As the curtain was raised on the liga season last summer, he was largely an anonymous figure known only by FC Barcelona aficionados, but one lone act would change that. As a melee that so often accompanies a Clásico broke out at the Camp Nou between the 22 men on the pitch, substitutes and technical staff, José Mourinho calmly strolled over and poked Tito Vilanova in the eye. The Barcelona assistant coach swiftly responded with a slap to the back of ‘The Special One’s’ head. Vilanova was no longer anonymous and while still in the background, his figure would loom large over Barça’s season, culminating in his appointment as the new head coach after four years of Pep Guardiola at the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Tito Vilanova steps out of Barcelona’s shadows
Spain News
Pep’s legacy
When Pep Guardiola appeared before the press on April 27 to announce his departure as FC Barcelona’s head coach at the end of the season, he said he felt exhausted and “empty.” Four years leading the club had brought a record-breaking haul of trophies and made him perhaps the most respected coach in world football. But, as Guardiola admitted, “Four years at Barcelona is an eternity and I need to recharge.” His achievements during that time are undisputable: two Champions Leagues, three Ligas, and one (possibly two) Copa del Rey titles; the development of a homegrown youth side that provided Guardiola with 22 first-team players; and the employment of a short-passing, hi-tempo attacking … [Read more...] about Pep’s legacy
Catalonia’s immigrants face lonely road ahead
Sitting across the table from Xavier Alonso Calderón, Catalonia’s head of Immigration and Labour Relations, it was hard not to feel for everyone within a hundred paces of his office. In one of many sweeping cuts to government spending since coming into office late last year, the Partido Popular-led national government had slashed Spain’s immigration and integration fund to nearly nothing. Established under the Zapatero government in 2005, the fund had set aside up to €200 million to be distributed to Spain’s autonomous communities to help finance programs aimed at reporting, educating and integrating the country’s foreign-born population – a group that had exploded over the past decade, … [Read more...] about Catalonia’s immigrants face lonely road ahead
Spanish wine bucks recession
In times of recession, it is always surprising to find businesses that have survived – indeed thrived – against the odds. The steady closure of smaller stores has left many Spanish town centres struggling to remain vibrant and in such a climate, niche is everything if you are hoping to capture the market. The main street of the Basque capital Vitoria's old quarter throws up one such case: Martin's Bodega is 15 square metres of wall-to-wall wine. English owner Martin Beacham opened the shop in 2009 just as the recession was beginning to hit. At such a delicate time, it was a straightforward matter of sink or swim. Three years later, business is steadily thriving, though most clients are … [Read more...] about Spanish wine bucks recession
La Liga: Ronaldo banishes Real Madrid’s league jinx
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled away from the goalmouth gesturing and shouting, “Relax, I’m here”, as the Camp Nou fell silent and all Madridistas breathed a collective sigh of relief. Of course he was, of course the man who has scored 42 liga goals this season was going to take care of it all, but so often, he and his side have not. This was José Mourinho’s 11th attempt at beating FC Barcelona since his arrival in the Spanish capital two years ago, during which time he had only succeeded once – in the Copa del Rey final last year. But with the Portuguese forward’s 73rd minute winner, Real Madrid were finally able to overcome their Barça jinx. Sami Khedira had put the visitors ahead after … [Read more...] about La Liga: Ronaldo banishes Real Madrid’s league jinx
Is Catalonia going the way of Slovenia?
When, at his party's congress on March 28-29, the former Catalan president Jordi Pujol exclaimed that "we live in a state that has no Constitution", he touched the nerve of a Catalan nationalism that has become increasingly belligerent. It’s a nationalism that openly defies court sentences it believes threaten the nation it claims to represent, such as the Constitutional Court's ruling on the region’s Statute of Autonomy (or Estatut) in 2010 or more recent ones by the Supreme Court related to language use in Catalonia. No wonder that at the same congress, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) adopted a strategy that, even though it avoids the word "independence", strongly argues for … [Read more...] about Is Catalonia going the way of Slovenia?
Spanish government seeks to muzzle protest with reforms
“Our judicial system is not frightening enough ”, said Felip Puig, the Catalan interior chief, a few days after the March 29 general strike. In the wake of that protest, the Spanish government has unveiled a series of changes to the Criminal Code that it hopes will be approved by June and which would criminalise the actions of movements such as 15-M (or indignados), despite their peaceful nature. Last week, Interior Minister Jorge Fernández gave more details: peaceful resistance will be deemed a form of illegal undermining of authority, punishable with one to three years in jail; the punishment for civil disobedience, which is currently six months to one year in jail, will be increased … [Read more...] about Spanish government seeks to muzzle protest with reforms
Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
As Spain’s Basque Country continued to reel from the death of 28-year-old Iñigo Cabacas, the region's interior department announced plans to restrict the use of rubber bullets as of January 1, 2013. An autopsy revealed that Cabacas died after receiving a rubber bullet to the head during riots following Athletic Bilbao's Europa League victory against Schalke 04 on April 5. The claim by the Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, that no rounds were fired from a distance of less than 22 metres is contradicted by the conclusions of the autopsy report, which shows the fatal shot to have been fired from a much smaller distance. The rubber bullet restriction announcement by Basque interior … [Read more...] about Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
La Liga: Momentous week for Barça and Madrid as El clásico looms
When a gaping 10-point chasm separated Real Madrid and Barcelona, Pep Guardiola was adamant: winning the league is impossible. As the difference closed to eight, six and then four points, he stuck to the party line, but ahead of what is set to be a defining couple of weeks in the race for La Liga and the Champions League, the FC Barcelona coach finally ceased his mantra at the weekend, admitting the domestic title “is a little less impossible now”. This Saturday, with five games remaining, Real Madrid travel to the Camp Nou attempting to get one hand on the league trophy that has eluded them for four years, but first-up is a Champions League semi-final first-leg game for Los Merengues … [Read more...] about La Liga: Momentous week for Barça and Madrid as El clásico looms
How to complain in Spain
Hopefully, once you’ve asked for the ‘hoja’ the problem will be rectified and there will be no need to take it further. However, if the reason for your complaint remains, then the next stage is to write it down on the hoja, clearly outlining the issue from your point of view. It is better, but not essential, if you can complete it in Spanish. An entry in the hoja You will need to include: A straight forward and simple account of the cause of your complaint and how you would like it resolved e.g. refund, exchange, repair. Date and time. Personal details – someone will need to get in touch with you. It’s then up to whoever you are complaining about to fill in their explanation … [Read more...] about How to complain in Spain