Sporting Gijón's 2011-2012 kit preview?

Sporting announced back in May that Kappa, the Italian sport company, would dress the Asturian team for three years, effective the summer of the 2011-2012 season. Kappa previously dressed Valencia CF. The official presentation is expected in July.

The first kit (see middle shirt in the photo above), is in the traditional striped red and white motif. The stripes are a bit narrower, but still do not veer to far from the historical kit, Sporting fans know and love.

The second kit (see shirt on the left side) uses red as it's base with a gold trim around the collar and on the left sleeve. The gold strip is on the top left side. It runs down the neck and shoulder to the sleeve on the short sleeved version and runs down the side of the shirt as well, on the long sleeve version. Very smart looking in my opinion.

The third kit (see shirt on the right side of the photo above) replaces the blue kit from this season. The jersey is white with two horizontal red stripes that cross the chest.

The kits are designed in the Kappa style and remind me quite a bit of AS Roma's kit with a very smart and attractive look. The local region Gijón/Asturias continues to be the main sponsor of the team.

Kappa also released this cool sketch of David Barral in the first kit, Miguel de las Cuevas in the second kit and Nacho Cases in the third kit in classic poses from this past season.



All three are extremely cool and smart. I really like these jerseys. What do you think?

La Lambretta Radio: La Liga Bilingual Podcast #7

Roundtable guests today: The man at the controls, Miami Sound Machine aka Edu, Real Valladolid fan boy aka Eugenio, and La Jefa aka resident Malagueña, Inma, from La Lambretta Radio de España. La Lambrettinos are joined by Villarreal groguet Ravi aka @aupasubmarino now sleepless in Seattle, el Juez Jose aka Sportinguista Judge Joe, living in Madrid, and yours truly, Forza Futbol's very own, Elisa, to debate and discuss Spanish football.


Some of today's highlights:

o Saturday's relegation battles: where Malaga rocked Atletico, Racing striked back, Getafe showed they are not dead, and Sporting brought Depor to tears.
o We said adios to Almeria and Hercules.
o We pondered whether Xabi Prieto is a one club man?
o And we consoled Ravi as he recalled the Europa League match.

Plus much, much more.


A great way to learn Spanish or English on the topics we know and love!


Listen below, on itunes, ivoox or here.


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Forza Futbol & La Lambretta Radio - Spanish Football Bilingual Podcast no 3

Today, Edu from La Lambretta Radio, el Doctor Julio from Santander, and yours truly Elisa talk about the following topics:

o Relegation battle and remaining fixtures
o Edu's trip to Madrid to see Sporting v Real Madrid with Inma
o Where should Fernando Llorente play?
o Is it fair that B teams cannot get promoted to Primera division?
o The Marcellino revolution at Racing Santander
o Liga Adelante


and much more.

A great way to learn Spanish or English on the topics we love!

Listen below, on itunes, ivoox or here.


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Focus on: Manolo Preciado

The league was lost on Saturday in Madrid. I realize that mathematically there is still a chance, but with so few games left and with the lack of real competition, it is a safe bet to say that there will be no more remontadas, no hay liga, in short the title race is finished. Negativity abounds, and all anyone wants to talk or write about is failure: the inability of Real Madrid to close the gap on Barcelona, the favoritism that the blaugrana get from the referees, or even worse, how quickly everyone's attention split for the two cups that are still open. Hold on a second though. As much as people are quick to blame, rather I would say they should celebrate instead. A league was not given away to FC Barcelona last Saturday night in Madrid, it was rightfully won, and not by Pep Guardiola whose club had a difficult time impressing themselves later that night on Villarreal, but by the man occupying the other seat at the Bernabeu, quite ironically considering the events of the last six months, Manuel 'Manolo' Preciado Rebolledo.

If the name is unfamiliar, it is because up until recently, his public profile has been quite honestly that of any ordinary second tier coach in La Liga, and yet, if you look closely, you see right away that this coach is anything but anonymous. Maybe it's the bristle-bar mustache that he sports, the salt and pepper running through it and the wild-hair, the comically up-turned eyebrows and the expressiveness in which he runs the sidelines at El Molinon. That captures the eye, then you consider the two-pack a day habit or the ashy, raspiness of his voice, and you think this comical little gnome is too cartoony to be true. He looks nothing short a life-sized Super Mario in sweatpants, or Albert Einstein's slightly more athletic younger brother.

Then you hear the outburst. Defending his club from the verbal jibes of Jose Mourinho, this proud Cantabrian reacts. "Who the hell is this guy? Mourinho is a scoundrel and a bad partner", the papers say. The plan works and Mourinho keeps the focus away from his emotionally fragile team, but the full weight of the media circus that is Real Madrid comes down on Preciado. They call him unprofessional. Another easy victim for the media-centric antics of Mourinho the shark. Why can't he just admit that his Sporting didn't compete as aggressively against Barcelona? Well, because even a generally accepted lie is still a lie and Preciado saw no need to acquiesce to a media looking for excuses rather than answers. How ironic that Manolo got the last word on Saturday. His Sporting took 4 points from the four games against the big two and holding them to less than a goal per game overall. If you think this was a fluke, then you don't know Manolo Preciado.

This is a guy who has come through the fire and has earned everything he has. He came up as a player through the Racing Santander youth system. He studies medicine, but football called instead. A solid central defender, he could play on the wing as well, he made his circuit through practically every region in Spain: Racing in Cantabria, Linares of Jaen in Andalusia, Real Mallorca on the islands, Deportivo Alaves in the Basque-lands, Ourense in Galicia, only to return to his homeland to play at lowly Gimnástica de Torrelavega where he would retire and where he would subsequently start his coaching career.

He would lead the torrelaveguenses to a quick promotion back to the Segunda Division B after the club had fallen to the depths of Tercera. It would be a pattern he would repeat often, gaining the reputation of being a facilitator of promotions. He gained promotion for Racing's B-squad not once but twice and was on the bench alongside Quique Setien when Ukranian businessman Dmitry Piterman bought 24% of the club, took control and immediately installed himself as coach. League rules would keep Piterman away from the bench officially, but the Ukranian circumvented the rules by passing himself as an equipment man, a photographer or a journalist. Either way, Setien and Preciado would quit their hometown club; a painful period made worse by the fact that his wife would pass-away that year, a victim of cancer. He would bounce back with Levante, winning them their first promotion to the Primera since the early 60's, dedicating the victory to "his girl, looking on from Heaven", but he would not continue in the first division. He would lose a son, Raul, to a motorcycle accident and sign with Real Murcia. He spends another time with Racing, when they bottomed out in 2005-2006, but it would be for Sporting de Gijon that he would succeed, finally in the first division as he led another club to promotion, his fifth, and would secure for the Asturians their place in the first division ever since.


Now he is known for what he has done in reaction to and in the orbit of Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho, a glaring example I might add of the lazy journalism that persists in Spain, but as is usual, when one digs in deeper, much more important information can be found if one just cares enough. By all means also, keep finding people to blame for failure, it's an easier task, but I'd rather focus on the positive. Give it up for Manuel Preciado. He and his club deserve it.

FORZA FUTBOL on LaLambrettaRadio Bilingual La Liga Podcast no 1a & 1b

We had the pleasure of doing a LIVE bilingual Internet Radio show on La Liga today with our friend Edu Pérez Suárez from La Lambretta Radio.

Topics covered:

o Live commentary on the March 20th La Liga early fixtures of Jornada 29
o Chatting about the historic potential El Clásico guantlet - 4 games in 3 weeks
o Discussing the exciting relegation battle that covers half the La Liga table.

The podcast is for English learners and Spanish learners. We hope to do more of this including roundtables in the near future.


You can also find LaLambrettaRadio and our bilingual podcasts at their site and on itunes. Enjoy!

PART 1~
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PART 2~
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P.S.

Some of the Lambrettinas having a great time at the Malaga game. I think the sheik with the suitcase has some influence over the players :P.





Holy Crap the Sheik made the big time on El Dia Despues! Awesome!

LA LIGA Team of Round 24

The relegation battle continues, fixture congestion ensues. It's the business time of the season and only 17 goals this past weekend in the Spanish league. Osasuna win with a festival of goals? What the heck is going on?


GOAL KEEPER: DANI ARANZUBIA (DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA)

The Basque shot stopper made some incredible saves against Alméria, but what earned the player the accolades this week, is the 95th minute power header a la Fernando Llorente to equalize. A golden point for Baby Depor. Gutsy.


RIGHT BACK: DANI ALVES (FC BARCELONA)

Alves constantly beated Athletic's Koikili and reminded us how dangerous he could be as a playmaker from the right. Two assists for the samba crack. Sublime.


CENTER BACK: RIKKI CARVALHO (REAL MADRID)

He can play with Pepe, he can play with Albiol. The versatile veteran was solid in the back and eked out a goal from a set piece to seize the game against Levante. Reliable.


CENTER BACK; ALBERTO BOTIA (SPORTING GIJON)

The young ex La Masia product played a near perfect game, to keep out the fire power of Aduriz, Mata, and Soldado. His positioning was key. Impressive.


LEFT BACK: ALBERTO DE LA BELLA (REAL SOCIEDAD)

Solid on the left, he neutralized the counter attack and wing play of Mallorca admist the rain, wind and cold. Formidable.


RIGHT MIDFIELD : GIOVANI DOS SANTOS (RACING SANTANDER)

Only his second game and Dos Santos has become somewhat of a super sub. His velocity and danger on the counter attack earned a penalty and a disallowed goal (which was legal to me). Promising.


CENTER MIDFIELD: JAVI MARTINEZ (ATHLETIC BILBAO)

Even though the Basque team failed to win, they played well against the league leaders. The backline was sturdy and Javi Martinez was instrumental in the midfield, stealing balls, tackling, and allowing very little space and time on the ball. Courageous.


CENTER MIDFIELD: IVAN RAKITIC (SEVILLA)

The recent arrival has finally put on his shooting boots and is starting to see eye to eye with his teammates. The pace and style of Sevilla, suits him well. The Croat's combination play between Negredo, Fabiano, and Navas was impressive and resulted in the game winning goal. Trajectory.


LEFT MIDFIELD: JAVAD NEKOUNAM (OSASUNA)

The arrival of new coach Mendilibar has really ignited los rojillos, particularly Iranian International Neko. The midfielder netted a brace and initiated the goal fest. Heroic.


CENTER FORWARD: LIONEL MESSI (FC BARCELONA)

Athletic took the game to the blaugrana at the Camp Nou and made it extremely difficult to break them down. As the game progressed, it looked like Barça might split the points with Bilbo, which would put them only 3 points ahead of El Madrid. La Pulga pulled threw with an incredibly important game winner. Stellar.


CENTER FORWARD: SERGIO AGUERO (ATLETICO MADRID)

A very even match, that could have gone either way. Aguero willed his team back into the game with an individual piece of brilliance. Dynamic.

Welcome to La Otra Liga

More than halfway through the season in La Liga and surprise, surprise, Barcelona and Real Madrid are at the top of the league, with very little chance of dropping any points. Hence the title race in Spain is over for any other team but the duopoly.

Other rumblings on my facebook page/community are complaining about the Spanish league getting boring, non competitive etc. Especially today, there were three games, and quite frankly the first two, Valencia - Sporting Gijón and Real Madrid - Levante were snorefests.

At least Real Zaragoza - Atlético Madrid had spice, physicality, counter attacks, scoring opportunities, grit and a fairly even game. Los Blanquillos most probably will feel hard done by, as they so easily could have won that game. Leo Franco was amazing against his old side in goal, Gabi the captain and playmaker was brilliant and Nico Bertolo completely changed the game when he came in as a sub. But Atléti played a solid tough game too. Ujfalusi and Perea were hard men in defense. Reyes was sublime and created space for his forwards and Kun Aguero stepped up his game and scored the winner.

Back to the first two borefests, well what do you expect? Valencia is coming off a midweek Champions League game, while Sporting is fighting tooth and nail for every point. The Asturian club will continue their La Liga catenaccio style until it fails to produce results. Hey it worked on Barça! We will see more small teams play a physical, anti-football game.

Real Madrid steamrolled over Levante at home. After the first two goals, Levante, after a mini meeting, basically packed their bags, agreed to keep it respectable, but don't let anyone get hurt, cause their is a relegation battle to be had. Scratch this one off as no chance. May I remind you about the TV Revenues deal and the fact that Real Madrid earns the most and has the biggest budget in Spain, if not World football, while Levante has the smallest. We will see more teams, do the same. I see it as a form of protest too. Can't compete, why bother.

Now, I still believe that La Liga has the best quality on the pitch, juego bonito, technique, tactics, etc. It also produces so many fantastic young players locally and those brought in from overseas, that can flourish and have every opportunity to fight their way into the first team. Each team has their cantera or quarry and maintain paid reserve teams (see B and C teams). The B teams are playing competitive games, day in and day out, in either Segunda B aka the reserve league or Segunda A, which is an extremely vibrant contest, just below Primera, where you can find Villarreal B and Barça B.

So La Liga fanaticos, let's admit that this is a three-tiered league and that the reason we love La Liga is for the style of play and beauty on the pitch. It's time to inundate ourselves in La Otra Liga or the Other League. La Otra Liga is 3 races. The race for the 3rd and 4th UCL positions, which quite frankly looks like Valencia and Villarreal are in the driver's seat. As well as the battle for the Europa League, which is 5th - 7th place this year, due to the duopoly presence in the Copa del Rey final. Anything goes in this race, as 3rd - 11th all have a chance of earning those spots. 3rd and 4th, am I crazy? Well, there are 14 more La Liga games, fixture congestion for those involved in Europe, meanwhile any bad patch, (see Angel-less Villarreal), and you just never know. The relegation battle is on! This year, like last, is one big huge mess! Mathematically, teams from 12th - 20th are treading on thin ice. Expect more catenaccio, physical play, anti-football, draws, and even snoozers. It's a dog eat dog points game, my friend.

All in all, there are no foregone conclusions or easy rides. This is far from an egalitarian league. You want equality, go watch MLS or the Mexican playoffs. This is La Liga, with the haves and have nots, the juego bonito, the passes, the dribbling, the wingers, the false nines, the defenders who attack, the attackers who defend, the playmakers, and the young stars who grow and excel in front of your very eyes.

Is their an imbalance and a risk of the league losing it's lustre? Indeed. Is there a need for drastic change and a tv revenues revolution? No doubt.

But this is La Liga and I love it.

La Liga Team of Round 23

Round 23 was very exciting and a hard fought bunch of games. There were several relegation 6 pointers, as well as some difficult away fixtures for the top 4 teams. Only 22 goals this week and 4 clean sheets. Here is my best of the weekend:

Goal Keeper: Dudu Aouate (Mallorca)

The underrated Israeli had another solid game. The Barrallets managed an early goal. Soon afer, the three pronged attack of Iker Muniain, Javi Martinez, and Fernando LLorente pummelled the Mallorca goal. Dudu made save after save.

Defenders: Marc Torrejón (Racing Santander), Pepe (Real Madrid), Jose Angel (Sporting Gijón)

The ex Espanyol defender, Torrejón, was immense this weekend as he lead the 10 man Racing Santander defense against Sevilla. His best game to date. His team garnered 3 golden points in operation salvation.

Pepe returned after injury to the Real Madrid starting 11, against a very determined Espanyol After the early sending off of Iker Casillas in goal, Pepe stayed calm and was quick to intercept many threats on goal. He deserves that contract renewal asap.

Young canterano Jose Angel was a threat for Sporting Gijón, in defense and attack. He utilized his pace to full effect and contained the best right back in the world, according to many, Barçelona's Dani Alves. Who says you can't play Jose Angel and Roberto Canella!

Midfielders: Juan Rodriguez (Deportivo), Kennedy (Racing Santander), Francisco Farinós (Hércules), Francisco Portillo (Málaga), Joaquin (Valencia)

So difficult to choose one midfielder, so I picked 5. La Liga is midfielder heaven.

Juan Rodriguez, who is rumored to be going to Getafe in the summer, was instrumental in Depor's upset over Villarreal. He was a constant danger on the right and made sure that his team took all 3 points in operation salvation.

Kennedy has been a revelation in the midfield for Racing this year. He was extremely impressive, as he contained the Sevilla attack.

The veteran crack, one of the top Spanish transfers in the modern era, from Valencia to Inter Milan. Farinós,the old timer, now at Hércules, initiated the come back against follow relegation rival Real Zaragoza, with a goal and an assist to Trezeguet. His first start this season was one to remember.

The Málaga canterano, Portillo, with very limited primera experience, was instrumental in the midfield. He was key in the comeback against Getafe that ended with a point. Definitely one to watch.

The veteran winger, also one of the most expensive Spanish transfers, is finally playing to his potential. Joaquin, the captain and ex Betico, led the comeback against Atlético Madrid away, and netted two quality goals for the win.

Strike Force: Raúl Tamudo (Real Sociedad), Felipe Caicedo (UD Levante)

Basque derbies are extremely physical and rife with anti-football. But it was only a matter of time that La Real, with all their chances, would score. Tamudo came through with a cheeky goal. His first attempt was blocked, but on the rebound, he managed to pull off a hospitable ball into the back of the net, with his back to goal.

Felipe Caicedo has been immense for the Valencian team, who are now on a bit of a run. A 6 pointer against Almerîa, with controversy. Caicedo came through with the only goal. Clinical.


3-5-2: AOUATE; TORREJON, PEPE, JOSE ANGEL; JUAN RODRIGUEZ, PORTILLO, FARINOS, KENNEDY, JOAQUIN; TAMUDO, CAICEDO

LA LIGA Team of Round 21

Let's go with a 4-3-3 this week. Yes finally 4 defenders! This week is a tribute to some of the journeymen in La Liga.


IN GOAL: DIEGO LOPEZ (VILLARREAL)

The Spanish International was on his game, in a thrilling 0-1 win at fortress Cornellá Prat. This was a very important win, as Villarreal had been shakey away, in the first half of the season. The shotstopper produced several critical saves on Callejon, Javi Marques and Verdú.


IN DEFENSE: IRAOLA (ATHLETIC CLUB), SERGIO (OSASUNA), ABIDAL (BARCA), CANELLA (SPORTING)

Iraola has been performing at an extremely high level. He is one of the reasons that Athletic Bilbao is vying for a European spot this year. Two assists to Toquero that resulted in a brace. Add to that, solid defending in ACB's away win at the Vicente Calderon.

Osasuna's Sergio had an amazing game keeping Benzema, Cristiano and Adebayor at bay. Numerous shots on goal, but the team from Pamplona refused to budge. He was a wall.

With the injury to Carles Puyol, Eric Abidal needed to step into the center of defense and pair up with Pique. No problem for the French International. It took awhile for the blaugrana to breakdown Hercules, but the speedy defender never faltered.

Roberto Canella has earned back his starting place at left back for Sporting Gijón. Against the Barallets, he was a dangerous threat on the left, even forcing Kevin to score an own goal. The kid's kind of special.


IN MIDFIELD: CAMUNAS (OSASUNA) JAVI MARQUES (ESPANYOL), BERTOLO (ZARAGOZA)

The underrated Camuñas was a constant threat to the Madrid backline and wings. He played with stealth, speed and intelligence and earned the game winning goal. Tremendous work rate.

Not sure why Pochettino took off Javi Marques in the 60th minute against a very difficult Villarreal, as he was the best player on the pitch. He consistently pushed the team on, to attack Diego Lopez' goal. Marques is one of the many young revelations at the club.

The on loan Argentine striker from Palermo, Nicolas Bertolo, played hard and eked out the equalizer against Málaga. It was the adrenaline shot that spurred on los Maños to an eventual away win and 3 golden points, in operation salvation.


UPFRONT: CAICEDO (LEVANTE), TAMUDO (REAL SOCIEDAD), NEGREDO (SEVILLA)

The player with the highest rate of success in front of goal this season is Felipe Caicedo. On loan from Manchester City, he garnered another fabulous performance for the struggling Valencian side. 3 essential points against a free falling Getafe at home, was a necessity. Caicedo produced a lovely assist and a goal to top it all off.

With the recent back injury to Joseba Llorente, the ex Espanyol veteran Raul Tamudo, finally got a start for La Real. He came out flying. Initially taken aback as the referee failed to call two clear penalties. The Spanish International took fate into his own hands and produced an assist and a goal. The latter in the midst of a torrential rain storm. No matter, 3 points for the Basque club puts them ever closer to safety.

A red card to Andres Palop early in the game and going two goals down by the 60th minute, one might think that Sevilla were going to go home without any points. But Alvaro Negredo fought tooth and nail and earned a brace. The first goal was very opportunistic, while the second goal that put 10 men Sevilla ahead, was a bit of class. At the end, Depor's Laure equalized, so they split the points. But the ex Rayo Vallecano canterano put on an amazing fighting display.

La Liga Team of the mid-season (excluding Barça & Real Madrid)

Well punters, I thought I would make things a little more interesting. Here's my La Liga starting 11 for the 2010-11 halfway point, excluding any of the super power teams aka Real Madrid & Barçelona.

Here we go:

Goalkeeper: Diego Lopez (Villarreal): overlooked, underrated, brilliant stops and positioning, need I say more.

Defense: Angel (Villarreal), Forlín and Victor Ruiz (Espanyol), Jose Angel (Sporting Gijón): Solid, consistent games for all of the above. Jose Angel playing out of his skin and only 21. Once the understudy for the injured Canella is the go to left back for los Gijóneses. Angel is another solid journeyman, who has really stepped up this year. The Espanyol dynamic duo are simply sublime and a wall in the perico defense.

Midfield: Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad), Borja Valero (Villarreal), Tino Costa (Valencia), Chori Castro (Mallorca): Each of these players have been a key part of their team. Xabi Prieto, a veteran, leader, creator, who reads the game sublimely. Borja Valero just keeps getting better and better like a fine bottle of Rioja. Tino Costa, has this killer knack for goal. I call his shot,the blaster. The Argentina man played in France and Guadeloupe?? What a revelation! Chori Castro, the Uruguayan has had two break out years for Mallorca and will probably be moving to a bigger La Liga team in the summer. He is pacy, wily and intelligent.

Forwards: Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), David Trezeguet (Hercules): Fer has had an awesome year, ever since the World Cup. He has been prolific in goal, physical and a constant threat. Look out for those elbows. The "old French man" has demonstrated to the world that he still got it! His physical presence in front of goal. His futbol IQ has really made a difference for the team from Alicante. I am so happy that he is playing in La Liga de Estrellas!

Coach: Garrido (Villarreal) for promoting youth and beautiful football.

This is my mid season best XI. Do you agree? Give me yours.

Mind Games (What are they good for)

With El Classico less than a week away the hype and drama will continue to intensify. The media have been talking about it for a few weeks now, as a battle for La Liga like a cup tie that will decide the fate of the title. Sort of as if the rest of the season is irrelevant. The players have been talking about it, at least on the Madrid side. Pep has banned his players from taking interviews in this week leading up to the game, protecting his players and allowing them to focus on the match. Barcelona after all are the champions and have no need to get drawn into a public slanging match, in a recent interview Pedro said that their only concerns are themselves and they choose to ignore Mourinho's comments. That might be true of the players but I don't think the same can be said of Guardiola. Normally such a relaxed and calm figure in recent weeks another side of him has started to evolve. With the pressure increasing from week to week every little jibe from Jose has started to take effect. We have seen heated arguments on the touch-line and almost minor scuffles.

When Jose made those comments in recent weeks regarding Sporting Gijon manager Manuel Preciado and his team selection for the Sporting v Barcelona game. His real intended target was the Catalan manager and also a message to other managers to ensure they didn't hand the title to Barca. Pep knew this and according to reports sent a text message to Preciado stating he was with him. The other managers publically backed Preciado in an almost we wont be bullied by you tactic.

Jose Mourinho like Sir Alex Ferguson is a master of mind games, putting doubt into the opposition camp. It's clever to some extent as these are two of the most successful managers currently serving in the world game. It clearly has an effect on teams, managers, players and even fans. There is a strategy and a method in what they do. The only real way of evaluating if it has worked is what happens on the pitch. He done it at Inter and he done it at Chelsea. Whilst at Inter he claimed that Barcelona were 'obsessed' with winning the Champions League and that would give his side the upper hand in their game. Maybe a difference in Spain as to England has been the support against the master rather than support with him. In England 'friends' of the manager will back him up, maybe if you have managed a team for a long period then you are more likely to gain this or if your Chief Executive is on the board of the relevant football association. The media will certainly play a part into how the managers are portrayed, it's up to us as fans to see behind the headlines.

Mind games can make a difference if you let them, you either face them head on and play them at their own game or you ignore them and continue to do what you do best. They say never argue with an idiot because they will drag you down to their level then beat you with experience, not that I'm calling Jose an idiot !

Manuel Preciado Explodes on Mou

You just knew this was going to continue. Mourinho has you in his sites and he´ll go off, distracting attention from his players and sending barrages against seemingly helpless sides at the bottom of the table. He did it all the time at Inter, so why should it be any different in Spain? Well, there´s a different mind-set in Spain and if you push us we will push back. My Mom always said I had the hair-trigger temper of my paternal grandfather and I can see it in my new best friend Manuel Preciado

The problem between the Portuguese tactician and Sporting de Gijon´s Super-Mario-esque coach began after Sporting visited the Camp Nou and apparently, in Mourinho´s terms ¨fielded a B-side against FC Barcelona.¨ That´s when José began with his ¨teams capitulate to Barcelona and gift them wins¨ rant and named Sporting and specifically Preciado as prime examples.

When asked to clarify what he meant on Cadena Ser, Mourinho doubled his efforts against the Cantabrian coach and his Asturian squad. Preciado was not about to be drawn into it until he heard the interview and exploded:

• I heard him on the radio and he didn´t just reaffirm his statements, he amplified his argument and almost asked for my head. If that had happened in England, he would have been jailed. His objective? One: a joke, a very poor one obviously.  Another could be a provocation at the Barcelona coach, although it won´t work since they won´t respond. He´s deluded. Or the third, which is the one I believe: that he´s telling the truth. If that´s the case then I think he´s a swine and a poor colleague.  If they won´t explain the meaning of respect in Madrid, I´l explain it myself. We deserve the same amount of respect that he does; with all his titles and as much the Top-dog that he is. For him to say that Sporting, that kills itself to stay in Primera, that we gift matches? Who the @$!% is he to think and say that? What is that? We are humble, townsfolk and good professionals. I give my hand to anyone but I won´t stay quiet. We´re not made of stone. I am a professional even if this guy doesn´t know me ´cause he comes from another galaxy. I know how to win and how to lose. He´s used to winning, but it´ll happen. He´ll lose. He who spits in the air, spits on himself. I´d like to justify the actions of this man, his off the cuff remarks, but it´s impossible. A guy who comes out making hand gestures (at the fans) in the stadium of Milan, either he´s egocentric or I don´t understand him. If we were going to come out 100%, then now we´re coming out 300%.¨
  

This reads like Howard Beale´s monologue in Network, where he´s ¨Mad as hell and he ain´t gonna take it anymore!¨, but most will probably compare it to Kevin Keegan´s meltdown against Sir Alex Ferguson. Most of you will probably laugh at the funny looking guy from the funny sounding club in the North of Spain hitting out at the ¨Special One.¨ Isn´t José funny, look at how he gets these guys to react, aren´t his antics funny, and that my friends is where you´re wrong.

You see, enough is enough. Preciado might have gone overboard with the reaction. It may be over the top, but what you´re hearing is the truth. When that spitball finally comes down on Mourinho, when (not if) the luck runs out, there won´t just be one guy standing and applauding, there will be an entire crowd.

UEFA Financial Fair Play and La Liga: Bad Moon Rising

With Mando's recent interview with Leander Schaerlaeckens of football finances, I decided to do a bit of research and read UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules. Here's a summary.

Based on the Bundesliga financial regulations, UEFA has enacted Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations that all clubs involved in European competitions must adhere to by the 2012-13 season.

Some of the key points are:

1) Teams who file for voluntary administration aka bankruptcy cannot play in Europe. We have already seen Mallorca was not allowed to play in Europe. Other teams such as Real Sociedad, Malaga, Levante, and close to filing Sporting Gijón would not be allowed to play in any European competitions, should they earn a place.

2) Teams will be required to break even. The latest figures released in May 2010, for the 2008-9 season indicated that only three teams were in the black in La Liga: Real Madrid, Barcelona and Numancia. Numancia has since been relegated. So much for financial prudence. Real Madrid and Barcelona earn 53% of La Liga revenues.

3) Teams will not be allowed to owe any past due payables towards football clubs IE transfer debt. This would detrimentally effect most La Liga teams. Just a quick example, Mallorca still owes 4 million dollars to Athletic Bilbao for the sale of Aritz Aduriz, who now plays his trade at Valencia.

4) Teams will not be allowed to owe any overdue payables towards employees and social/tax authorities. Recently, Valencia was unable to pay their players, in fact they paid them late. In this case, would Valencia be knocked out of Europe? According to the UEFA FFP regulations, the answer would be yes. Spanish La Liga debt in total amounted to $4.65 billion for the 2008-9 season.

5) Expenses that will NOT be included in the break even calculation, as they are encouraged for the good of the game, include: expenditures on youth development, expenditures on community development, and expenditures or costs related to facilities and infrastructure i.e., stadiums.

6) Loopholes: Single entity aka sugar daddies can invest in the club to the tune of $57M Euros in the first three years, and $38M in subsequent three years. in exchange for shares. The big boys (Real Madrid & Barcelona) will have an out to make the new laws work. In addition, their are no regulations to force clubs to reduce their debt. That said, it will be extremely for La Liga clubs to enact and adhere to these regulations, without losing a competitive edge.

If we look at the current European contenders only Barcelona and Real Madrid would qualify for Europe. Atlético Madrid, Valencia, and Villarreal all operate with huge loses. In fact salary and wages for Valencia, Sevilla, Real Betis, and Atlético Madrid are higher than revenues generated by the clubs. The only reason that these clubs manage to limit their losses is from the sale of players and real estate transactions. The bottom line is that the day to day business of football in La Liga, cannot cover costs.


There has got to be a grandfathering and adjustment period for La Liga, as well as exceptions and concessions, if not I do not see how any other teams,10- aside from the big two will be able to compete in Europe.

Sources: UEFA.com, Professor Jose Maria Gay on Spanish Football Finances, Cinco dias, Soccernet, Sport und Markt, Four Four Two

La Celeste in La Liga Jornada 6: EuroGeta Returns!

La Celeste in La Liga Jornada 6: EuroGeta Returns!
This weekend La Celeste teams grinded out plenty of draws. Only Coach Martin Lasarte’s Real Sociedad, reborn Sevilla, and EuroGeta were able to bring home all three points. Let’s see how the Uruguayans fared in Jornada 6 of La Liga.
Player of the Round: Pablo Pintos of Getafe had a fine debut. He was very strong in defense and potent in attack. He came in at the 45′ minute and made a difference in the 3-0 win against Hercules.


To read more go here:

La Liga Round 6: Crossroads

Another exciting week in La Liga with so many goals, 30 to be exact. Sevilla bounced back with an important win under their new manager, and Valencia remain on top.

Valencia beat Athletic de Bilbao at home 2-1. It was truly a game of two halves, where Valencia struck while the iron was hot in the first half, but almost allowed Athletic back into the game in the second. Dear old Athletic can be so frustrating. Game after game, they start off slow, but only turn on their engines when they go down a goal — usually in the second half. At least they never stop fighting. If only Joaquín Caparrós would start their two attacking X Factors: Iker Muniain and Markel Susaeta. Sometimes you need to take risks to beat the big boys.

To read more go here:

La Celeste in La Liga – Week 5 Levante Catenaccio

So far there are no clear cut leaders nor extremely poor teams in La Liga. As we continue to feel the after effects of a World Cup year, I expect to see more injuries, upsets, and unpredictability. This past week was no exception….
Player of the Round: RCD Mallorca’s Chori Castro is returning to form. He was an instrumental part of the 2-0 home win against Martin Lasartre’s lackluster Real Sociedad. Chori was lethal, controlled the left side, and extremely dangerous in attack. His best game of the season so far.
To read more go to: http://www.lacelesteblog.com/?p=3489

Real Sporting de Gijon Preview

Coach: Manuel Preciado, ex-Racing, Murcia and Levante coach in that order.
Stadium: El Molinon, the oldest ground in Spain (25,885).
Region: Asturias
Nickname: Los Rojiblancos (The Red-whites),
Derby: Real Oviedo
Sponsor: Ayuntamiento de Gijon, the City Council of Gijon
Kit Description: Home: A nice red and white striped Astore kit with blue shorts and socks. Away: An all red kit with a blog sponsor logo and white trim and striping throughout. Third: An all dark-blue kit with red trim on the shirt.
History: The club began in 1905 under the name Sporting Gijones. It was given royal patronage in 1912 and were promoted for the first time to the Spanish first division in 1944. They were highly successful during the late 70's and early 1980's spending 21 straight season in the Spanish first division and competing for titles and cups throughout that stretch and qualifying for UEFA Cups 6 times, advancing to thr round of 16 twice, most recently in 1991. In 1998 they were relegate and spent the next 10 years struggling in the lower divisions.
Trophy Room:
* Primera Runners Up: 1979
* Copa del Rey runner's up: 1981 and 1982

Famous Former Players: Marcelino Garcia Toral, Laurie Cunningham, Luis Enrique (ex-Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) and David Villa
Main Story from last year: Escaping relegation after being recently promoted. Most people accepted that Malaga were quality enough to stay in the Primera, but no one who saw Sporting de Gijon play last year could have assured themselves that the Asturian club had the mettle to stay up. They had a fairly exciting attack but leaked in the goals. The most memorable match of the season came when they played Valencia at El Molinon (The Large Windmill as it is called in Castilian because the stadium was built on the site of an Old Windmill) and David Villa, who came up through the youth team system at Sporting and is clearly still a supporter of the Asturians. The Gijon faithful welcomed him back with open arms and gave him a truly memorable experience.

Transfers: Signing Rivera (Betis), Juan Pablo (Numancia), Arnolin (Vitoria Guimaraes), Miguel (Atlético Madrid), Alberto Botía (Barcelona B - one year loan). Losing Lafuente (Athletic Bilbao - loan period ended), Raúl Cámara (Recreativo), Omar Hernández (Málaga B), Jorge (Nàstic - one year loan), Colin, Neru, Sergio Sánchez (contracts ended)

Squad Overview: It is a young squad with little flair. They've signed Alberto Botia, a highly promising central defender from La Masia in Barcelona and are getting some interest from Birgingham City for highly rate MF Michel, but they lack depth and will be found out this year.

Prediction: One year finishing in the top flight after 10 years in the wastelands does not make for an easily predictable trend, but Sporting de Gijon are a small club, with few resources and the other clubs at their level have gotten stronger while they continue to struggle. Relegation spot for them: 18th.