REAL MADRID ARE WELL KNOWN for the stars who have donned the famous white shirt and a well-oiled spring under the manager’s seat with few having lasted more than two years. During…
Tag: la liga
THE CURRENT ERA WILL GO DOWN alongside some of the greatest in Atlético Madrid’s storied history. A La Liga title has been won, as have two Europa Leagues – and they have…
The year 2004 was one of multiple shocks in football. Werder Bremen won the Bundesliga, Porto won the Champions League, Valencia won the UEFA Cup and LaLiga, while Greece won the European…
In 2017, Real Betis unveiled a bust of former manager Patrick O’Connell at the Estadio Benito Villamarín to honour their only LaLiga title, won under the Irishman’s management in 1935. The bust…
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE FINEST LA LIGA STRIKERS over the past 20 years, you would include the Real Madrid trio of Raúl, Ronaldo and Morientes. Then Kluivert, Eto’o and Suárez from…
Throughout history there are thousands of individuals who, in a literal sense, have given their life to become professional athletes, all with a dream of one day becoming elite-level performers. Some had…
“Real Madrid is the club of my life, I will never call to ask for a job, but I am always available to offer myself.” These were the parting words of Álvaro…
THERE ARE FOOTBALLERS THAT ARE FAN FAVOURITES for the world-class qualities that they exhibit on the world stage week in, week out. Then there are footballers who are remembered for other reasons,…
THE BEST STORIES are frequently those which seem scarcely believable; full of paradoxes and contradictions, with little room for logic or genuine coherence. Add a sense of mystery and the account suddenly…
BEFORE FORMER SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM COACH LUIS ARAGONÉS noticed that his team could pass the ball faster than any player could run with or without it, Spain were far from a source…
Pinned to the floor with the nearby bed serving as their canopy of preservation, a family besieged by war would sometimes sit for hours. Miles away, mortars would be shot in their…
THERE IS A WELL-TOLD TALE, one shrouded in layers of conspiracy and confusion, of the saga that preceded Alfredo Di Stéfano’s transfer to Real Madrid. The details are different depending on who…
This feature is part of A Tale of One City SITUATED ON THE SOUTH-EASTERN COASTLINE OF SPAIN, Murcia is a city better known for its tourism industry than its football exploits. And is…
IN MOST NATIONAL LEAGUES, the name of the trophy given to the player who scores the most goals is simplistic and self-explanatory. England’s Golden Boot, Italy’s Capocannoniere – literally ‘Top Gunner’- Turkey’s Gol…
To a child falling in love with football right now, there’s a world of difference between FC Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam. Barcelona play in a popular league with megastars in every position,…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The headlines the morning after seemed hyperbolic, but those that witnessed it knew there was no exaggeration. “What a bully!” read Marca’s front page. “Sensational”, effused Mundo Deportivo.…
FOOTBALL IS A FICKLE WORLD. When a club is doing well, all seems plain sailing, with everyone over the moon. But when the club starts to sink towards the precipice of decline,…
Illustration by Federico Manasse ON THE LAST OCCASION Barcelona announced the acquisition of an expensive Brazilian footballer, in the summer of 2013, it was the prodigiously talented and fresh-faced Neymar who had…