This season, there have been very few quiet weekends in the Spanish capital and on Saturday evening, one decision by José Mourinho opened the floodgates. At around 7pm, with just over an hour to go to kick-off, the press began circulating the news. Club president Florentino Pérez was caught on camera, peering at the phone of a Canal+ presenter to read the extraordinary line-up and appearing bewildered. When the starting eleven was confirmed a few minutes later, it was clear why. Club captain and World Cup winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas was dropped to the bench and replaced in goal by Antonio Adán. The man dubbed ‘San Iker’ for the miracles he performs in front of goal for Los … [Read more...] about La Liga: The end is nigh for José Mourinho
spain sports
Modern Spain’s legacy: airports, deficits and brutal cuts
Last week, Spanish newspapers reported that a recently busted gang of drug smugglers had planned to buy part of Ciudad Real airport in order to ship cocaine into the country. It was hardly the kind of news that the Castilla-La Mancha authorities would normally have enjoyed hearing, but right now, almost any potential buyer of this huge building with a four-kilometre airstrip will be welcomed with open arms. The Aeropuerto Central Ciudad Real, as it is known, is now as representative of Spain –particularly 21st century Spain– as the windmills and plains that surround it. Built in 2008, it was, for a time, presented by the local government as a bold way of putting the land of Don … [Read more...] about Modern Spain’s legacy: airports, deficits and brutal cuts
Marta Domínguez
Long-distance runner Domínguez has won a steady stream of medals at major competitions ever since taking bronze at the 1998 European championships in the 5,000 metres. Probably the high-point of her career came 11 years later, when she won the 3,000-metre steeplechase gold at the Berlin World championships. The low point was in 2010, when she was arrested for allegedly peddling illegal substances as part of a massive doping ring. But she notched up another victory a few months later, being cleared of wrongdoing and exposing the Guardia Civil as a band of confused Keystone Kops. … [Read more...] about Marta Domínguez