Only a week ago, Sevilla Sporting Director Ramón Rodríguez Monchi declared full confidence in his coach Marcelino García Toral. His faith only lasted a week, however, with a 2-1 home defeat to Villarreal proving the final nail in the coffin. Still believing he could turn the team’s fortunes around, the coach refused to quit on Sunday evening but the decision was taken out of his hands. Following an emergency meeting with soon-to-be-incarcerated club president José María del Nido and Monchi on Monday morning, he was given his marching orders. Only in the job since the summer of 2011, he was brought in to replace Gregorio Manzano – who was himself recently dismissed by Atlético Madrid – … [Read more...] about La Liga: Sevilla’s woes leave Marcelino high and dry
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La Liga: Sevilla and Betis bury the hatchet as the Andalusia derby returns
Long before Real Madrid’s Pepe stamped on Lionel Messi’s hand and José Mourinho poked his finger into the eye of Barça’s Tito Vilanova, a bottle was thrown from the stands of the Ruiz de Lopera stadium which would knock Juande Ramos – then Sevilla manager – unconscious. It was to mark the height of the rivalry between Sevilla and Betis in recent times, when weeks of growing tension between the two sides finally came to a head at the latter’s stadium during a Copa del Rey clash. El derbi sevillano has always divided the Andalusian city but never more so than in 2007. Less than a month before the Ramos incident, a Liga clash also took an unsavoury turn, but this time not on the pitch or … [Read more...] about La Liga: Sevilla and Betis bury the hatchet as the Andalusia derby returns
La Liga: At Valencia, Soldado finally feels at home
Coming through the ranks of the cantera, his 86th minute winner in his debut season against Olympiakos at the Santiago Bernabéu not only spared the blushes of the home side but also gave fans a glimpse of a potentially great Real Madrid striker. Labelled the “new Raúl” like so many before him, he did for a time adopt the famous number nine shirt at Madrid, but success for Roberto Soldado has come most recently at the Mestalla and the city of his birth, Valencia. Following a successful loan spell at Osasuna in 2006 while still a Madrid player – where he finished as the Navarra club’s top scorer – he returned to the Spanish capital still hoping to leave his mark on Los Merengues. … [Read more...] about La Liga: At Valencia, Soldado finally feels at home
Spain’s tax hike threatens La Liga’s appeal
One of the first moves by Spain’s new Mariano Rajoy-lead Partido Popular government has been to increase the maximum personal income tax (IRPF) rate by seven percentage points to 52 percent for annual salaries over €300,000. Given the shocking state of the Spanish government finances this should not really have been a difficult decision to take, especially considering the small percentage of Spanish tax-payers affected. For most Spanish citizens the most visible losers (of this particular increase) will be the football teams they follow. Spain’s politicians have traditionally been keen to be seen to support football, and a past PP tax ‘incentive’ aimed at attracting higher earners from … [Read more...] about Spain’s tax hike threatens La Liga’s appeal
La Liga: Barça slip spices up title race
The winners of the El Gordo lottery announced, turrón digested and the winter sales in full swing can only mean one thing: La Liga is back after the Christmas break. The weekend’s action failed to disappoint with a Barcelona slip-up that could prove pivotal in the title race. Following a 5-1 Real Madrid win on Saturday night against Liga new boys Granada, Barcelona travelled to Espanyol’s Cornellá-El Prat stadium for the Catalan derby on Sunday. The visitors started brightly, taking the lead in the 16th minute with a Cesc Fàbregas header, but their title hopes suffered a setback when Álvaro Vázquez scored for the home side four minutes from time with a low header. Pushing for a … [Read more...] about La Liga: Barça slip spices up title race
An unlikely solution to Spain’s striking conundrum
“We’ll win it for David Villa” was the message from Barcelona as they prepared for the final of the World Club Championship in Yokohama. The vast outpouring of support from his fellow players, especially his teammates from the Spanish national team, is testament to the popularity ‘El Guaje’ enjoys within the game. The fractured tibia, suffered during Barcelona’s semi-final win over Al Sadd, means Villa could be out for nearly six months and though he insists otherwise, he may not make it back in time for the European Championships in the summer. Though his form in recent games has been patchy, over the past four years Villa has arguably been the most influential member of the Spanish … [Read more...] about An unlikely solution to Spain’s striking conundrum
La Liga: Atlético’s away form comes home to roost
While admitting to disastrous away form, Atlético Madrid coach Gregorio Manzano defended himself this week by reasoning “at home we are playing well”, just days before a 2-0 defeat at the Vicente Calderón to a struggling Real Betis side. The result has surely sealed the fate of yet another Atlético coach. Given the board’s dreaded vote of confidence earlier in the week, the remainder of his tenure was dependent on three home games in a week before the winter break. The first was a resounding success as Los Rojiblancos beat Rennes 2-0 in the Europa League. The second saw Atléti fail to take their chances in front of goal with two dreadful misses by summer signing Falcao early on in the … [Read more...] about La Liga: Atlético’s away form comes home to roost
Barcelona still in charge, but they’re driving Madrid in the right direction
There remained only a few brave souls, hardcore Real Madrid fanatics who stayed not out of choice, but because they know no other way. Twisting the knife they may have been, but the wound was so familiar it barely stung anymore. As the last minutes of the Clásico wound down and Señor Borbalán blew the final whistle, the cheers of the Catalans sounded once more in the sanctum sanctorum of their sworn enemy. The dejection of the Madridistas was palpable; they had thought this would be their time, the catharsis of three years of humiliation. A 3-1 defeat it may have been, but in the grand scheme of things for Real Madrid it still represents progress, and the gap between the two sides continues … [Read more...] about Barcelona still in charge, but they’re driving Madrid in the right direction
La Liga: Real Madrid still in thrall to Barça’s brilliance
Starting slowly but building to a crescendo, countless statistics have been bounded about for the past week. This was the eighth time since his arrival, that José Mourinho’s Real Madrid side would face reigning Spanish champions FC Barcelona. The hosts had a 100-percent record at the Santiago Bernabéu this season and were on the verge of a record-breaking run of victories. This clash would supposedly signal a shift in power to the Spanish capital. A Clásico that would be el fin de ciclo for Barcelona. But at the final whistle, only one statistic stood out. Madrid have not beaten Barcelona in la liga since 2008. The game could not have started better for Madrid who were ahead in just 23 … [Read more...] about La Liga: Real Madrid still in thrall to Barça’s brilliance
El Clásico offers Mourinho a glimpse of glory
While Spain’s La Liga contest has long been seen as a two-horse race, the Champions League is also starting to show signs of falling into the grasp of the Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly. That impression is, admittedly, based heavily on this week’s elimination of two English giants from the European competition, Manchesters United and City. But with the two Spanish sides strolling into the knock-out stages, their status as the best in Europe has been further burnished. So when they meet on Saturday in Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu to contest the Clásico, the eyes of the world will be on them. Barcelona have eight players nominated for UEFA’s 2011 team of the year; Real Madrid have six. … [Read more...] about El Clásico offers Mourinho a glimpse of glory