolo (loan, Palermo), Adam Pinter (free, MTK Budapest)


Out: Adrian Colunga (Recalled Loan, Recreativo Huelva), Humberto Suazo (loan return, CF Monterrey), Eliseu Pereira (Recalled Loan, Lazio), Ruben Pulido (free, Eskisehirspor), Pablo Amo (free, Panserraikos), Pablo de Barros (loan, Cruzeiro)

SEVILLA:

In: Mouhamadou Dabo (Free, St. Etienne), Tiberio Guarente (€5m, Atalanta), Arouna Kone (Recalled Loan, Hannover 96), Luca Cigarini (loan, Napoli)

Out: Marius Stankevicius (Recalled Loan, Sampdoria), Francisco Javier Barranco (Free, Osasuna B), Marc Valiente (Free, Valladolid), Adriano (€10m, Barcelona), Emiliano Armenteros (loan, Rayo Vallecano), Jose Angel Crespo (loan, Padova), David Prieto (free, Tenerife), Tom de Mul (loan, Standard Liege), Javier Chevanton (free, Lecce), Lolo (free, Sevilla)

SPORTING GIJON:

In: Gaston Sangoy (€1m, Apollon Limassol), Ayoze Garcia (Free, Tenerife), Nacho Novo (Free, Rangers), Alberto Botia (Free, Barcelona), Sebastian Eguren (Free, Villarreal),

Out: Milan Smiljanic (Recalled Loan, Espanyol), Kike Mateo (loan, Elche CF), Jose Maldonado (free, FC Cartagena), Gerard Autet (free, Xerez)

VALENCIA:

In: Mehmet Topal (€4.2m, Galatasaray), Roberto Soldado (€10m, Getafe), Renan Brito (Recalled Loan, Xerez), Thiago Carleto (Recalled Loan, Sao Paulo), Nacho Gonzalez (Recalled Loan, Levadiakos), Asier del Horno (Recalled Loan, Valladolid), Alberto Costa (€6.5m, Montpellier), Aritz Aduriz (€4m, Mallorca), Sofiane Feghouli (free, Grenoble)

Out: David Villa (€40m, Barcelona), Michel Herrero (On Loan, Deportivo La Coruna), Nikola Zigic (€7m, Birmingham City), Renan Brito (On Loan, Internacional), David Silva (€30m, Manchester City), David Lomban (free, Xerez), Carlos Marchena (€2.2m, Villarreal), Aaron Niguez (free, Recreativo Huelva), Ignacio Gonzalez (loan, Levante), Asier del Horno (loan, Levante)

VILLARREAL:
In: Sofiane Feghouli (free, Grenoble), Ricardo Costa (free, Lille), Damian Escudero (€2.5m, Boca Juniors), Sebastian Eguren (loan return, Lazio), Borja Valero (€6m, West Bromwich Albion), Carlos Marchena (€2.2m, Valencia)

Out: Ivan Marcano (Loan Signing, Getafe), Joseba Llorente (€2m, Real Sociedad), Sebastian Eguren (free, Sporting Gijon), Ariel Ibagaza (Free, Olympiakos), Diego Godin (€8m, Atletico Madrid), David Fuster (free, Olympiakos), Javi Venta (free, Levante)

SOURCE: http://soccerlens.com/spanish-la-liga-transfers/

THE MOURINHO METHOD: Why so many victories?

Ever wondered what sets new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho apart from the rest? Why it is that wherever he goes, silverware is never far behind? Me too. So it was a pleasant surprise to read an article in todays AS about four Portuguese authors who have written a book about the self-proclaimed 'Special one'. The title of the book is 'Mourinho: Why so many victories? and it analyses Mourinhos methods on the training pitch and in the dressing room, outlining ten key factors in his unrepentant search for domestic and European glory. It also provides a fascinating insight into what awaits Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates when they return for training after the World Cup. So, translated into English, here they are, accompanied by quotes from the great man himself:

1. THE ONLY STAR IS THE TEAM: 'My greatest worry is the team. The collective effort. I have no idea where the physical aspect ends and the tactical/psychological aspect begins, but football encaptures both. I can't separate the two, but what I can say is that football is not all about the physical aspect, it's about much more than that. In the grand scheme of things, the physical aspect is probably the least important element. Without organisation and a talent in exploring the different tactical models of the game, your weaknesses quickly become apparent, regardless of how fit you are'.

2. TACTICS ARE WORKED ON FROM DAY ONE: 'The most important thing in football is to have a style of play, a set of principles that offer organisation to the team. For that reason, my focus is on tactics from day one'. Exactly what is required at Real Madrid.

3. THE RUI FARIA METHOD (No circuits, no gyms, no laps around the pitch): 'Have you ever seen a pianist run around his piano before sitting down to unleash a masterpiece? In our methodology we don't send them on laps around the pitch either'. For Mourinho and his right-hand man/physical trainer Rui Faria, the gym is only for recovering from injuries.

4. THE BALL IS OBLIGATORY. TRAINING SESSIONS OF NO MORE THAN 90 MINUTES: 'My training sessions aren't long, they're dynamic and incredibly time-efficient. I like my team to learn to love the ball, and to know what to do with it once they win it back. Three hour training sessions will only serve to bore the players. They would quickly fall out of love with the ball'.

5. A TEAM WITHOUT PEAKS IN FORM: 'Weekly training sessions are solely focused on the next game. There's no plan to come good in December or May, no looking ahead. No plan to play better against the top teams'.

6. MOTIVATION COMES FROM TRAINING, NOT FROM THE BIG MATCHES: During his time in Portugal with Porto, there came a moment when the team were winning everything domestically, with the danger of the players only being motivated for the European ties. Here's how he overcame that potential obstacle. 'With a 4-3-3 formation, space is perfectly occupied naturally, it isn't necessary for the players to be intelligent. They don't have to think too much. With a 4-4-2 they are required to think because the field is occupied irrationally, no-one is naturally open. With a constant need for tactical discipline comes motivation, regardless of the importance of the match.' Real Madrid fans know what to expect there then.

7. THOROUGH STUDY OF THE OPPOSITION. BUT NEVER TO PLAY ACCORDING TO YOUR RIVAL: ' We analyse our rivals and we try to imagine how they will play against us. Using these thoughts we position certain players in certain positions according to the oppositions strengths and weaknesses. But these are only positional details. They don't interfere with our principles, or even with our system'.

8. THE CREATIVE PLAYERS ARE THE FIRST TO DEFEND: 'For me defending well is defending during the least amount of time possible. It's to have the ball among your most creative players for as long as possible. Having the initiative for as long as possible. This takes away the need for defensive actions. But when the need to defend arises, everyone has a role to play. There are those that say the creative players should be liberated of defensive duties. They know nothing about football. All players need to know what to do with the ball and what to do without the ball'. Cristiano Ronaldo, you've been warned.

9. WE BEGIN TO RECOVER DURING THE GAMES: 'After each game I like to give the players a days rest. It may not be the most appropriate thing to do physically speaking, but it allows them to recover mentally. Unfortunately, with so many games during a season this is rarely possible. Therefore as incredible as it sounds, they need to start recovering during the game itself. If the team plays how I want them to, the players will start to recover mentally by having total control of the ball. Instead of finishing the match mentally exhausted, they would come off the pitch in a great frame of mind, raring to go once more'.

10. ONE METHOD FITS ALL -  FROM THE FIRST TEAM TO THE YOUTH TEAM: 'The basic methodological concepts must be instilled in both the elite and the base. At Porto I regularly met with the youth and reserve team directors to explain exactly how all the different teams should play. That way no player gets lost when making the step up. Everything is already trained into his mind'.

What a guy!

Spanish Government to restrict reckless spending among La Liga clubs

I'll start this post with a tricky little question. Three Spanish clubs managed to achieve an operating profit during the 2008/2009 season. Real Madrid, Barcelona and one more. Who? With the aim of increasing this number, the Spanish government is set to lay out a new set of rules which will restrict the amount La Liga clubs have to play with when it comes to forking out for players. Jaime Lissavetsky, the countrys Secretary of State for Sport, has proposed that clubs will not be allowed to spend more than 70/75% of their income on transfers and wages, with the measure pencilled in for the 2011/2012 season. It remains to be seen if the proposal will become law or not, but those already worried that Barca and Real Madrid are turning Spanish football into a posh SPL won't be best pleased with what Lissavetsky has put forward.

But something has to be done as the combined debt among Liga clubs rose to €3.5 billion, with the salaries demanded by stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pushing wages to an outrageous 85% of total operating income. Six or seven of the Liga clubs are running bankrupt or in administration, with Mallorca the most recent to enter into voluntary administration as they posted a pre-tax loss of just over €5 million, even after finishing fifth. Spain has even more reason  to act urgently, as UEFA finalise their 'Financial Fair Play' rules which are set to be implemented in 2012/2013, and will require ALL teams to be running an operating profit in order to participate in European competition. 'Florentino summers' may well be a thing of the past.

Read the whole fascinating article, and find out the answer to my initial question, in the Wall Street Journal HERE. Spanish football is in for a rough ride in the coming years, as the sport is forced to come to terms with it's own financial crisis, brought about by reckless spending and dreadful money management.

NEW REAL MADRID SHIRT 2010/2011 - Official release on June 2

Here you have the new Real Madrid shirt for 2010/2011. I had thought that having signed up to the official Real Madrid newsletter recently, that I'd be one of the first to receive pictures of the shirt. Not to be. Bizarrely, the shirt is already available in South Africa (reasons on a postcard?) and Marca has jumped the gun by publishing the picture below on their website this afternoon. Quite like it. It's not as awesome as the new Atletico Madrid away shirt, but it's not a bad effort from Adidas. The lines that radiate out from the badge is a nice touch. Also fits in nicely with the clubs idea that Real Madrid is the centre of the universe. As soon as some decent photos of the shirt are released, I'll replace the shoddy effort below. And be sure to catch the Real Madrid v AC Milan legends match at the Bernabeu tonight. Zidane, Cafu, Maldini, Butragueño, Costacurta, Weah, McManaman and many more classic blasts from the past will be involved. 7pm kick off (CET).

REAL MADRID SACK MANUEL PELLEGRINI - Chilean put out of his misery

The worst kept secret in Spanish Football was confirmed today as Real Madrid manager Manuel Pellegrini was sacked by Florentino Perez. As the club lined up Jose Mourinho to take the reins, Pellegrini had been on the Bernabeus version of death row. He knew his fate was sealed, it was simply a matter of when. Just as winning the league wasn't good enough for Fabio Capello to keep his job, a record Liga points haul and over 100 goals wasn't enough for Pellegrini, who becomes Florentinos sixth managerial victim. They played some exceptional football at times, but ultimately the Chileans time at the Bernabeu will be judged by two disastrous cup exits at the hands of Alcorcón and Lyon and a fruitless bid to unsettle Barcelona as La Liga champions.

He was consistently hindered by a lack of support from the clubs hierarchy and press, with only the fans ever seriously backing their manager. The stage is now set for the Mourinho show to waltz into town in his attempt to be the first ever manager to win league titles in The Premiership, Serie A and La Liga. Just the small matter of around €16million compensation for Inter Milan to sort out first. Small change for Florentino.

They never cease to amaze me, but just take a look at the disgusting show of disrespect from the Real Madrid rag Marca. The Real Madrid news section and no mention of Pellegrini. It's as if he never existed. A bad nightmare.

Last gasp Rodri sends Sevilla into Champions League (Highlights)

Almeria 2 - 3 Sevilla
(0-1) 16' Kanoute, (1-1) 44' Soriano, (1-2) 52' Chico (o.g), (2-2) 78' Juanma Ortiz, (2-3) 93' Rodri

Mallorca 2 - 0 Espanyol
(1-0) 23' Victor, (2-0) 77' Mario Suarez

Atletico Madrid 0 - 3 Getafe
(0-1) 13' Soldado, (0-2) 53' Soldado, (0-3) 86' Parejo

Real Zaragoza 3 - 3 Villarreal
(1-0) 3' Eliseu, (2-0) 29' Colunga, (3-0) 35' Pulido, (3-1) 40' Cazorla, (3-2) 56' Cazorla, (3-3) 82' Rossi

Athletic Bilbao 2 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña
(1-0) 19' Muniain, (2-0) 77' Javi Martinez

La Liga Showdown: A weekend to stand up and be counted

Now the Atletico Madrid fans have left Neptune in peace, at least for a few days, it's time for the Liga showdown. Nothing has been decided at either end of the table with the Liga trophy, qualification for Europe and survival all up for grabs. It promises to be a frenetic finale to a memorable season. Whatever Zinedine Zidane and Manuel Pellegrini spout in the press, there will only be one league winner this season and you will be hard pushed to find a betting man laying any serious cash on Real Madrid. Frankly I'm surprised there have been no gushing declarations from CR9 predicting a glorious end to his first year in Spain. Even Sergio 'We'll win 3-0' Ramos seems resigned to finishing second. Barcelona have the simple task of needing a win against relegation-threatened Real Valladolid at home. I'll give that one an odds on. On saturday Sevilla and Mallorca will be hoping to claim the final Champions League position while Getafe and Villarreal will fight it out for 6th place and qualification for next years Europa League.

The fun and games at either end of the table then fire up on Sunday evening. Five teams no less will be scrapping for their lives as the relegation trapdoor prepares to lock shut. I can't remember a relegation D-day quite like it, since 1983 by all accounts. Safe to say some have got it easier than others. Real Madrid and Barcelona aren't quite the teams you would choose to face in these circumstances, so you have to feel a little sorry for poor old Malaga and Valladolid, who let's face it look doomed. Tenerife face a tough trip to the Mestalla, Racing host Sporting Gijon, while everyones second favourite team, Xerez, travel up to Pamplona to lock horns with Osasuna. Whatever happens there'll be some tears, some celebrations and we'll move on to the cup final before everyone settles down for the World Cup. I bloody love World Cup summers. Enjoy the weekend. 

La Liga relegation battle reaches dramatic climax: Three of five to go down

The battle for the title might be a two-way affair, but the all-out scrap for survival has gifted us a no holds barred fist-fight between five clubs who will be holding no punches come 7pm on Sunday evening. Racing Santander, Real Valladolid, Tenerife, Malaga and even Xerez enter the final matchday with  a real chance of starting next year in La Liga, but an equally real possibility of falling out the top flight. Three clubs will descend into 'hell', whilst two will celebrate a last-gasp escape from the jaws of La Segunda. What complicates matters a little more is than in Spain, a tie on points isn't decided by goal difference, but by the points earned in the games played against each other.

Currently Real Valladolid and Racing Santander are out of the relegation zone because in all the league games played between them, Tenerife and Malaga (imagine it as a mini-league), Valladolid and Racing have earned 8 points, with the rest all on 7. (Ignore my league table on the right, it's conveniently wrong). Then goal difference within that mini-league is taken into account and if the teams are still tied, on goal difference in the league overall. The final tiebreaker is the Fair Play League. Here is a slightly complicated look at what each team needs to do to stay up:

Real Valladolid (v Barcelona AWAY): If they win they are practically saved. In the case of a draw, they are down if two out of Malaga, Tenerife and Racing win. Lose and they need Xerez not to win and Racing, Tenerife and/or Malaga to lose.

Verdict: You're going down!

Malaga (v Real Madrid HOME): If they win they need one of Racing o Valladolid not to. In the event of a draw they need two out of Racing, Valladolid and Tenerife to lose OR for Valladolid to lose and Racing and Tenerife to draw. If they lose they will fall into La Segunda.

Verdict: You're going down!

Racing Santander (v Sporting Gijon HOME): If Racing win, they need two out of Valladolid, Malaga and Tenerife to not win. A draw and they need two out of Valladolid, Tenerife and Malaga to draw/lose. If Racing fall to defeat they need two of the rest to lose with even a Xerez victory not enough to relegate them.

Verdict: Lucky escape! (Rumour has it a dirty boardroom deal has already been struck with Sporting)

Tenerife (v Valencia AWAY): If they Tenerife win, they need both Malaga and Valladolid not to do so. To survive in the event of a draw they need two out of Malaga, Valladolid or Racing to lose. Lose and they drop down, regardless of what Xerez do.

Verdict: You're going down!

Xerez (v Osasuna AWAY): A modern day footballing miracle if they manage it. If Xerez beat Osasuna they need Malaga, Valladolid and one from Tenerife and Racing all to lose. If they don't win, they're down. Simple as.

Verdict: Miracle escape!

La Liga: Real Madrid and Barcelona streets ahead of the rest

The first team to ever break the 90 point mark in Spanish football was the Real Madrid side of Fabio Capello in 1996/1997. This season Barcelona and Real Madrid have both stormed above the landmark with two matches still to play. Some regard it as an astonishing feat, underlining the supreme quality on offer at the two largest clubs on the Iberian peninsula. In many respects they're correct. One quick look at Messi, CR9 and company would confirm that. Others, me included, see it as a sobering judgement on the standard on offer below. Valencia lie third; an incredible 24 points behind Real Madrid, with a side that can count on David Villa, David Silva and Juan Mata; all established Spanish internationals. With David Villa set to leave, direction Barca, this chasm is only going to widen. The other teams remotely capable of launching an assault on this duopoly in the past few seasons, Sevilla and Villarreal, have fallen by the wayside after some promising years of growth. The problem, if it can be classed as such, is not going to vanish any time soon.

Perhaps its Atletico Madrids time to make the leap from mid-table obscurity to title challengers. For that to happen it is of tantamount importance that they hold onto Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán. But with vultures circling overhead, their beaks stuffed with cash, it's a tough ask. Below this 'second tier' there is very little chance of anyone troubling Barca or Real Madrid over ninety minutes, let alone a season. During my time at Xerez I've been impressed by teams like Almeria and Osasuna, but to compete they rely on 'rejects' and home-grown talent that will be shipped on if they're any good. Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao have enjoyed superb seasons, but you doubt whether they'll be able to maintain this form over the course of three or four seasons. It pains me to say it, but the two have overachieved, especially those at the Ono Estadi. That's not to take away from what has been an outstanding season for Gregorio Manzano and his team, it's just I can't see them repeating it next year. I hope they prove me wrong.

Marca reported some interesting stats from across Europe when discussing the matter. How Bayern Munich are on course to win the Bundesliga with 67 points (33 matches). That Inter Milan odds on to win Serie A with 76 points (36 matches). Precisely the two teams preparing to battle it out for Europes biggest prize at the Bernabeu this month. Two leagues many derise as lacking in any serious quality. Surely not the case judging by those stats. In 1999/2000, Deportivo La Coruña stole the title with a measly 69 points. If Barcelona win their remaining two matches, they'll do so with 30 points more on the board. Something rather dramatic has happened in the last decade. A shift of wealth.

You only need to look across at the Premier League to see how this season, a wider spread of available funds (several clubs with tens of millions to spend, not just two) has led to one of the most unpredictable seasons during the Premiership era. Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa will all probably finish above 2005 Champions League winners Liverpool (a team touted as potential challengers last August, whilst Arsenal were still in the running until only a couple weeks ago. All can realistically aim to challenge Chelsea and Man Utds in the coming years. Does Spain really need oil money for that to become a reality in La Liga? Unfortunately it would appear so, but with the presidential systems currently in place at Spanish clubs, it's an unlikely scenario in the immediate future. Until then we'll have to make do with some enthralling tussles between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter!

Manuel Pellegrinis days are numbered say/invent Marca

In time old fashion, Marca have jumped on board of the 'Sack Manuel Pellegrini' bandwagon. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they have built the bandwagon. Instead of focusing on Cristianos disappearing act, Jorge Valdanos summer flops or even their own perpetual arrogance, Marca have rounded on poor old Manuel Pellegrini. Handcuffed by the clubs directors, let down by his egocentrical stars and regularly derided in the press, the man who got little Villarreal to within a whisker of the Champions League final, never stood a chance of succeeding at the Bernabeu. The Chilean is being made a scapegoat for the failings of others, and I hope for his sake that this does end up being his first and only season at Real Madrid. Either that or Florentino and Valdano waltz off into the Spanish sunset and 'The Engineer' is allowed to get on with his job.

So, the seven sins that Marca quote as being Pellegrinis nails in the coffin. 1. The 'Alcorconazo'. Well we all know whose fault that was. His players let him down so badly that night. 2. Unable to control the changing room. You mean the same manager who plucked the main man Riquelme out of the Villarreal side for unsettling the team? How can he control a changing room when it is controlled by Florentino and Jorge Valdano? Would they ever let him drop Cristiano? 3. He ignores the youth team. Perhaps the only point I will agree with. But when you look at what's coming through the ranks right now, you'll see why. 4. Hasn't got the best out of his stars. Kaká has been on a downward slope since 2007. Cristiano is so wrapped up in his personal battle with Messi, a battle he is only ever going to lose, that he will never fully contribute to a team effort, regardless of who is in charge. Karim Benzema has just been plain awful or injured. 5. No-one knows what they're doing on the pitch. So why are Real Madrid currently enjoying their best Liga season ever and on course to beat the 107 goal mark set 20 years ago? It's not his fault they have come across one of the best sides in the history of the game. 6. The 'Lyonazo'. Again, severely let down by his team who went missing when the going got tough. 7. Not a big match manager. Utter rubbish. More like his team, assembled by those above, are not big match players.

So whilst there is no official word from the club, who have Marca gone on and proposed as possible replacements? Well, unbelievably they have the cheek to include Fabio Capello. The same man they forced out of Madrid after winning the league. His 'ugly and defensive football' wasn't deemed attractive enough at the time. How can they stoop so low? The rest of their 'winners' include Filipe Scolari who was unceremoniously dumped out of Chelsea after a disastrous few months in charge, Carlos Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez, whose stock is in rapid decline after a disastrous season at Liverpool. With the exception of Mourinho, who surely wouldn't take this poisoned chalice of a job in a million years, I can't see one of that lot doing any better. Who could, when his job is already done for him by a flashy businessman and his sneeky sidekick? When any slight hiccup will be pounced upon by the unforgiving and ruthless Madrid press? When his selfish and big-headed stars care more about modelling underpants, attending dinner parties and predicting future victories than winning on the pitch? The Madrid fans and Manuel Pellegrini deserve so much better.

Messi or Maradona? Pointless debate.

With three electric performances and eight goals against Valencia, Stuttgart and Real Zaragoza, debate is rife in Spain about whether Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer ever? He's certainly the best I've ever witnessed, but Diego Maradona, Pele and Johann Cruyff were before my time. I've seen videos of Maradona, and THAT goal against England in Mexico '86. And there's that brilliant photo of 'El Pelusa' on the ball, with six defenders around him, all looking suitably petrified. But I believe to judge the greatness of a footballer like Maradona or Pele, you have to have been a fan during his time. Pedro has come out saying Messi is far better than Maradona was, but Pedro was only born the year after Maradona lifted the World Cup. What's certain is that they both represent all that is beautiful about football; past and present. Technique, touch, vision, audacity and an ability to create something out of absolutely nothing. Besides, they played in different eras, under different conditions and against different teams. Instead of worrying if Messi is better or worse than Maradona, I'm going to savour everything this little genius has to offer.

Valencia and Racing Santander play out bore draw

Valencia 0 - 0 Racing Santander

Valencia and Racing Santander played out the third goalless draw of Matchday 25, with the two stars of each team, Sergio Canales and David Villa, both guilty of some poor finishing. Racings young star had two gilt-edged chances, one at either end of the match. Canales' chance in the 89th minute was on a plate, only a metre from the line, but he contrived to send the ball over the bar. David Villa had two chances of his own, with one striking the post (how many is he on now?), but apart from that Valencia were toothless. In fairness, that was a credit to Racings incessant pressure when not in possession, as they sought to nullify the everpresent threat posed by Valencias famous four. But unfortunately the highlight of the second half was David Navarro sending off late on for a second yellow which rules him out of next weeks clash against Barcelona. Those who turned up to the Mestalla will wish they'd have stayed at home. I dont particularly like La Liga mondays either. Never shown on TV and hasn't produced an entertaining match yet. And that Racing away shirt is horrible. Rant over. 

Barcelona lose Xavi as injury crisis worsens

Barcelonas injury crisis took another hit this morning when it was confirmed that Xavi Hernandez has been struck by a muscle tear in his right leg, rendering Barcelonas midfield wizard out of action for two weeks. This means the brains behind Barcelona and Spains recent run of glory is out of the league ties against Racing Santander next weekend at the Camp Nou and away at Malaga the week after, as well as the Champions League clash next week against Stuttgart. A massive headache for Pep Guardiola who already has to contend with the absences of Eric Abidal, Dani Alves, Toure Yaya, Chygrynskiy and Seydou Keita, who was also injured against Atlético Madrid.

Pep quite rightly states that these things happen in football, and they will have to make do with the resources available, just as Real Madrid did when they lost Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Pepe and Ruud Van Nistlerooy for considerable periods of time. Barca will be boosted by the returns of Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez at the back, so whilst the defence should now be in safe hands, it is now the midfield that will concern Guardiola. Xavi is an vital cog in the Barca machine, and without him that effortless link between defence and attack will be missing. The manager will surely stick with the 4-3-3 formation that has served them so well against Stuttgart, so whilst Lionel Messi and Pedro will be tasked with providing the width upfront, it is the central three that will be threadbare.

Sergio Busquets is available for that Champions League QF first-leg, but against Racing Santander he is suspended, leaving Barca short of that specialist defensive midfielder so important to their formation. Without him, Toure Yaya nor Seydou Keita, you have to think that against Santander, Pep might even have to switch to a 4-4-2, with Lionel Messi and Ibra upfront, and Thierry Henry, Andrés Iniesta, Pedro and Jeffren in the middle. A seriously attacking midfield quartet, but unless Guardiola wants to delve into the Barcelona B side, it's all he will have available. It's that or stick with the usual formation and push Pique or Marquez forward into midfield. Barcelona enter into a critical couple of weeks that will shape their season, with Real Madrid breathing down their necks at home and an important Champions League quarter-final to negotiate in Europe. They'll be glad they only drew Stuttgart and that Racing are suffering from an injury and suspension crisis of their own.

Guardiolas defensive dilemma for Atlético clash

Pep Guardiola has some problem on his hands as he tries to piece a defence together for sundays clash against Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderon. Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez both received their marching orders against Getafe at the weekend, carrying with them a one-match sanction. Dani Alves, Toure Yaya (normally pushed back to the centre-back when needed) and Eric Abidal have all been ruled out through injury. So it's just as well Gabby Milito has just returned from a lengthy lay-off as Guardiolas faith in summer signing Chygrynskiy dwindles, although even the Ukranian looks set to be involved now Abidal has been sidelined. Providing talismanic captain Carlos Puyol shakes off a niggle, Barcas starting XI should look something like this:

4-3-3: Valdes; Maxwell, Chygrynskiy, Milito, Puyol; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta

Guardiola will surely opt for added defensive weight in the middle of the park, with Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita both more than capable of shielding their back four whilst providing options in attack. The makeshift defence might have more work than usual in attempting to keep Diego Forlán and Agüero quiet, but on recent form, and even with this weakened side, you would have to predict a Barca win. That said, Atlético Madrid always seem to summon up something special for their match-ups against the Catalans at home. The white half of Madrid will be hoping thats the case come Sunday night.

Madrid press unleash dirty tactics on Barcelona

I find it hard to believe that the award-winning, best-selling sports daily in Spain, Marca, would resort to such childish behaviour in order to belittle their great rivals in Barcelona, but they have. All weekend we were shown images that appeared to show Pedro in an offside position when he received the killer pass from Andres Iniesta. What most didn't notice at the time was that Marca had used photoshop to get rid of the lines on the pitch, that clearly show Pedro to be onside.

They really need to accept that football is all about cycles, and right now it's Barcelona who are clearly in the ascendency. Real Madrid enjoyed their last golden period around the start of 2000 and they will no doubt reappear soon to take over at the top of the La Liga and dominate Europe once more. Maybe it hurts Marca that their flagship team spent an obscene amount last summer, only to see them lag five points behind at the halfway stage, but that's the way it is. It will take time for the newly-assembled team of galacticos to gather pace, and for me they've done superbly well to be only 5 points behind having missed Pepe, CR9 and Kaká for lengthy periods of time. And all this after a particularly nasty smear campaign aimed at Lionel Messi in an attempt to divert attention away from Ronaldos misplaced swing at Mtiligas nose. It's hard enough to accept that we have severe media manipulation in most walks of life, but in sport it certainly has no place. Shame on you Marca.

Real Madrid conquer Riazor 18 years later

Deportivo La Coruña 1 - 3 Real Madrid
(0-1) 13' Granero, (0-2) 40' Benzema (1-2) 86' Riki (p), (1-3) 91' Benzema

The last time they beat Depor in the Riazor, Raul was still working his way through the youth set-up at Atlético. Tonight Real Madrid put an end to 18 years of hurt in Galicia, and all without the main man, Cristiano Ronaldo. A two-match sanction robbed them of the man from Madeira, and an injury crisis robbed them of many more, but they put Deportivo La Coruña to bed with a scintillating first-half display which yielded goals from Granero and Karim Benzema. The Frenchmans goal was all down to a moment of cold-blooded genius from Guti, who was through on goal but decided to back-heel the ball back to Benzema who didnt fail from the middle of the area. The second half saw Madrid take their foot of the gas, and even though Riki converted from the spot after a dubious trip from Sergio Ramos, Benzema sealed the deal in stoppage time after a neat cutback from Arbeloa. The pressure was really on after Barca had beaten Sporting earlier, but Real Madrid had all the answers and proved they can do it without their €96 million man.

Cristiano Ronaldo travels to Coruña

The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been running all week in the Spanish press; Should he really have been banned for two matches? Did he really mean to elbow Mtiliga in the face? Was it worse than what Messi did against Sevilla when Marc Valiente bear-hugged him off the ball? First he was banned for two matches, then Real Madrid took the case to the RFEF Court of Appeal. The case was thrown out, and as we all tucked ourselves into bed last night, Cristiano was planning his lonely weekend in Madrid, and writing out a cheque for his astronomical €600 fine.

Yet we woke up this morning to pictures of a Riazor-bound Ronaldo stepping onto the Real Madrid private jet. Did Ronaldo volunteer to cheer his teammates on from the stands? Was Paris Hilton in Galicia for the weekend? No, Real Madrid have taken the case even further and appealed to the Spanish Committee of Sporting Discipline.

In a move of desparate proportions, Real Madrid are using every measure available to get the Portuguese star on the pitch come saturday night. In fairness, they're well within their rights to resort to these legal loopholes, especially with an injury crisis which has robbed them of Garay, Lass, Higuaín, Van der Vaart, Gago and Diarra for the match against Depor. But it gets worse, if what has been reported is to be believed. In a show of utter disrespect towards Malaga and Patrick Mtiliga, Real Madrid have even asked the RFEF to send a doctor to examine the players nose. To see if it really is broken. Unbelievable.

Their reaction to the whole affair is winning them, and Cristiano, few friends, not that they'll mind of course. More damaging will be the damning verdict sent out to the rest of the squad: we havn't got much of a chance without Ronny. It might even be that in lengthening the process, Ronaldo misses out on later fixtures such as those against Valencia and Barca. It would be exactly what they deserve.

Thierry Henry: The end of a legend?

Ever since his big-money move from Arsenal to Barcelona, Thierry Henry has flattered to deceive. There have been flashes of the old Thierry in his three seasons at the Camp Nou, but nothing sustained, which for followers of Spanish football is a huge pity. In his days under Arsene Wenger, Thierry was utterly sublime and is without a doubt one of the finest strikers The Premiership has ever seen. Many criticised Wenger for letting his compatriot leave, but if anything the managers foresight has been proved spot on.

Reasons for Henrys decline could well be personal; a divorce from his wife and a legal struggle for custody of his daughter. They could be physical; he's no spring chicken and has lost a yard of that famous pace. When you watch him now, he struggles to find space that used to come so naturally. The technique is still there, but the sharpness has gone. He blames an ongoing injury for his latest run of poor form, but whatever has been holding him back, he may well find himself on the bench for some time as his succesor Pedro goes from strength to strength. The World Cup will be 'Titis' swansong before he makes a decision on his future, with a move to the US Major League or Saudi Arabia most likely: the guaranteed golden twilight for the modern day retiring star. Have we seen the last of Thierry the Great?

Xerez clearout complete: Gorosito named new manager

When you're bottom of the league with a sorry total of 8 points at the halfway mark in the season, something has got to give. And so it was that Xerez Club Deportivo sacked the manager and the sporting director, with a change of president to boot, in an attempt to arrest an alarming slide straight back into La Segunda. 'Cuco' Ziganda was a likeable coach, and worked as hard as he could with a limited group of players, but this team needs an imposing character, a man that makes his players believe they are twice as good as they actually are, a man with a shrewd eye for bargain basement signings, a Harry Redknapp of spanish football. It remains to be seen if new manager Nestor Gorosito is that man, but if his opening press conference and his no-nonsense mullet are anything to go by, he'll give it a damn good go.

In Europe there's no hiding from the fact that the guy is an unknown quantity. But with the new president, Federico Souza, and his backroom team all being Argentinian, we'll have to trust their move. Gorosito has trained Lanus and Rosario Central in his time in the Argentine League, and claims to have gone through, and successfully negotiated, the same sort of problems that engulf little Xerez right now. He stated after his first session with the squad, that he believes this team can carry out the greatest of escapes and avoid relegation.                                                   

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Perhaps he's alone in that respect, but that won't worry him, as long as he can convince his 22 players to believe the same. The scale of his task has been made all the more evident by Xerezs claim that he and new sporting director Federico Lussenhoff will have just under €1 million to spend on two strikers and an attacking midfielder. The sad aspect of that story was that they seemed to think this was a sufficiently large budget to capture players capable of helping them stay up. No chance. Gorositos reign begins against unpredictable Osasuna at home this weekend, in what is effectively a win or bust situation. If he and his players really harbour hopes of doing a houdini, three points are vital. Last weekends shutout away at fellow strugglers Real Zaragoza with their first-choice back four all out injured and having played with 10 men for the last 40 minutes was heroic. Now they need to start being heroic at the other end of the pitch.

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Meanwhile at the other end of La Liga, Pep Guardiola confirmed he will sign an extension to his deal that will see him remain as Barcelona manager until the end of next season. He will wait to sign this contract until the results of the presidential elections this summer, so Barca will have to take his word for it. He seems a trustworthy bloke though, so they shouldnt be too worried about him fleeing to Manchester. Joan Laporta looked suitably smug with the news, and even found time to state that this was his eighth title of the year, along with the six actual trophies and the 2-6 thrashing of Real Madrid. Naughty.