ALMERIA
Star: Diego Alves (gk)
Young gun: Michel Macedo (def)
Almeria president Alfonso Garcia Gabarron made a mid-season managerial change in the 2009-10 campaign – replacing fiery Mexican Hugo Sanchez with philosophical coach Juanma Lillo – and it was a swap that worked on the whole as Lillo steered the rojiblancos away from the relegation zone, even if their eventual safety was only confirmed on the penultimate matchday. Lillo now leads the team into the new season hoping to build on his modest success last year. The modus operandi did not change much after Sanchez’s departure. Almeria’s fast moving counter-attacking style is still in evidence under the new manager, who does not want to detract from his side’s major strengths. There have been minor personnel changes in the close season but all in all the spine of the team has a familiar look to it. The free-flowing element of the team has relied and will continue to rely on Catalan winger Albert Crusat and adventurous young Argentinean forward Pablo Piatti bombing down the flanks on quick breaks. These two are hugely important players for Almeria but neither more so than last season’s outstanding performer, Diego Alves. La Liga’s first Brazilian goalkeeper saved the Andalucian club’s skin on many occasions last season and he will be the first man on the team sheet in more ways than one. There will be a slightly new look to the defensive cover in front of Alves as Domingo Cisma and Chico have moved on and Marcelo Silva and Michael Jakobsen have come in, but Santi Acasiete and Hernan Pellerano are still bouncing around, and young promise Michel Macedo has become a permanent fixture at right back. Hopefully we will see a lot more of two of last summer’s signings; Fabian Vargas and Henok Goitom spent a lot of time on the sidelines due to injury in their debut year for Almeria but both are set for key roles in 2010-11 with the pre-season preparations under their belts. Swedish striker Goitom will be competing with Nigeria’s World Cup powerhouse Kala Uche for just one forward position as Lillo is likely to continue with the 4-2-3-1 shape.
Target: If they can improve on last season’s 13th place finish it shows they are heading in the right direction.
ATHLETIC BILBAO
Star: Fernando Llorente (att)
Young gun: Iker Muniain (mid)
Athletic Bilbao were denied a place in Europe on the last day of the 2009-10 season, denying them a chance to make up for a disappointing run in the Europa League last term in which they were eliminated by Anderlecht in the first knockout phase. On the evidence of the close season there will be very little change in the Athletic make-up for the up-coming campaign. None of the low-key signings that Joaquin Caparros has made are likely to make an immediate impact in the starting eleven. In fact, the Basque side may have fewer changes in their preferred line-up than any other club in the top flight. But who needs changes when you have the sort of quality coming through the academy that they do. Last season we saw the emergence of two young gems in Oscar de Marcos and Iker Muniain, the latter becoming the youngest goalscorer in La Liga history last season scoring against Real Valladolid at the tender age of 16 years and 289 days. With Joseba Etxeberria finally being put out to pasture, Muniain has big boots to fill but all the talent to do so. So with few changes to names on the team sheet, this season will be about maturing and consolidation in front of the adoring fans at La Catedral. Spanish internationals Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez will have the added confidence of World Cup medals tucked under their pillows and will once again be crucial to Athletic’s on pitch success. Both are imposing physical figures who represent the main strengths of Caparros’ outfit. The kings of set-pieces, Athletic will once again strike fear into the heart of their opponents from dead ball situations and if they can balance that aerial threat with the grounded skills of the likes of Markel Susaeta, Iker Muniain and Igor Gabilondo then they will be a formidable attacking force.
Target: Breaking back into Europe is the main target for Caparros. In theory, his young team should only improve as they mature together.
ATLETICO MADRID
Star: Diego Forlan (att)
Young gun: Alvaro Dominguez (def)
It all came together for Atletico Madrid at the back end of last season after a disastrous start to the campaign during which they were unceremoniously dumped out of Champions League before Christmas and spent a lot of time flirting with relegation. A UEFA Europa League trophy and a runners-up prize in the Copa del Rey, however, put a positive spin on 2009/10 for the rojiblancos, despite their disappointing 10th placed league finish. It was the same old story of inconsistency and defensive blunders at the route of the problems but there was a general – if staggered – improvement when Quique Sanchez Flores took over the reins from Abel Resino. Flores will be looking to build on his successes last season and his priority will be to convert Atletico into the most noteworthy alternative to the big two of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Their Europa League triumph sees them qualify for that competition as defending champions, which is a relief because they were nowhere near the top six in the league and are fortunate therefore to be appearing in Europe this season. Once again the club have done extremely well in keeping hold of key forwards Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero in the close season and that is better than any signing they could have afforded. Having said that, there have been a couple of very positive moves in defence as proven La Liga stars Diego Godin and Filipe Luis have been drafted in to finally secure one of the shakiest back fours in the division. David de Gea was the real breakthrough player of last season and he will want to consolidate his position ahead of another talented young keeper Sergio Asenjo, and set himself up as the future long term international replacement for Iker Casillas. On paper, Atletico Madrid’s squad is among the best four in Spain this year and Champions League qualification is a realistic target.
Target: Qualifying for the Champions League, preferably by claiming 3rd place and therefore gaining an automatic route into the group stages for 2011/12.
BARCELONA
Star: Lionel Messi (att)
Young gun: Thiago Alcantara (mid)
Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Real Madrid has upped the ante in this year’s title chase, which is expected to be a two horse race between Los Merengues and Barcelona again. Barca start as favourites again on the basis of the antecedents provided over the last couple of seasons. Pep Guardiola’s hugely impressive squad has already been improved by the marquee signing of Spain’s World Cup hero David Villa and the deal that brought versatile Brazilian Adriano in from Sevilla. Villa, who is La Liga’s leading goalscorer of the 21st century, will go straight into the starting line up playing in one of the forward positions of the 4-3-3 formation. He will be joined by Lionel Messi and either Pedro or Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front. Speculation continues to mount that Swedish striker Ibrahimovic will be shown the door at the Camp Nou, although a positive pre-season has shown that if he can blend into the team he is still a world beater. There are no longer many doubters about Messi’s status as the best footballer on the planet and he will be the man to watch again, the brightest jewel on a generously adorned crown, as indicated by his super cup hat-trick against Sevilla which helped Barca to their first piece of silverware of the season this month. Among the departing figures, Yaya Toure is the one man who has not yet been replaced, although Guardiola is actively searching for a replacement and Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano is in his sights to provide some grit in midfield where he would compete for three places with Seydou Keita and World Cup winners Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. The back four will have a very familiar look with Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol guaranteed starting berths and Adriano is the only new face set to challenge Maxwell and Eric Abidal for the left back spot. Barcelona won La Liga last season with a record points haul but they still finished just three points above Real Madrid; beating their bitter rivals in both Clasicos was the key for them and it could be just as tight between the two Spanish super clubs again this year, with no one else expected to come close. As always, the blaugrana will be one of the favourites to win the Champions League. They narrowly lost out in the semi-final to eventual winners Inter Milan last season and Guardiola has his sights on a return to Wembley in May, which bore witness Ronald Koeman’s goal that handed Barcelona the last European Cup trophy back in 1992.
Target: Beating Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid to the title is the main aim. Claiming a second European Cup triumph at Wembley 19 years after the first is a close second.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA
Star: Jose Andres Guardado (mid)
Young gun: Jonathan Urreta (mid)
Deportivo La Coruna were all set for a European finish last season until a dismal last quarter of the campaign saw them plummet out of the top six to their eventual finishing position of 10th. Miguel Angel Lotina has a lot of work to do to make sure that Depor don’t start the new season as badly as they finished the last one. The Galicians were not helped by the ankle break that ruled out their skipper Felipe Luis from January through to May but at least they got used to life without the Brazilian as he has now been snapped up by Atletico Madrid. Deportivo have also sold long standing first team regulars Sergio and Miguel Mista so there will be a period of adaptation as the new signings, and there have been plenty of them, are bedded in. Among them Jonathan Urreta is one to watch. The young Uruguayan winger is known as ‘Rayo’ (lightening bolt) in his homeland because of his electric pace and will be to add an extra dynamic to the Galician attack. Riki and Jose Andres Guardado will remain the talisman in the final third for now, but Urreta could be just as important in the future. Blending the young stars – some of whom, such as Raul, David Rochela, Adrian and Juan Dominguez, emerged impressively last season – and the seasoned veterans like Manuel Pablo, Alberto Lopo and Juan Carlos Valeron could be the key to Lotina rebuilding a side that can compete for European football once again. Less than a decade ago, Deportivo La Coruna was one of the Champions League powerhouses but that star has waned. While few really expect this side to reach the same heights as their recent predecessors, there is a genuine belief that this club deserves to be competing in Europe week in week out. Depor need a strong league campaign to warrant that and a fine run in the Copa del Rey could offer the fans some thrills along the way.
Target: Miguel Angel Lotina will hope to sustain a European challenge right to the end of the year and avoid a repeat of the problems of the second half of last season.
ESPANYOL
Star: Pablo Osvaldo (att)
Young gun: Jordi Amat (def)
All in all Espanyol did very well to finish 11th in La Liga last season and avoid a second relegation battle for Mauricio Pochettino in his short time at the club. Dani Jarque’s death in pre-season put the club in turmoil on the eve of the campaign and they took a long time to bed down in their new stadium in Cornella. On a more positive note, 2009-10 saw the emergence of lots of young players as Espanyol continued to show off their impressive academy graduates. Pochettino’s willingness to put faith in the youth as been in evidence again this summer as once again he has avoided a spending spree. The club has lost a lot of important players with Ivan Pillud, Facundo Roncaglia, Raul Tamudo, Nico Pareja and Fernando Marques all leaving Barcelona and they have recruited far fewer, although with former Spain international Sergio Garcia, impressive young Brazilian Felipe Mattioni and Napoli hardman Carlos Datalo coming in it appears Daniel Sanchez-Llibre has spent well. Hopefully we will see a lot more of young talents such as Raul Baena, Jordi Amat, Didac Vila and Victor Ruiz. The most important signing of all, however, could be the retention of Argentinian hitman Pablo Osvaldo, who was an unmitigated success since joining in January and once again comes in on loan from Bologna. If last season was one of consolidation it is now time for Espanyol to rise to the expectations of their supporters in their expensive new stadium and to push on up into the top ten. Realistically, if the clubs ahead of them such as Valencia, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao have good seasons, it is difficult for Los Pericos to qualify for Europe but that must remain the ultimate goal.
Target: This season Espanyol are looking for a little more consistency and a top ten finish.
GETAFE
Star: Daniel Cata Diaz (def)
Young gun: Dani Parejo (mid)
Michel has to build a new team at Getafe after a summer clear-out that saw key men Pedro Leon and Roberto Soldado off-loaded for tidy profits to Real Madrid and Valencia respectively, and other regulars such as Adrian Gonzalez, David Cortes and Fabio Celestini moved on as well. In return Michel has brought in Adrian Colunga and Javier Arizmendi from Real Zaragoza to replace Pedro Leon and Soldado and Ivan Marcano and Borja Fernandez have also joined the Madrilenos and will be competing for first team places. Getafe had a good season in 2009-10, finishing 6th in La Liga to qualify for the Europa League this season. Playing in Europe will be a challenge that the club will relish and hopefully it will not come at the expense of their league form as they compete on various fronts. Playing the extra games means that Michel will need more players at his disposal and that should spell good news for the youth team players and some of the fringe squad members who will benefit from the rotation policy. Pedro Mosquera is an exciting new addition from Real Madrid who retain the option to buy him back in the future but we may also see some academy graduates such as Adrian Sardinero and Escassi breaking through this year, hoping to emulate the likes of Dani Parejo, who could now replace Pedro Leon as Getafe’s midfield maestro alongside tricky winger Manu del Moral. Despite the personnel changes, I expect the coach to play a deploy a similar system to last year, mixing the 4-2-3-1 with the similar and easily interchangeable 4-3-3 formation. That suits Getafe’s attacking style and gives them plenty of width with Manu del Moral and, this year, Javier Arizmendi making the running close to the touchlines. If they can provide the crosses, that will help Adrian Colunga in his quest to replace Soldado’s goals. If he does not, Michel has a viable alternative in Venzualan striker Miku.
Target: If they could finish as high as 6th again it would be a great achievement. Getafe will also be looking for success in the cups.
HERCULES
Star: Tote (att)
Young gun: Kiko Femennia (mid)
Like the other two promoted clubs, Hercules will have their work cut out adjusting to their new surroundings in the Primera Division. Esteban Vigo Benitez has reinforced his team with some experienced top flight players for the coming campaign. David Cortes and Abel Aguilar join the likes of Javier Farinos and Javier Portillo in familiar territory, while the likes of Paraguay international striker Haedo Valdez, who represented his country in this year’s World Cup, and Mohamed Sarr, who joins from Standard Liege add much needed quality to the ranks. The general belief here in Spain is that a lot will depend on the form of club captain and playmaker supreme Jorge Lopez Tote. The former Real Madrid academy star is a rare talent with the ability to unlock defences with his skill and vision. Last season Tote was inspirational in Hercules’ promotion push, during which time he was seen operating out on the right flank as opposed to his customary second striker role. With Javier Portillo and Haedo Valdez likely to compete up front, that could well be the case again and Tote’s form will have a big part to play in the club’s successes. Last year’s experience with the teams making the step up to La Liga from La Segunda showed that home form is absolutely crucial. Tenerife nearly beat the drop thanks to their strong base at the Heliodoro and Esteban’s first priority will be to turn the Estadio Jose Rico Perez into a fortress. That begins for the club on matchday one when they host Joaquin Caparros’ ambitious Athletic Bilbao side.
Target: Like all the promoted teams, getting a foothold in the top flight is the main aim. Survival at all costs.
LEVANTE
Star: Ruben Suarez (att)
Young gun: Hector Rodas (def)
The real danger for Levante this season is that we see a repetition of what happened to Xerez last year and they become the league’s whipping boys. Luis Garcia Plaza guided the Valencian club to 3rd in La Segunda last season and, as the lowest ranked promoted team, that automatically sows seeds of doubt about Levante’s top flight credentials. Working on a shoestring budget is rarely a favourable precursor to a successful La Liga campaign. Plaza has seen few additions to his squad in the close season but the ones he has made should make an impact. Gustavo Munua was Malaga’s number one last term and he will immediately come in to compete with Manuel Reina for goalkeeping duty. Veteran midfielder Sergio has top class pedigree after nearly a decade in the heart of the Deportivo La Coruna midfield and his experience will be vital among the less familiar faces in the Levante midfield. He could be partnered by another Malaga arrival, Xavi Torres in centre midfield, although Torres is going to face a fight for a starting role with last season’s stalwart Miguel Pallardo. There is a slight concern about the average age of the squad, especially the key components in it, although, as I mentioned with regards to Sergio, experience could be vital if the club are going to have any hope of staying up. 36-year old defender Sergio Ballesteros is one such experienced head. 34-year old Javi Venta from Villarreal is another. 31-year old forward and last season’s leading scorer Ruben Suarez will lead the line again. At least new signing Christian Stuani will add some youthful exuberance next to Suarez up front. The 24-year old Uruguayan forward hit 22 goals last season for Albacete and he will be one to watch ahead of the new campaign.
Target: The aim is to survive the drop. Anything else would be a massive bonus.
MALAGA
Star: Duda (mid)
Young gun: Jose Rondon (att)
Malaga just narrowly missed out on relegation on the last day of last season thanks in part to a fine draw with Real Madrid at the Rosaleda. That does nothing to dispel the fact that it was a torrid campaign for Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz and it cost the manager his position at the club. Qatari businessman Sheikh Abdullah Al-Tahni has bought the club and his first managerial appointment was something of a coup as he has managed to recruit Porto’s experienced coach Jesualdo Ferreira. The future looks stable for Malaga under the new wealthy owner but we are not expecting the sort of spending that has been seen under the rich Arab owners at Manchester City in the Premier League. Rather, Al-Tahni will take a conservative approach to improving Malaga’s fortunes and Ferreira will be responsible for steering them well clear of another agonizing relegation battle. There has been a huge turn around in the playing staff at the Rosaleda this summer. Loan returns have seen first team regulars Felipe Caecido, Edinho, Victor Obinna, Valdo and Fernando Forrestieri return to their parent clubs and they have been followed out of the exit by Gustavo Munua, Xavi Torres, Santamaria, Orozco, Javi Lopez, Milan Stepanov and Dani Toribio. New re-enforcements have been brought in and the likes of Rodrigo Galatto, Sebas Fernandez, Javier Malagueno, Sandro Silva and Eliseu will be expected to come straight into the first eleven. Changes were obviously warranted after a dismal year in 2009-10 but so many alterations will surely take some time to gel as a team and it could be a tough start to the new campaign for the Andalucians. Ferreira needs some of the remaining key men from last season to carry the responsibility while the new players blend in, so Antonio Apono and Duda will be asked to deliver immediately in midfield, while the defense in front of new keeper Galatto could be the most familiar aspect of the team with Patrick Mtiliga, Ivan Gonzalez, Robson Weligton and Jesus Gamez all still about. Duda was the outstanding performer last year and the Portuguese World Cup star will be the key offensive outlet again for 2010-11.
Target: Malaga have to consolidate this year and avoid another costly relegation scrap. If they start well they should be safe.
OSASUNA
Star: Javier Camunas (mid)
Young gun: Jon Echaide (def)
Osasuna had an unspectacular but satisfactory season in 2009-10 as they finished 12th in the league and avoided a draining relegation scrap in the process. Jose Antonio Camacho will demand better this season and he has already made steps to making sure the Pamplonans improve with some high profile signings. A few players have left, most notably exciting young right back Cesar Azpilicueta who has gone to Marseille where he will get Champions League football, but in general the summer moves have been good. Asier Riesgo has arrived to put Ricardo under pressure for the goalkeeping spot. Fernando Soriano has arrived with the pedigree of a first team regular from Almeria. Damia has come in form Real Betis to replace Azpilicueta at right back. And the striking ranks have been bolstered by the arrival of Serbian giant Dejan Lekic. Not since the time of Savo Milosevic have Osasuna had such a physically imposing player and 12 league goals for Red Star Belgrade last season show Lekic has an eye for goal as well. Similarities will inevitably be drawn with his compatriot Nicola Zigic and Camacho is hoping that Lekic will be just as big a hit as the former Valencia man in Spain. I expect Carlos Aranda and Walter Pandiani to compete to play just behind Lekic and this finally gives the club a bit of depth in that area as it was clear that Dady, who has now joined Bursapor in Turkey, did not have the manager’s trust to lead the line. Apart from Damia at the back, Lekic up front and Soriano filling a midfield role, the team will stay very much the same. On the whole it looks like improvements have been made, however, which stands Osasuna in good stead heading into their league opener against Almeria at the Reyno de Navarra. Keep an eye on this team in the cup as well, where they have their best chance of coming close to silverware.
Target: Given his managerial pedigree and the positive changes over the summer, Camacho will be looking to push up into the top ten.
RACING SANTANDER
Star: Pedro Munitis (mid)
Young gun: Ivan Bolado (att)
Racing Santander had the worst home form of any team in La Liga last season and Miguel Angel Portugal’s first task this year is to address that problem. It was only unusually consistent performances away from home that saved Racing from the drop and the Cantabrians are not likely to avoid that fate again if they fail to improve their showings in front of the home fans inside the Sardinero. They finished 16th last term and Portugal will hope to improve on that considerably. The trajectory has not looked positive in the past three seasons as they have gone from finishing 6th in 2008, to 12th in 2009 and finally 16th in 2011. It goes without saying that a similar deterioration this season would see them drop down to La Segunda. There has not been a radical overhaul this summer but there will be changes, especially in defense, for the coming campaign. Nasief Morris, Oriol Lozano, Jose Moraton and Jose Crespo have all left and so far only Domingo Cisma and Francis have been brought in. Both could figure on a regular basis next to Henrique, who returns on loan from Barcelona for another year, and former Espanyol centre back Marc Torrejon. Adrian Gonzalez joins the club from Getafe and will be pushing Gonzalo Colsa, Papakouli Diop and Mehdi Lacen in central midfield, while Mohamed Tchite will continue to act as the reference up front, probably alone, with Oscar Serrano and Pedro Munitis starting in the wide areas. The most significant change over the summer, of course, was the loss of Sergio Canales, who looks like he has a big role to play for Real Madrid now and in the future. Canales was one of the few positives during the last campaign, emerging as the best young Spanish teenager in the Primera Division and his genius will be sorely missed. Ivan Bolado will be the new young fans’ favourite and hopefully we will see plenty more of him throughout the season.
Target: Racing want to stop the decline and re-assert themselves in the top half but they can only do that by improving their home form.
REAL MADRID
Star: Cristiano Ronaldo (att)
Young gun: Sergio Canales (mid)
Last summer it was all about the arrival of global superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema on an unprecedented 250 million euro spending spree. This season, new coach Jose Mourinho has been the marquee summer signing. Provocative, entertaining, controversial, genius are just a few of the words to describe the Portuguese manager who, regardless of the extent of Real Madrid’s on-field success this season, will bring a lot of welcome colour to La Liga. Obviously Florentino Perez does not want colour, he wants trophies and in that area too, the treble winning former Inter Milan coach has never been found wanting. Fears that Mourinho’s conservative style will clip the wings of the clubs entertainers are premature. It is true that Inter Milan, Chelsea and Porto under Mourinho were not gung-ho type teams, but that had a lot to do with the players he inherited during that time. With Ronaldo, Kaka, Higuain as well as positive new signings Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Sergio Canales, Mourinho has a completely different set of toys to play with. While apparently more frugal this year, the transfer policy has been very shrewd since the season ended and, for relatively good money, Real Madrid have recruited some of the most exciting young talent in the game (add the likes of Pedro Leon and Sami Khedira to the aforementioned Ozil, Canales and Di Maria) as well the wise old head of Mourinho’s former protégé Ricardo Carvalho. Los Merengues have finally had an in-house cleaning job done and they have swept out declining stars Raul, Guti and Cristophe Metzelder. The former two are legends at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the time has come to move them on to the benefit of all parties involved. Last season was one of unprecedented success in La Liga in terms of the points tally, but Manuel Pellegrini’s side still fell short of Barcelona’s final total after losing out in both league meetings with Barcelona. Mourinho has to address that, avoid any humiliations like the Alcorcon debacle and finally push the side to the latter stages of the Champions League after six years in the wilderness. Demanding president Perez will want answers if Real do not win La Liga and the Champions League.
Target: To end Barcelona’s domination of the domestic game and break the Champions League hoodoo that has dogged the club for six consecutive seasons.
REAL MALLORCA
Star: Chori Castro (mid)
Young gun: Jonathan de Guzman (mid)
Real Mallorca had a dream season in La Liga last year and were only pipped to a Champions League qualifying 4th position by Sevilla on the last day of the campaign. Financial inadequacies according to UEFA have prevented Mallorca from taking up their place in the Europa League this season and that spot has been forfeited to Villarreal, much to the chagrin of the Balearic club, who is appealing the decision. Last summer Mallorca lost a whole raft of first team stars, which makes their stunning league form last season all the more incredible, and they will have to contend with some significant changes again if they are to be anywhere near as successful in 2010-11. Gregorio Manzano has gone for a start, replaced as manager by Michael Laudrup. It was sad for the fans to see Manzano go but Laudrup is a satisfactory replacement coming from the B team at Barcelona and will be popular among the Mallorca support. Key men Borja Valero and Aritz Aduriz have also left, as well as regulars Julio Alvarez, Fernando Varela, Felipe Mattioni and Mario Suarez so the Danish coach will have some re-building to do. Financial constraints have kept president Josep Pons’ investment to a minimum, with Canadian midifielder Jonathan De Guzman the only significant signing from Feyenoord. All the signs are that it will be a difficult and frugal season for Real Mallorca but, on the other hand, we thought that this time last year. Mallorca excelled last year at the Ono Estadi and they will be looking to turn their home in Palma into a fortress once again this year. Away from home, they really struggled as always and there is plenty of room for improvement there. If they could maintain their home form and improve their away form, well… that is a lot to ask. Frugal measures mean that at the moment the first team will have just one new face when Mallorca host Real Madrid on the opening weekend, with De Guzman lining up in midfield. Chori Castro will be the new leader in the middle of the park now that Mario Suarez and Borja Valero have left, and Pierre Webo and Victor Casadeus must work hard to replace Aduriz’s goals.
Target: Last season was probably a one-off and Michael Laudrup will be satisfied if he can keep Mallorca in the top ten in his debut season.
REAL SOCIEDAD
Star: Joseba Llorente (att)
Young gun: Antoine Griezmann (mid)
Last season’s La Liga Adelante champions start the new season as the favourites of the three promoted teams to stay in the top flight. In 2009-10 only new boys Real Zaragoza survived as Tenerife and Xerez plummeted back down to La Segunda, which shows it is not an easy league to break into. Fortunately for Real Sociedad boss Martin Lasarte, he has a solid squad which looks robust enough to survive in the Primera Division, and he has made some shrewd signings during the close season to increase his selection options. The Uruguayan coach has brought in two seasoned La Liga veterans in Joseba Llorente and Raul Tamudo to add to his attacking arsenal. Former Villarreal forward Llorente has Champions League experience and appears to be a great buy and will immediately slot into the first team. Espanyol legend Tamudo will have a bit more work to do as his star has waned in Barcelona and he has to defy a lot of doubters if he is to prove that his time has not come and gone. It will not be all change by any means for the Basque club, however, as the majority of last year’s promotion heroes will carry Sociedad into this campaign. Xabi Prieto was the dominant midfield man last year and will continue his role as leader, while there is a lot of excitement in Spain surrounding Antoine Griezmann’s debut in the top tier. Griezmann is only 19 years old but he has already built a reputation for himself in the second division and has been earmarked as a future star of the French national team. He is a pacy, tricky left winger who will cause more than one right back a lot of problems this season. Like their Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao – although not to such a nationalistic extreme – Real Sociedad have a policy of bringing through young players from the academy and that is set to continue. It is a good recipe for success if you have the talent at your disposal.
Target: Staying up is the bare minimum in terms of objectives; this team has the quality to push on up the table.
REAL ZARAGOZA
Star: Ander Herrera (mid)
Young gun: Marco Perez (att)
Having made a lot of significant changes as the busiest club in the January transfer market, Real Zaragoza have once again been very active over the summer continuing a very considerable turnover of playing staff. The January signings were brought in to make sure Zaragoza stayed in the top flight and they served their purpose. Jose Aurelio Gay managed to steer the club to 14th but lots of the players who were key to that effort have since moved on. Humberto Suazo, perhaps the star of the team, has gone back to Monterrey, supporting attackers Javier Arizmendi and Adrian Colunga have been bought by Getafe, midfield regulars Abel Aguilar and Eliseu have departed and defenders Pablo Amo and Ruben Pulido are also no longer at the club. In addition to that, Gay’s first and second choice keepers – Juan Pablo Carrizo and Roberto – have also moved on. Replacements have been brought in, of course, but the Zaragoza squad does have a completely new look to it and it does feel like Gay is starting from scratch again. That makes it difficult to build on any of the achievements of last season. Of the new players coming in, they are expecting good things of Pablo de Barros, Nicolo Bertolo and speed merchant Marco Perez. It is also encouraging that the average age of the squad has plummeted since this time last year, largely thanks to the removal of players like Ewerthon and Roberto Ayala. The best young player to break into the first eleven last year, and one of the outstanding young performers in La Liga, Ander Herrera, is still at the club. He was the most fouled footballer in the top flight in 2009-10 mainly because of his quick feet and turn of pace. He will command the midfield once again and the Aragonese side may find it hard to hold on to him if he has another memorable season. Jermaine Pennant has not left either, despite a disappointing debut campaign in Spain; Gay will demand more of the former Liverpool winger this year but if he comes good it could feel like a new signing. So too could the sustained incorporation of Ikechuckwu Uche, who missed most of last year due to injury. If all the players stay fit, Gay will be looking to improve on last year and make sure the club stay in the top division.
Target: Zaragoza have a new team to gel together and with respect to that they will be more than happy with a mid-table finish.
SEVILLA
Star: Luis Fabiano (att)
Young gun: Diego Perotti (mid)
A stoppage time winner in the last game of the 2009-10 season from young forward Rodri was required to boost Sevilla up to 4th and force them into this year’s Champions League ahead of Real Mallorca. It was a frantic end to the season and, after all that hard work, Sevilla now find themselves on the brink of a Champions League play-off exit at the hands of Sporting Braga. Antonio Alvarez’s team lost 1-0 in Portugal in the first leg and must overturn that deficit this week to avoid the consolation prize of Europa League football. Losing out so early would be a real disaster for Sevilla, who could have done better than their last-16 exit to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League last season. There have been a couple of significant changes in the close season with Adriano joining Barcelona and Marc Valiente and Marius Stankevicius leaving the club. Sevilla have countered those losses with the recruitment of Alejandro Alfaro, Tiberio Guarente, Luca Cigarini and Mouhamadou Dabo, although none of those names are really likely to strike fear into the heart of the Andalucian’s rivals. More important than any new faces was Del Nido’s ability to prevent the sale of Luis Fabiano, who looked like he was considering a move for long periods. Brazil’s number nine remains at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan so the attacking line is looking as formidable as ever, with Alvaro Negredo and Fredi Kanoute still competing to partner Fabiano. Elsewhere in the team there may be just as little change, although Sebastian Squillaci has been closely linked with a move to Arsenal and that deal could be completed a week before the new season gets underway against Levante at the Estadio Ciutat de Valencia. Valencia appear to have been weakened by summer sales and Sevilla are looking to jump at their chance to re-establish themselves as the league’s strongest alternative to Real Madrid and Barcelona; Atletico Madrid could provide them with competition for that honour.
Target: The aim right now is to overcome Braga and make the Champions League proper. A good run there and a top four finish in La Liga are the main objectives.
SPORTING DE GIJON
Star: Miguel de las Cuevas (mid)
Young gun: Alberto Botia (def)
Nacho Novo was the star summer signing at El Molinon and he will go straight into the first team in all likelihood. Given Manuel Preciado’s preference for a lone-striker system that may mean that Mate Bilic and David Barral will find their playing time greatly reduced or it could indicate that Preciado is considering a switch to a 4-4-2 formation. The signing of Argentinean forward Gaston Sangoy appears to be further evidence of this possibility unless there are some departures before the transfer deadline. We have seen some players leave already, but of them only Diego Camacho could claim to be a first team regular and he has been replaced by former Villarreal midfielder Sebastian Eguren, who will play regularly next to Alberto Rivera in the midfield engine room. Alberto Botia is back on loan from Barcelona so the back four and the goalkeeper will probably remain unchanged from last season, when Sporting stumbled to a 15th place finish after a very positive start to the season turned sour after Christmas. Preciado will be looking for an improvement on that this year as he attempts to re-establish the Asturian side’s dominance when playing at home. They start away from home at Atletico Madrid’s Vicente Calderon stadium where they are likely to find the going a bit tough but a shock result there would get Sporting off to the perfect start and we know how unpredictable Atletico can be. Sporting de Gijon are one of about twelve clubs in the league who could finish anywhere from the relegation zone to well into the top ten and, although they know they are probably not quite capable of competing for European football, Preciado will want them to be firmly ensconced in the top ten for what would be a very satisfactory season.
Target: Avoid all relegation concerns and use the home impetus to penetrate the top ten.
VALENCIA
Star: Ever Banega (mid)
Young gun: Juanma Mata (mid)
It is a sad state of affairs in La Liga that the chasm between the “big two” and the rest of the league continues to expand year by year. Similarities are starting to be drawn between Spain and Scotland in terms of the bipartite domination. Twenty-five points separated Real Madrid and Valencia at the conclusion of 2010-11 and any hopes of Los Che closing that gap have been hit by the sale of star men David Villa (to one of their closest league and European rivals Barcelona!), Carlos Marchena and David Silva. The club who came closest (not very close, mind you) to breaking Barcelona and Real Madrid’s domination have now been significantly weakened, which does not bode well for the competitiveness of the Primera Division. Valencia’s dire financial situation forced them to sell their prize assets, but at least Unai Emery has seen some re-investment and has some proven La Liga talent to select with the arrival of Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado as well as some interesting new faces from abroad including Mehmet Topal, Tino Costa, Ricardo Costa and Sofiane Feghouli. How quickly the new signings settle will go some way to determining how well Valencia do in the Champions League this season and whether they can sustain their mantle as the best of the rest in Spain. New stars will have to emerge and other players will have to take on extra responsibilities, none more so than Spanish international playmaker Juan Mata. We can expect to see more of Chori Dominguez as well who has had a slow start to his Valencia career since joining from Ruben Kazan in January. Factor in the likes of Joaquin, Ever Banega and Pablo Hernandez and it is clear that it is not all doom and gloom at the Mestalla. There is still plenty of talent in this squad in that regard, but you do get the impression that David Silva, David Villa and Carlos Marchena will be missed.
Target: Valencia are looking to reach the latter stages of the Champions League and to consolidate 3rd place in the league again this season.
VILLARREAL
Star: Santiago Cazorla (mid)
Young gun: Josmer Altidore (att)
Villarreal have dusted some of the cobwebs from their squad over the summer and they will come back refreshed, expecting to improve on last season when a very poor start to the campaign destroyed their chances of competing for a Champions League place. Villarreal will be playing European football this season, however. Even though Juan Carlos Garrido’s side only finished 7th in the league, Real Mallorca had to forfeit their place due to financial problems so the Europa League prize has been awarded to the Yellow Submarine. Some of the older players, such as Robert Pires, Javi Venta and Ariel Ibagaza, have left Villarreal and Garrido has replaced them with younger blood like Josmer Altidore, Dorian Dervite and Borja Valero. Diego Godin was the most important player to depart over the summer, moving across to Atletico Madrid, but hopefully he will not be missed as his immediate replacement is experienced Spanish international Carlos Marchena who made a surprise switch from Valencia. Joseba Llorente was sold to Real Sociedad and Altidore will take his position in the squad but that will also allow Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar more time to develop their partnership as they will now be the clear first choices in what is expected to be a 4-4-2 formation. Borja Valero will add a touch of class to the midfield in front of Marcos Senna and Villarreal should be well prepared in that area if Santiago Cazorla can avoid another nightmare season of injury. The aim this year is to get back into the Champions League but, as Real Madrid and Barcelona are really in a league of their own, there are only two places up for grabs and several suitors with the likes of Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao all hoping to be there or there about. Garrido has done well since he took over from the successful Villarreal B team but he will not get the credit he deserves until he leads the team into the Champions League or wins some silverware.
Target: A top four finish has to take priority but the fans would enjoy a good run in the Copa del Rey or the Europa League.
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