When Leganes were promoted to La Liga at the end of last season, there was little to suggest they would have the ability to compete in the top flight.

Often found without a natural goalscorer during their title-winning campaign in Segunda, and harvesting a squad with very little La Liga experience between them. However, in Borja Jimenez, who, like the majority of his squad – hadn’t managed a top flight fixture prior to this season – they have a manager who can ensure his team perform at a level that’s more than the sum of their parts. 

Currently locked in a relegation battle, level on points with Deportivo Alaves, who have their heads above water on goal difference, Los Pepineros are giving their all in an attempt to guarantee a second successive La Liga campaign since 2020.

La Liga have published the updated salary limits after the January transfer window. pic.twitter.com/I7XkBq0deT

— Football España (@footballespana_) February 18, 2025

So, how exactly are they doing it? 

Jimenez tends to set his side set up somewhere between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-4-3, and the frequency of transition between these two systems often relies on game state and the opposition they’re up against. This flexibility leans on the tactical acumen of their 40-year-old manager.

Against Atletico Madrid, where they completed a huge scalp by ending Diego Simeone’s 15-game winning run with a 1-0 win at Butarque, Leganes switched very fluidly between the two systems. In this one, Jimenez used Peruvian Renato Tapia as a vehicle to switch from one to the other. 

When Leganes had the ball in this game, Tapia became free to move into a midfield position and slot into a single pivot role instead. This became a real dilemma for Atleti’s pressing front-line, who instead of looking to close off three centre-back options, had to focus on shielding a pass behind them into Tapia.

The Peruvian was also the player chosen to drop back into a five during defensive scenarios, which were even more frequent as Los Pepineros looked to hold on to their slim advantage in the game.

It was easy to see why Jimenez went for this, as Atleti looked to use quick combinations in the channels to create wide overloads, meaning a wider back-line would help Leganes combat that particular threat.

However, when Tapia drops into a five, occasionally too early, it can lead to additional space between the lines for the opposition to exploit – without the Peruvian they can appear outnumbered in those spaces.

Jimenez has arguably had better success when using the 3-4-3 as an in-possession blueprint, as with little natural creativity within their ranks, Leganes must use a more systematic approach to manufacture scoring opportunities. The use of flying wing-backs is comparable with this season’s managerial starlet Claudio Giraldez at Celta Vigo, who Leganes went toe-to-toe with by matching their wide system last weekend.

Los Pepineros wing-back Valentin Rosier has posted some of the better numbers in the division in terms of his attacking output. Of course in this Leganes team, the Frenchman is a fairly active defender, but also ranks within the top 4% of full-backs for shot-creating actions by successful take-ons. 

Against Vigo, Rosier and maverick winger Juan Cruz gave Los Celestes pairing Oscar Mingueza and Marcos Alonso a torrid time on the Leganes right.

It’s a simple concept, but Cruz dropping infield to attract a Vigo defender allowed Rosier to fly around the outside and create a crossing opportunity. The Spaniard’s threat alone is enough to trouble most defences, but put the powerful runs of Leganes’ wing-back into the equation and it becomes too much for anyone.

Against Getafe, in a game of very little quality, that same combination devastated their Madrid rivals in the final seconds of the game. As Los Pepineros so often do, they pounced on a transition created by Cruz’s smart turn in midfield. 

Rosier’s incredible physicality meant he flew around the outside of Getafe’s back-line, free to cross, leaving Diego Garcia to author a glorious overhead kick past the despairing David Soria to provide a dramatic ending to the South Madrid derby. One of many examples this season of Leganes’ wing-backs being the biggest attacking threat in their side.

The Frenchman isn’t the only unique profile that Jimenez looks to make the most of in this Leganes side though, as midfield pairing of Seydouba Cisse and Yvan Neyou Noupa both offer special functions within Jimenez’s system.

Cisse’s ability to keep the ball well offers a breadth of options for Leganes when they build from the back, particularly parting from that popular back three. Jimenez’s defenders often split into wider positions to make it more difficult for the opposition to press them directly, but also block the midfield options coming from behind.

One of the Guinean’s most common moves is to wait for the centre-backs to spread into an advanced position, whilst attracting the opposition’s press, and using his exceptional back to goal play, and zipping the ball out wide. This not only beats the press, but invites his teammates to rove forward from that centre-back position, leaving what would usually be a three-versus-two situation in the wide areas.

Cisse ranks within the top 10% of La Liga midfielders for successful take-ons, and doesn’t shy away from his defensive duties either, flying across the ground quickly enough to sit within the top 10% for ball recoveries too.

As for Neyou, he’s often the out-of-possession trigger for Leganes, and the sealing option for their pressing. In what’s frequently a stodgy mid-block, the Cameroonian does his best to shield the back line from any direct passes into that zone.

In the final third, Neyou covers considerable ground to press opposition midfield options back towards their goal. Leganes usually narrow off when trying to pin the other team, which means Neyou can join the front two as part of a 2-1 pressing line. 

For his part, the 28-year-old ranks within the top 20% of midfielders in the division for tackles won, dribblers tacked and aerials won. He’s the perfect compliment to Cisse’s dexterous ball-playing ability.

Although their survival still hangs in the balance, Jimenez has played to the strengths of his team as best as he can, and has definitely proved his worth at the top level. Only Espanyol and Sevilla have lower salary limits than Leganes, and both are spending well in excess of their allowance – a sign of just how steep their uphill task is. Through a thorough and organised approach, Leganes can still dream of consecutive seasons of La Liga football at Butarque though.

The post Analysis: How Leganes and Borja Jimenez are defying the odds to compete in La Liga  appeared first on Football España.

As Spanish football becomes increasingly global, the linguistic crossovers between Spanish and English have multiplied and conquered when it comes to talking about the game. However specifically Barcelona context, few good translations have been found for ‘entorno’, nor has it quite entered the common lexicon. The environment seems to be the closest that anyone has come to describe what essentially encompasses, the media, the whispers from the very innards of club, and the influence of those at its summit.

Never before has it come under such intense focus as last year during the final months of Xavi Hernandez’s tenure as manager. The legendary midfielder, adored as a player, declared that his time as coach has included some of the worst days of his life. “There are many moments when it doesn’t pay to be a Barca coach,” Xavi explained, among other adjectives such as cruel, unjust and exhausting.

This year, it’s a word that has rarely come up though, and while that is in no small part down to results, the chasm in the press room atmosphere from twelve months prior is hard not to notice. Part of the theory is that Hansi Flick’s lack of Spanish or Catalan has been the most effective wall between him and the pressures applied by the entorno. Questions of philosophical purity are no longer on the agenda.

“This year I think Flick has been very protected this season, and the entorno has been pretty good to him. It’s true that the results have been good as well,” explains Albert Ferrer, part of the Barcelona dream team under Johan Cruyff in the 1990s.

Ferrer has had three stints as a manager himself, authoring an historic promotion campaign at Cordoba in 2014, as well as spells with Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands and RCD Mallorca. Having spent the majority of his career at Barcelona, few have a better insight into what exactly it is like to experience the mythical beast itself.

“It is difficult, because as a manager, you are the first one who suffers from everything that is happening. The pressure at Barcelona is huge, and if you don’t win every single game, even if you draw, the press are immediately asking what is happening. That’s the impact it has on the manager.”

Flick: “I think we played two great games against Atlético Madrid, and we have to be focused from the beginning to the end. At the end of the first game we were not as focused as we wanted. In the second game it happened to us both at the beginning and at the end.”

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 15, 2025

“But if you’re coaching any other team, the pressure is the same,” Ferrer points out. “It’s true that in other teams, it’s not winning every game, the pressure grows as a consequence of a run of bad results, but as a manager, you feel it, it’s always there. It’s part of the job, as a manager, how you deal with, it’s difficult.”

The impact of that pressure was written across Xavi’s face and powerful in his words last year, and even if some are less vocal about it, that does not mean to say they too are ‘suffering’, as the Spanglish goes. Understanding it and handling it are two entirely different tasks.

“When I was managing, it affected me when we didn’t get a good result. You don’t feel like going out with the family. There are managers that are more able to cope with that, but I think it’s the same anywhere you go. The pressure is always there.”

‘Of course’, Xavi responded when asked whether the entorno could impact player performance in December of 2023, almost confused by the question. There is an extra degree of separation between the manager’s office and the dressing room says Ferrer though.

“I think as a player, you are not so vulnerable to the toxic aspect of the entorno. You just basically do what your manager tells you to do, and the moment that results go badly, it’s the manager that takes the blame.”

“So at the moment the pressure gets to the player, it has already been written about the manager this and that, so I think the players are OK. They just do as they are told, and they are excused from it. The main responsibility and the one who has to deal with the entorno is the manager.”

Balde: “We are very young. Often people don’t realize what we are doing, many of us are 17, 18 or 19 years old. People are a little accustomed to it, and think that Lamine’s thing is normal. That’s not normal.”

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 15, 2025

What fans and media struggle to assimilate most about top-level football is the intensity of the game though.

“I think one of the things that we normalise in football is how difficult it is, how physical it is, how demanding,” says the 54-year-old, looking up, his mind feeling the blows. “You look on TV, and see players being kicked and knocks and sprinting, running, misses passes. It is very, very difficult. You cannot make a mistake. This is probably the most difficult thing at the top level of football.”

Perhaps if that was communicated better, the unrelenting dissection of the game would be a little more forgiving.

“Players normalise the situation, they can deal with it, but it’s one of the first things you notice when you put yourself in a high level game. You find out how difficult it is, how intense it is. For us, as players or coaches, the most difficult is to show that, that mistakes are part of the game, and you shouldn’t necessarily be judged on that.”

“But that comes with the job too.” The words of a player, manager and now analyst who has seen the production from every angle.

Watch Atlético de Madrid vs Barcelona on Sunday 16th March at 8pm on LALIGATV and ITV4. Showing ‘All of LALIGA, All in one place’, LALIGATV is available exclusively in the UK via Premier Sports, from just £7.99/month.

The post Barcelona legend Albert Ferrer – ‘The entorno has been pretty good to Hansi Flick this season’ appeared first on Football España.

Football has an infatuation for the dramatic, and a tendency for exaggeration, yet none of the claims of cruelty, agony, and other fatalistic terms were met with any derision after Atletico Madrid exited the Champions League on Wednesday night. To their most bitter rivals, for the sixth time in succession, with one of their penalties being disallowed.

Regardless of what you thought of Diego Simeone’s theatrical attempts to raise the fans from silence one final time, in mutual appreciation between beaten heroes and a defeated support, you have to admire his presence of mind not to sink into similar despair. The fact is, when the game finished, there were little less than four days separated from another game that will be branded ‘season-defining’, and more so now.

“It’s always difficult isn’t it, when you have the possibility to turn the tie around at home against your direct rival, and you don’t do it. It’s going to be difficult to tune the team up. It’s been two difficult games [against Real Madrid and Getafe], but he will have to pick them up and focus their minds,” says Albert ‘Chapi’ Ferrer, Barcelona legend, a manager in his own right, and now one of the sharpest minds in football’s at times blunt television coverage.

Jan Oblak: “What happened the other day is something where you need to have really bad luck, and the other team needs to have really good luck. That’s how I’m explaining it to myself. Something happened that has probably happened very few times or maybe never before, I don’t… pic.twitter.com/0ArIiQnXBT

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 14, 2025

“As a manager, you have to be the leader, to try to make the team think positively again. It is difficult, and of course, in the dressing room there are obviously leaders too, whose responsibility it is to cheer the team up and make them believe again.”

The question is how? The somewhat tired interrogations of whether Simeone should be more valiant, of this change and that decision on the pitch are already in an ether, because if Simeone can’t find a way recover that focus and balance of the mind on Sunday, Atletico will be playing against more than just Barcelona on Sunday night.

“If you look at the end of the game, when Simeone was going round the pitch on this sort of lap of honour, so the manager was the one to cheer the players and supporters up, and to basically be with the team.”

“Knowing the manager, knowing Atletico,” says Ferrer, who has seen them in action throughout Simeone’s time as a player and manager, “the history of the club, how strong they are and how competitive, it’s not going to be a problem, and they will be 100% focused on Sunday.”

Even if Simeone can separate Sunday from circumstance, facing him is arguably the form side in Europe, coming off the back of a 17-game unbeaten run and a much more tranquil Tuesday victory over Benfica. Barcelona don’t just look cohesive as a unit under Hansi Flick, most players have shown something like the best football in their career this season. Despite their ‘suicidal’ high line, the Blaugrana have lived better on the edge than they have in many years with more room for error.

“On Sunday, Atletico will have more opportunities to hurt Barcelona, if it’s attacking the offside line, in transitions, it’s going to be a different game,” reasons Ferrer though. There is an argument, certainly backed by results and Ferrer, that this game suits Atletico far more. Los Rojiblancos have scored six times in two games against Barcelona, and are the only side to have faced Flick’s edition without suffering defeat.

“Barcelona as a team are so, so offensive, they are basically looking to play just one way, they don’t have other plans, so they are offensive, aggressive, they push and have the defensive line very high. The big difference for Atletico Madrid that they will face on Sunday is that they will have spaces all game.” Even if getting the recipe right is no laborious, the steps are a little more straightforward explains the five-time La Liga champion.

“Real Madrid are a team that don’t have any problem dropping back, to leave no spaces for Atletico to run into. So it’s more complicated than against Barcelona. Against Barcelona it is difficult, because they are a continuous threat mostly offensively.”

Just a point separates the two sides at the summit of La Liga, with Real Madrid wedged between them in second. Barcelona have a game in hand though, and there is certainly a concern that while a loss at the Metropolitano might not be fatal to their title challenge, it could very well be on life support.

Pau Cubarsí: “Now the season begins, I would say, because it’s the key moment, where you risk everything. We have to be 100%. We are alive in everything. We have to continue like this. We have a good dynamic, so we hope to continue.” @mundodeportivo pic.twitter.com/pSKijcK7z1

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 15, 2025

“For Atletico Madrid, the first thing is to make sure they don’t have the space to run into, and basically the only way to do that is to drop deeper. The few times that Barcelona have struggled this season has been with teams doing exactly that: dropping a bit deeper and attacking on the counter. So that’s what I expect from Atletico.”

The Catalan giants have been far more successful with Flick’s jolting defensive approach this season. At first, the wisdom of any radical change is doubted, but having largely calmed the offence caused at the concept itself, the next think pieces wonder whether a less absolutist idea might make more sense for everyone. And in fairness, it was questioned by Flick’s chief engineer after the last meeting between the two.

“I remember the game, the first tie in the Copa del Rey, Pedri said something in the post-game interview. ‘We need to learn from that. We were ahead in the tie, so we can’t keep pressing, keep going high, keep being exposed. We just need to be conscious of it’. Possibly he meant by not having the defensive line so high, and defending more.”

The panting Pedri echoed, or perhaps directed, a lot of the accusations against Barcelona in the aftermath of that 4-4 thriller. Flick said less than an hour after the game had finished that he was happy with 95% of their performance though, and Ferrer sees no sign of the German instructing his men to give themselves an extra yard, in spite of Atletico’s success at getting in behind.

“I’m not sure that the manager shares these words though. I haven’t seen a game yet this season where Barcelona changed tactics, in terms of being ahead in the scoresheet, and in the last 20 minutes and just drop. So I don’t think he’s going to.”

“I think it’s more like when I was a player and we had Johan Cruyff, he said ‘listen, if they score three goals, we need to score four. It’s as simple as that.’ So I think that’s the approach.”

Cruyff at Barcelona was perhaps the closest approximation to a religious prophet in football, and while the tenets of his philosophy have set the blueprint for several of Barcelona’s most successful periods in their history. At others, the style debate those blueprints appeared to trap managers though.

“The history of Barcelona shows us that the DNA is more or less the same,” Ferrer prefaces. “With Cruyff, Guardiola, even Luis Enrique, Xavi or Flick. Barcelona are a dominant team, and they will go on the pitch to dominate, and you can do it in different ways.”

An authority on the topic, Ferrer was in the C team when Cruyff returned to the club as a manager, and spent six years under him in the first team, coming through the ranks with Guardiola at his side.

“I think that the play the team is showing is similar to Johan’s, similar to Luis Enrique’s, but I think with Pep, in his last stage at Barcelona, wanted to dominate completely, he wanted to dominate with the ball. Flick is more similar to our time with Cruyff, with quick transitions and attacking the space.”

“It is true that in the second half the season, with teams seeing how dangerous they are and with the space, we’ve seen teams have dropped a bit, and are defending a little deeper. So that has led Barcelona to have a little bit more possession, and to be a little less direct. So they’re having more of the ball, and playing out, it is a little slower, but the moment they do have space, they go into it.”

Xavi Hernandez, who played with Guardiola and then occupied a similar directorial duties to Pedri in his magical four-year run as coach, was widely expected execute a similar revolution when he returned as manager himself. Yet the La Liga title victory he authored, by design or compromise, was arguably the furthest removed from that style seen since Guardiola’s exit.

The debate that dogged Xavi has barely been mentioned this year though. There is little doubt that Barcelona have been attractive to watch this year, but is there a sense that the passage from Xavi to Flick has widened the scope for what constitutes ‘the Barcelona style’ again?

“It is true that Barcelona have a philosophy and they try to control games, but I think that right now it is not so important. When Barcelona won La Liga with Xavi, they defended very well, and there were a lot of 1-0s, but nobody said anything because Barcelona needed to win La Liga.”

“This season it is the same. Barcelona are not playing like the philosophy that they ‘should be playing’, having a lot of possession and controlling games, but I think the objective is winning something, and people are happy with winning games, so it doesn’t matter so much this season.”

Watch Atlético de Madrid vs Barcelona on Sunday 16th March at 8pm on LALIGATV and ITV4. Showing ‘All of LALIGA, All in one place’, LALIGATV is available exclusively in the UK via Premier Sports, from just £7.99/month.

The post Interview: Albert Ferrer on how Diego Simeone picks Atletico Madrid up and the Barcelona style debate appeared first on Football España.

In the late 2010s, LaLiga ran a marketing campaign that really did something to my brain. A child of, let’s say, nine years old leaves his home (Malaysia, per one YouTube commenter) for a trip abroad to Spain, where he is enraptured by the sights and sounds of the country’s football. As he tells his mother (I assume) all about his adventure, he reveals how Spaniards live for football, how infectious their energy becomes, and he signs off by saying that LaLiga… Well, it just hits differently.

“That can’t be football. That’s got to be something else.”

As I watched Alaves complete one of the season’s more improbable victories on Saturday afternoon, over Champions League aspirant Villarreal in the pouring rain at Mendizorroza, I was reminded of this ad campaign from the 2017/18 season that plays on a feedback loop in my head. Facing a whopping 15 additional minutes of second-half stoppage time and the loss of starting goalkeeper Antonio Sivera (who was later diagnosed with a concussion and required facial reconstruction surgery), Alaves suffered further adversity when midfielder Antonio Blanco was sent off in the 95th minute – meaning the Basque side would have to defend a 1-0 lead, with nine outfield players, for 10 minutes.

Rough enough for Antonio Sivera – takes a knee to the head, looks out cold briefly. When he gets back to his feet he’s sent off. Hopefully there’s no concussion. pic.twitter.com/7sgJVkoRFt

— Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) March 8, 2025

Chacho Coudet, surely sopping wet in his denim jeans, told the media that football “had at last given Alaves something back” due to “various injustices” – and as much as I hate how many coaches in 2025 are using a similar talking point, Alaves arguably did deserve a slice of good fortune. According to Understat’s expected goals methodology, entering Saturday’s game, Alaves would have been 11th in the xG table; prior to his dismissal in December, Luis Garcia Plaza bemoaned his team’s bad luck and lamented that it would eventually cost him his job. Coudet’s men on Saturday permitted 24 Villarreal shots and 2.85 expected goals against… but former Atletico Madrid left-back Manu Sanchez’s 11th-minute goal held up in the end.

“I think we reacted late, and we didn’t take our chances,” Villarreal right-back Juan Foyth lamented after the match.

But even after all that, Alaves are still in the drop zone. With 27 rounds played (26 for a handful of teams), just three points separate Espanyol in 15th place from Las Palmas in 19th. Valencia only just escaped the relegation places with a 2-1 win over Valladolid; Alaves and Las Palmas will play a vital six-pointer next Sunday, and the Canary Islanders – perhaps decisively – will not have budding star midfielder Dario Essugo after he picked up two yellow cards in eight minutes during a loss to resurgent Real Betis on Sunday.

(Betis, left for dead six weeks ago, are hot on Villarreal’s tail for fifth place – which, thanks to fun with coefficients, is likely to be a Champions League place.)

@AntonioSivera1 & Adrián Rodríguez

2⃣ Porteros
1⃣ Debut en @LaLiga
0⃣ Goles encajados

¡𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐬 y 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢́𝐚 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐨 en el #AlavésVillarreal! #AquíNadieSeRinde | #GoazenGlorioso pic.twitter.com/S05aJcmnca

— Deportivo Alavés (@Alaves) March 9, 2025

Alaves’ conviction and display of bravery merited its first win since January, and Coudet can boast of having one of La Liga’s leading goalscorers Kike Garcia – set for his most successful season in Primera at 35 years old. Young defender Santiago Mourino, purchased for €3m from Atletico Madrid last summer, stood out with his six clearances, six recoveries… and only 18 passes attempted. Next weekend they travel to Gran Canaria, where Diego Martinez’s Las Palmas have yet to win in 2025 amid a crisis of chance creation, and Alaves’ resilience offers hope for a win – a giant step toward survival.

The heat is on at Mestalla as well, where Valencia are starting to shine amid the pressure of a first relegation in 39 years. Los Che overcame a quite shocking error from Giorgi Mamardahsvili to beat sorry Valladolid on Saturday; okay, maybe he’s not at his best right now as he closes in on his move to Premier League champions-elect Liverpool.

But the response can be seen in the face of Luis Rioja, a real ringer to have in a relegation scrap; at the feet of midfielder Enzo Barrenechea, arguably Valencia’s best player since the arrival of Carlos Corberan; in the powerful stride of Javi Guerra, Barrenechea’s partner in Corberan’s double pivot, still “green” but appearing revitalised as one of Spain’s better young midfielders. If you take out that awful loss to Barcelona, Corberan’s Valencia are 4-3-2 with a plus-1 goal difference since his arrival; he’s lost only to the three title contenders, successfully (so far) sheltering the dressing room from the distractions just outside.

SADIQUISMO.

Umar Sadiq tiene una misión: salvar al @valenciacf.#ElDíaDespués pic.twitter.com/m6gvHgqdgw

— El Día Después en Movistar Plus+ (@ElDiaDespues) March 10, 2025

The heat has been scorching all season at Valladolid, now 11 points from safety and on track to ship 90 goals; fans are angry at Ronaldo Nazario’s, let’s call it disastrous, ownership, and the Pucela have a 99.8 percent chance of relegation, per Opta Analyst. But which teams will join them in the descent?

Well, Leganes were burned after going 1-0 up at Balaidos and lost 2-1 to Celta Vigo; a team that has beaten Barcelona and Atletico now hovers a single point above the drop zone. Espanyol – the only side in La Liga averaging under 40% ball possession – were denied a precious 1-0 win at Girona by a controversial late penalty that Cristhian Stuani duly buried; the Pericos sit two points clear of the mess below, and star goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s (many) saves are only going to get more important from here.

JOAN. #LALIGAHighlights | @RCDEspanyol pic.twitter.com/CgWmWSyG2H

— LALIGA (@LaLiga) March 10, 2025

Aside from the virtual certainty of Valladolid’s relegation, Opta’s model has assigned Las Palmas a 67% chance of enduring the drop, and Leganes own the next-worst odds at 41.6%. And at 39.6%, there sits plucky Alaves, who might stay up by the skin of their teeth… and enjoy a ninth season in La Liga from the past 10. Allow Manu Sanchez to make the case.

“The team showed that it never gives up, they knew how to defend the lead with nine players, and that, in the end, they’ll always recover from any adversity that comes.”

Jeremy Beren can be found on social media here, and if you’re hungry for more, find their excellent work here.

The post COLUMN: On Alaves, bravery, and a relegation battle set to break hearts appeared first on Football España.

Estadio Benito Villamarin has long been a hallmark of Spanish stadium architecture, with its imposing walls of green enclosing some of La Liga’s most elegant footballing ventures. This will be the last season it looks the same before undergoing a complete renovation in line with various other stadiums in Spain. So far, it would seem Manuel Pellegrini is preparing a most entertaining farewell for the stadium, with the Chilean’s tactical ideas with the club rising to an exciting crescendo. Sitting pretty at 6th in a tightly-packed section of the La Liga table, Betis’ flamboyant 2-1 win over Real Madrid (Pellegrini’s first ever against the Blancos) was the latest hurrah for Pellegrini’s understated style. 

The Base Template – The Spanish Way 

Four seasons have passed since Pellegrini arrived, and it was clear from the start that his principles translate cleanly into Real Betis’ needs. The stylistic template on offer from Pellegrini is often a fine balance between control and attack. Stretching the pitch to facilitate wide combinations is his signature tactical calling card, along with a playmaker between the lines with freedom to help manipulate the spaces made available. In many ways, the traditional Spanish game’s fundamentals – possession, control, creating superiorities – firmly resting upon a base of high technical awareness and application from the players involved. 

The shape has stayed a 4-2-3-1 across most of his seasons here. His first few pivots of Guido Rodriguez, William Carvalho, and Sergio Canales interpreted the system with stoic, patient wisdom. Nabil Fekir slotted into the #10 most often and control was emphasized and often won. Deeper numerical superiorities were comfortably created and possession was circulated with aplomb. Orienting closer to control than chaos in various game-states, the matches floated by in a lulled, steady balance.

The Evolution – Pivots 

In 24/25, Pellegrini’s Betis are a reminder that tactics are eventually a function of the players interpreting them, if the manager allows space for such growth to occur. Within the same base template, the current player profiles lend naturally towards more speed, expression, energy, and enterprise. 

Starting with the pivots, young stars Johnny Cardoso and Sergi Altimira flourish in each other’s company, combining excellent sense for progression and creativity from deep with relentless effort without the ball. In a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid in October, which Pellegrini called the best Betis performance since his arrival, Altimira controlled the game’s tempo from deeper areas, finishing with a passing accuracy of 94%. The duo mostly kept things circulating fast and vertical as the Villamarin turned into a cauldron of repeated intensity.

Isco man a decision making, problem solving machine

Moving at a snail’s pace and controlling the entire game end to end

— La Liga Systems (@janufooty) March 1, 2025

Cardoso specifically excelled in recovering the ball, winning 8 ground duels and completing tackles and interceptions galore, aiming to immediately ping the ball back into the final third upon recovery. The duo were able to maintain the tempo of the game at a level that Atletico Madrid could not keep up with. A year of firsts, Pellegrini’s first over Simeone, also achieved. 

The double pivot starred once again in the classy 2-1 win over Los Blancos last weekend, where Betis showcased their resilience. After the initial 20-minute period of domination following the 1-0 lead from Real Madrid, Betis slowly wrestled control back and barely let it slip. The goals arrived, but the pre-conditions for the goals were set far before the goal events. The match had to be regained with personality and confidence, and Pellegrini’s team exuded both. With Cardoso stamping total influence on the game with his sense for tempo control, Isco slipped between the lines to keep providing support wherever possible in a Man of the Match performance. 

A Young, Hungry Frontline 

Faced with a fresh, versatile, and highly dynamic set of wide and forward players, Pellegrini has the freedom to deploy several combinations for different results. Fielding fast wingers with as much ambition and drive as Ez Abde, Chimy Avila (and of late Antony on loan) results in a logically faster Betis—and so Pellegrini proceeds logically. Often, in fact, Betis will even line up without a designated playmaker in the hole and form something of a direct but interactive front 4 that moves at pace and stretches the opposition beyond what they can afford.

This was on full display against Atletico Madrid as Abde, Chimy, Pablo Fornals, and Vitor Roque attacked the game with the pace that the midfielders demanded of them. The whole unit worked together to facilitate a relentless atmosphere, resulting in 26 shots in the end with an accumulation of nearly 2 expected goals against what is still the best defence in Europe,

“I’m very happy but not only because of the victory, but because the team was faithful to its idiosyncrasies. We went out for the game, we had more chances and I’m very happy with the personality and the performance of the team.”

Manuel Pellegrini on #RealBetisRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/SUFPHk3faa

— Football España (@footballespana_) March 2, 2025

By the time they faced Real Madrid in March, they had lost the services of Assane Diao and Roque. But 19-year-old academy starlet Jesus Rodriguez had been gathering enough match experience to start and handle the game. With Isco and Cardoso wresting control of the match from Aurelien Tchouameni and Luka Modric, the wide combinations started ticking as designed and Betis kept control and maintained considerable threat till the end.

The younger forwards show their inexperience in certain moments, resulting in an overall loss of efficiency at times, but Pellegrini encourages them to keep being a threat to their markers while maintaining high levels of associativeness. 

The Joy of Expression 

It would almost be rude to discuss statistics while talking about Isco’s contribution to the frontline. Reunited with the manager who launched his story with Malaga, the Spaniard is enjoying football again, and football as a whole is more enjoyable for it. Shouldering his tactical freedom with a captain’s sense of responsibility – always available, inventive, unpredictable, and forward-thinking – Isco’s performances are all sprinkled with signature feints, combinations, and nutmegs for the gallery. And the Villamarin is a willing gallery for that sort of showmanship; every step in the dance is appreciated.

#AlwaysWatchBetis – even in the warm up (even if this doesn’t *quite* go where Sergio León wanted it to…) pic.twitter.com/gRFOIKTBr6

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) March 31, 2019

After commandeering Betis to their 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, Isco not only celebrated after scoring his winning penalty, but could barely hide his joy after the win. Pellegrini’s Betis naturally evokes smiles again. Inhibitions are laid to rest before they can even arise. Giovani Lo Celso, Isco, Cardoso, Altimira and now Antony; one assumes the Benito Villamarin is in safe hands for its final few months in original form. Always watch Betis as they say! 

The post COLUMN: The Tactical Evolution of Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis appeared first on Football España.

This past weekend, Real Valladolid suffered a devastating 7-1 defeat at the hands of Athletic Club, which further laid bare their struggles in the 2024/25 La Liga season. The thrashing at San Mames was not a one-off humiliation but a stark reflection of Valladolid’s deeper issues since their return to the top flight.  

Promoted last season after a single year in the Segunda Division, Valladolid have found the step up in quality overwhelming. Despite having a larger wage bill than other La Liga clubs such as Rayo Vallecano and Leganes, their recruitment has struggled to build a squad with enough talent to compete in La Liga. This squad-building has shown up in their numbers, with Valladolid being, by a wide margin, the team with the fewest goals scored (16) and the most goals conceded (59).  

They have already sacked two managers (Paulo Pezzolano and Diego Cocca last week), and right now, youth team manager Alvaro Rubio is in charge. As of now, Valladolid look increasingly resigned to returning to the second tier, and it might be better for the club to start thinking about player and coach recruitment for their next season in Segunda . 

While Valladolid’s plight seems the most dire, the rest of La Liga’s relegation contenders still have plenty of room to avoid relegation. So let’s take a quick look at the other contenders – Espanyol, Leganes, Las Palmas, Alaves, and Valencia – and what’s working for and against them as the season progresses.

Espanyol: Improving Away from Home 

Espanyol, another of last season’s promoted sides, have shown flashes of promise that suggest they could escape the drop.  

Despite being solid enough on their home ground, Espanyol had one of the worst away records in the division, with just 2 points out of 33 in away games before this weekend. Their victory against Alaves this past Saturday was their first one of the season, and if Espanyol want to comfortably avoid relegation, they will have to get more of those. 

Their game plan under coach Manolo Gonzalez has been to maintain a very deep defensive block. According to Understat data, Espanyol allow the most passes per defensive action in the division, which implies they are the most passive defensive block in the league. One would argue this setup of deep block + counter is well-suited for away games, but it seems to have the opposite effect. Espanyol defend so deeply that they pose no attacking threat to their opponents on their home grounds.  

The other argument in Espanyol’s favor is their 23-year-old goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who has consistently bailed out an occasionally shaky Espanyol defence with highlight-reel stops. Espanyol’s recent upturn—three wins and two draws in their last six games as of late February 2025—is in no small part due to his saves. Garcia is easily the most in-form keeper among the relegation contenders, which can be the difference between going down and staying up. 

Leganes: Can Organization Compensate for a Lack of Talent?

Back in La Liga after a four-year absence, Leganes have the smallest revenue and wage bill in the competition. Based on their squad talent, it was clear from the start that Leganes would be fighting to avoid the relegation zone. Despite these constraints, Leganes have not found themselves in relegation spots at the end of any of the last 25 matchdays.  

Coach Borja Jimenez has created a team who are organized, scrappy, and hard to break down. They also have a low-to-mid defensive block and attempt to hit opponents on the counter. And unlike Espanyol, that plan has allowed them to get plenty of draws in away games and some shock wins against big opponents. This includes their defeat of Barcelona at Montjuic, their draw in San Mames against Athletic, and their defeat of Atletico Madrid at home.  

Their lack of quality in the final third is a glaring drawback. Goals have been hard to come by (third-worst attack in the league with 22 goals), and their reliance on defensive solidity leaves little margin for error. They don’t have an individual, such as a goalie or striker in great form, who can get them results in the way other relegation contenders have. Leganes will need to maintain their discipline and hope their rivals falter if they’re to secure another season in the top flight. 

Las Palmas: A Turnaround in Trouble 

After a rough start under manager Luis Carrion, it seemed as if Las Palmas were on the way to recovery under new manager Diego Martinez. Martinez was less interested in having possession and controlling games with the ball than his predecessor. And for a moment, this seemed to be exactly what they needed. From the moment Martinez took over (the game against Valencia on October 21st) until the end of the calendar year, Las Palmas had accumulated six wins, one draw, and just two losses in nine La Liga games. Even a comfortable mid-table finish was seen as possible now.  

However, it seems the new year has dissipated the effect of the new-manager bump. In 2025, Las Palmas have lost every match except for a draw at home against Osasuna. Their momentum has stalled, and their dip in form has dragged them back into danger. 

 The absence of Kirian Rodriguez has dealt a significant blow to UD Las Palmas, as the team captain announced in early February 2025 that he would step away from football indefinitely to undergo chemotherapy following a relapse of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His leadership and midfield presence, evident in his participation in 21 of 22 La Liga matches this season before his diagnosis, have left a void that the struggling side must now navigate in their fight against relegation. The recent injury to Fabio Silva, one of their key strikers this season alongside Sandro Ramirez, hasn’t helped either.  

Despite the relatively good form of goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen as well as the strikers, the concern is that Las Palmas’ defense is still too consistently leaky and error-prone to hold out in the relegation race. Martinez will need further defensive improvements if he wants his team to survive.

Alaves: Fading Early Promise 

Deportivo Alaves burst out of the gates this season, their physicality and direct style shining under Luis Garcia Plaza. However, that wouldn’t last long.  

Plaza was sacked as head coach on the second of December, after a string of poor results (one win, one draw, and seven losses in their last nine league matches) that saw the team slide dangerously close to the La Liga relegation zone. At the time of his dismissal, Alaves sat 16th in the table, only one point above the drop zone. The club’s management, despite García Plaza never having been in the relegation places during the 2024/25 season and having recently signed a contract extension through 2026, opted for a change to “give an impulse to the team,” as stated by club president Alfonso Fernandez de Troconiz.  

Many viewed the move as harsh, given Plaza’s excellent track record. He led Alaves to promotion from the Segunda División in 2022 via the playoffs and secured a 10th-place finish in La Liga the following season. He was replaced by Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet, the former Celta Vigo manager, in a bid to turn the team’s fortunes around.

Insistimos.#MallorcaAlavés | #GoazenGlorioso pic.twitter.com/5nYeSAn2YV

— Deportivo Alavés (@Alaves) February 26, 2025

Unfortunately, Coudet has not been able to turn the fortunes around, and Alaves find themselves now in 18th spot. In Coudet’s defence, the team looks a bit stronger collectively than it did at the end of Plaza’s reign, which is reflected in their underlying numbers. Luck is not on their side, however, and they’ve had several games at home – Girona, Celta, and Espanyol – where they dominated and created enough to win the game but could not finish the job.  

And this goes back to their big issue: aside from striker Kike Garcia being in great scoring form, Alaves have no other individuals who can carry the team through this run. Antonio Sivera is an average shot-stopper, and the double pivot of Antonio Blanco and Ander Guevara is not performing as well as last year, to the point Guevara has been dropped in the last couple of games.

Valencia: The Wounded Giant

Ruben Baraja’s sacking from Valencia and the subsequent hiring of Carlos Corberan marked an intriguing shift for the club under Peter Lim’s ownership. Baraja, a Valencia legend as a player, was dismissed on the 23rd of December, after a dismal run that left the team 19th in La Liga with just two wins from 17 matches. Fans had grown restless, and the pressure on Lim, long criticised for treating the club as a business rather than a footballing institution, intensified. Baraja’s exit, costing the club a reported €5m in severance, was a reluctant but inevitable call as Valencia hovered four points from safety, with the spectre of relegation – their first since 1986 – looming large.  

Enter Corberan, a 41-year-old Valencian who’d been making waves at West Bromwich Albion in England’s Championship. His appointment, confirmed on Christmas day, with a contract until 2027, was an unusual flex for Lim’s Valencia, a club not typically associated with splashing cash on managerial changes. Valencia paid around €2.4 million to trigger Corberan’s release clause, bringing the total cost of the transition to roughly €7.4 million. What raised eyebrows even further was the choice of Corberan himself: a relatively untested coach at the elite level, yet one with a glowing reputation from stints under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds and a playoff push with Huddersfield. His tactical acumen and adaptability offered hope, but hiring someone without top-flight experience to rescue a sinking giant was a gamble.  

And up to now, the gamble seems to be working well enough. Corberan’s Valencia are more compact and solid defensively than Baraja’s, and they have been able to grind out good results. They have defeated Real Sociedad, Celta, and Leganes at home, drawn against Sevilla and Villarreal away, and have only lost against the Spanish top three (Real Madrid, Atletico, and Barca). In other words, Corberan’s Valencia have won the games they are supposed to win (vs. lower-half teams at home) and have gotten decent results against some top-half teams. Their underlying numbers back up their results.

8 – Solo en 8 de los 57 casos en los que un equipo sumaba 13 puntos o menos tras 19 encuentros en @LaLiga (contando 3 puntos por victoria) se evitó el descenso de categoría, siendo el Zaragoza el último en conseguirlo en la campaña 2011/12. Infierno.#Valencia pic.twitter.com/5cSAXynfBt

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 11, 2025

Out of all the relegation contenders, Valencia seem to be in the best run of form as of the end of February. And one could argue they have the strongest, deepest squad out of the relegation contenders. If Valencia continue this run of form, they will avoid relegation, perhaps even comfortably; a lot can still happen in the next three months.  

What goes against Valencia is that goalie Giorgi Mamardashvili seems to have his head more in Liverpool than Valencia at the moment. His form this season has been a far cry from last season, where he was arguably the most decisive shot-stopper in the tournament. A good Mamardashvili would be the most important boost for Valencia’s chances in the relegation race. 

The Road Ahead 

With Valladolid almost written off, the race to avoid the remaining two relegation spots is wide open. Alaves and Valencia have, in my opinion, the most talented squads among these relegation contenders, yet they are currently in relegation spots. However, Valencia seem to have a more solid team identity now and are well positioned to get out of relegation spots.  

Meanwhile, Espanyol and Leganes might have less talent, but they have clear defensive plans that allow them to grind games out, with Espanyol getting an extra boost due to the excellent performances of Joan Garcia. Perhaps Las Palmas are the team with the most uncertainties out of these five. They don’t have a clear team identity yet, and it’s not clear the squad is talented enough to compensate for that. They are, to me, the clearest relegation candidate.  

As the season nears its crucial final months, direct clashes between these teams will prove decisive. One thing is certain: in La Liga 24/25, the relegation scrap promises a good bit of drama until the very end.

José C. Pérez can be found on social media here, and if you’re hungry for more, find their excellent work here.

The post COLUMN: The big guide to La Liga’s relegation race appeared first on Football España.

This is a guest article from Zach Lowy, Chief Editor of Breaking the Lines. 

It has been nearly five years since the COVID-19 pandemic brought everyday life to a standstill throughout the globe, causing millions of deaths and forcing the entire worldwide population to change the way they live. The pandemic also produced a seismic impact in the footballing world; after being put on hold for several months, football clubs returned to play their matches in front of empty stadiums, whilst some leagues like the Eredivisie and Ligue 1 abandoned their campaigns midway through. UEFA knockout competitions like the Champions League and Europa League would temporarily switch from home-and-away legs to one leg played at a neutral venue in a shortened tournament.

As a result, the Ballon d’Or ceremony was cancelled in 2020. Considered the most prestigious individual trophy in the game, the Ballon d’Or award has been given to the best player in world football since its introduction in 1956. It meant that, despite a world-class campaign, Robert Lewandowski was denied the opportunity to become Poland’s first-ever Ballon d’Or winner. The Polish striker scored 47 goals and gave 15 assists in 44 matches in 2020 whilst also winning five trophies with Bayern Munich, but he was prevented from claiming his just rewards, much to the chagrin of fans, players and coaches all across the world. In 2021, when Lionel Messi claimed his seventh Ballon d’Or award, he admitted, “Robert, you deserve your Ballon d’Or. Last year, everyone was in agreement to say that you were the big winner of this award. Hopefully France Football will give you the 2020 Ballon d’Or. We all believe you deserved it and I hope you can have it at home.”

Robert Lewandowski secured Barça’s 1-0 win over Rayo with a penalty, reaching 20 La Liga goals. He leads the Pichichi race ahead of Mbappé (17) and is now third in the European Golden Boot standings, trailing Salah (23) and Kane (21). Via @jbatalla7

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 18, 2025

Today, Lewandowski is leading the line for Barcelona and demonstrating why he is one of the greatest centre-forwards to have stepped foot on a football pitch. Lewandowski’s first season under Hansi Flick would see him become just the second player in football history after Johan Cruyff to win a European treble whilst finishing as the top scorer in all three competitions. His second season under Flick would see him break Gerd Muller’s 49-year record and finish with the most goals in a single Bundesliga season. Lewandowski spent the following season under the watchful eye of Julian Nagelsmann before departing Germany and arriving at Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

Having joined for €50m including add-ons, Lewandowski became the most expensive Polish player of all time as well as Bayern’s most expensive sale of all time. It didn’t take long for him to justify that price tag, finishing as the top scorer in LaLiga and guiding them to their first league title in four years. After two seasons under Xavi Hernandez, Lewandowski reunited with Flick in the summer of 2024, starting as he meant to continue by grabbing four goals and an assist in his first four matches. He started to regain his confidence and find the back of the net for fun, including a brace vs. Real Madrid and a goal against his former club Bayern Munich.

Whilst his pace has declined somewhat, Lewandowski’s poaching instinct, formidable heading ability, and balance continue to make him a well-rounded forward. He can contribute not just as a scorer, but as someone who can hold the ball up with his back to goal, link up with other players, and create space for his teammates. Capable of finishing with either foot and generating a powerful shot with his first touch, Lewandowski’s attacking profile has been on display for his entire career. Even if he isn’t banging in the goals for Poland anymore (his last non-penalty goal for them came in November 2023), he’s still firing on all cylinders for his club.

“There were times with the national team where he was incredible, but now, he’s finding it hard carrying the team, even though he’s still scoring goals and leading LaLiga’s top scorers chart,” stated Polish-born USMNT international Janusz Michallik. “However, there’s still that casual fan who believes that Lewandowski is going to carry the Poland national team, which obviously hasn’t been the case in a long time.”

“Lewandowski needs the other players to put in the service and create chances for him, which isn’t happening at the moment,” added Michallik, who works as a football pundit for ESPN as well as Poland’s TVP Sport.

Whereas Lewandowski often has to do it all by himself for Poland, he’s provided with top-quality service from the likes of Pedri, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal at Barcelona. He doesn’t have to focus so much on generating chances for himself and can instead concentrate his energy on getting on the end of crosses and through balls. It’s worked a treat this season, with Lewandowski leading La Liga for Expected Goals (20.45), goal contributions (22), and scoring frequency (one goal every 92 minutes). He’s also missed 17 big chances, which, despite provoking the ire of many Blaugranas supporters, just goes to show that his form is indeed sustainable.

As he approaches 37 years of age, time has likely run out on Lewandowski’s quest to win the most coveted individual trophy in football. However, he has the chance to make history in his own right and leave a mark that will never be wiped off. Having missed out on last season’s Golden Boot to Artem Dovbyk, Lewandowski is on track to claim his second Pichichi in three years. The Polish striker has racked up 20 goals thus far, three above second-placed Kylian Mbappe. If he can finish atop the scoring charts, he will surpass Messi as the player with the most top scorer awards in Europe’s top five leagues (nine). Having scored in each of his last three La Liga matches, Lewandowski is in a quiet but determined pursuit of this achievement, and adding yet another remarkable feat to an already legendary career.

The post Analysis: Robert Lewandowski Chasing History at Barcelona appeared first on Football España.

Almost 18 months after kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent, as Spain celebrated winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Spain’s courts have found ex-RFEF President Luis Rubiales to be guilty of sexual assault. He will be fined twenty euros per day for the next 18 months, and has received a ban of approaching the player of a radius of 200m. A disappointing end to the saga, which has provoked outrage in the country.

Playing football as a woman in Spain is difficult, even in the 21st century. While the country is known for its beautiful beaches and party atmosphere, women are having a hard time in sports. Key stars complained under the guidance of previous Spain National Team coach Jorge Vilda of using outdated, harmful training methods. One year before the 2023 World Cup win, several players sent a complaint to the RFEF about Vilda, claiming they worked in a ‘stressful environment’ which provoked anxiety. He was also said to be controlling, as Vilda would try to restrict players from visiting their families. Vilda was one of the key figures who applauded Luis Rubiales in his defence pitch after the infamous kiss. 

Like Rubiales, he was soon fired. However, one cannot claim this is enough. Vilda was appointed Morocco’s head coach only one month later after being dismissed by the RFEF, demonstrating that his actions had no repercussions. He was one of Rubiales’ right-hand in the RFEF. Despite winning various trophies with the team, Vilda was described as an amateur coach by players and experts. He relied on players knowing each other, thus decreasing his workload. Vilda was also accused of rushing players back from injury, therefore increasing the risks of relapses.  

The consequences for Vilda are limited beyond the damage to his own reputation. Like Rubiales, he allegedly tried to pressure Hermoso into signing an open letter in which she would take back the attacks against Rubiales following the kiss. During the court hearings, Rubiales denied having kissed Hermoso without her consent. Although it has been established since the beginning that this was a lie, there was no additional punishment for lying in front of the judges. Rubiales was sacked, he became a villain in Spanish and foreign media, but remains a free man.

It is frustrating for women in Spain and across the world to see the lack of serious sentences in such cases. One of the defences of Rubiales was that he and Hermoso had ‘a good relationship’, which was denied by Hermoso. She saw the media trying to protect the RFEF boss by claiming that she and her teammates were seen laughing in the bus after the events. The consequences are serious for Hermoso and her family: she told the courts they had to move away from Madrid because everyone recognizes her. The striker was forced onto the public scene, without ever consent for that either.

Ex-RFEF President Luis Rubiales has been convicted of sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent. pic.twitter.com/2QopytNr1F

— Football España (@footballespana_) February 20, 2025

At the beginning of the proceedings, most believed the sentence would be tough for Rubiales, as Spain’s World Cup win became synonymous with his kiss, instead of the hard work and success of the talented Spanish team. It took sexual assault for the RFEF to react, after more than a year of feud between the two parties. Even after the infamous kiss, the RFEF was slow to react. Vilda was only fired two weeks after the events, despite most players vowing to not represent Spain if he were to stay. Instead of backing the player, Spanish media portrayed the 15 ‘rebels’ as entitled thugs, who only sought to destroy the lives of men.  

Here we are, after two weeks of court hearings. Rubiales is a free man, he will only have to pay the equivalent of a lunch meal per day (20 euros), despite being found guilty of sexual assault. It is with no surprise to see feminist MEP Irene Montero calling the sentence ‘light’. Despite the socialist party leading the country for the past years, who have made equality a priority, Spain has failed Hermoso, women and its people. Other roaming sexual abusers will have understood that they can get away with forced kisses. This especially applies to corporate jobs, where victims are not platformed like football players. How would the case have advanced if the cameras were not pointed at World Cup winners? Spain’s judicial system needs reform to protect victims better.  

The post Analysis: Spain’s courts have failed to make an example of the Luis Rubiales Case appeared first on Football España.

Barcelona splashed €86m in 2019, in the hope of finding a successor to Ivan Rakitic. They were competing against Paris Saint-Germain, and eventually convinced the Dutch midfielder to join with a better financial proposal. Six years later, the club and himself are not exactly happy with the outcome.

Sergio Busquets clashed with him, bumping up against each other for preferred zones, but his exit still did not result in the ‘Ajax Frenkie’ Barcelona hoped for either. The midfielder survived several managers (Ernesto Valverde, Ronald Koeman, Quique Setien, Xavi Hernandez, and now Hansi Flick), without ever settling. He was even proposed an exit to Manchester United, a transfer move that for as long as it was talked about, de Jong never gave a chance to materialise.  This season, he has been outclassed by Marc Casado, and it his story is still searching for one of those turns that looks so good on fellow midfielder Pedri.

It was long said in Barcelona circles that de Jong did not fit Barcelona, because he could not defend. Before that, it was posited that he simply clashed with Busquets. Even given a chance to play under Ronald Koeman, a Dutch manager who in theory knew how to get the best out of him, having spent time together with the national team. While he did have a few good months, what performances he has put in have never justified his transfer fee.

After all of it, he still has a contract to potentially renew, which likely would see a reduction of wages – a sign of his decline in reputation as much as the club’s finances. Whether the Dutchman agrees, is unknown. It was not always about style. Style can change, evolve. The team had different managers. De Jong was supposed to be a different midfielder, a prominent one. He had countless chances of redeeming himself, which to date remains at green shoots and never a flower. 

Deco and De Jong’s agent, Ali Dursun, have met to ‘prepare the ground’ for the negotiations for Frenkie de Jong, renewal, scheduled for spring. There are good feelings, and there’s a much more favourable atmosphere than before. De Jong will have to make an effort, though.…

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 18, 2025

One of the reasons may be that cules misunderstood the reality of de Jong, who became like Ousmane Dembele – a player stuck in utopia, without any sense of reality. It was the idea of the player, the renewal of the Barcelona-Ajax links that forced an unconditional love. However, his lack of concentration when defending led managers to bench him, no matter how good his ball-carrying skills were. There have of course been good spells, where he looked the part and gave material to social media’s compilation artists. However, those spells never lasted longer than a few months.

If the saying love hurts runs true, and perhaps then it is sometimes better to let go than divorce. Increasingly, that fits the situation between De Jong and Barcelona. Even when performing positively, such as the Valencia tie in the Copa del Rey, or the 1-0 victory against Alaves, it never felt as if the ‘Ajax Frenkie’ played. Sure, he reduced the amount of technical mistakes, but it’s a sort of ghost of his promise – soulless.  

De Jong succeeds when he is allowed to control the game. However, this needs to happen with someone playing behind him, covering the ground he so smoothly leaves behind. As he holds on to the ball, he needs to feel the need to ‘dominate’ possession. He is not the type to play fast-combination football. One of the major criticisms targeting the Dutchman since his arrival has been that he slows play down by refusing to pass. Barcelona’s philosophy excels in involving multiple players who pass the ball quickly – not for the sake of it, but because it accelerates play and disorientates opponents. This, so far, has proven incompatible with de Jong’s football, creating a clash of cultures. 

Both parties have since started taking different paths. Both Marc Bernal and Casado, academy graduates have been favoured ahead of de Jong at times. Undoubtedly, both parties have to come to understand that it is best to let it go – so that De Jong may enjoy playing again, while the club no longer sees him as essential to their midfield plans. Barcelona certainly do not want another high-earning player, given that the two parties are still talking about fresh conditions in any possible contract extension.

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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with his side in their 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, as Jude Bellingham grabbed a sixth injury time winner of his career. Los Blancos created a number of chances throughout the clash though, and if anything, were frivolous with their opportunities.

It was their first ever win at the Etihad, at their seventh attempt over City, having gone to battle on a number of occasions in the past 13 years. However the game could be a turning point for a number of other reasons. Speaking after the match, Ancelotti told the press that ‘the season properly starts now’ for his side, a sign that he saw a shift in what Real Madrid were offering.

The Italian has been demanding defensive sacrifice from his front four of Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe all season, with generally disappointing results, but seemed to get it on Tuesday. Two of their goals came from winning the ball in the City half, and Relevo note that between the front four, they managed 14 ball recoveries against City. In particular, Bellingham stood out with seven.

Meanwhile Marca also note that it is the first time Real Madrid have beaten a traditional power this season, although they did manage a wins over Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, one of the best sides in Serie A. Outside of that though, Real Madrid have suffered defeats to AC Milan, Liverpool, Athletic Club at San Mames, as well as drawing twice with Atletico Madrid and losing heavily to Barcelona twice.

This was the first time Los Blancos looked convincing against a side with significant resources, and that will give them a confidence boost going into the business end of the season. The one caveat that could be added is the fact that City look a shadow of themselves – their mistakes and lack of quality was just as noticeable as Real Madrid’s virtues.

The post Real Madrid end haunting run against Manchester City as season shift beckons appeared first on Football España.