Eibar - the champions who could go down

     SD Eibar are guaranteed a top-two place in the Segunda División. The fans should be looking forward to welcoming Real Madrid and Barcelona to their tiny Ipurua stadium up in the Basque mountains next year but could instead find themselves turning out to watch Real Unión and Barakaldo. Instead of ascending to La Liga, the club could be demoted to playing next season in Segunda B. That's a difference of two whole divisions between where they deserve to be and where they may end up. As with most screwed-up things in Spanish football, it is entirely the governing body's fault due to its short-sightedness and lack of forethought.
     Eibar has always been a small club. Situated up in the Gipuzkoa area of the Basque Country, the city is home to just over 27,000 people. The team plays in the 5,250-capacity Estadio Municipal de Ipurua and usually struggles to even half-fill that meagre allocation. In its 74-year history, Eibar has split the majority of its time between the Segunda and Tercera Divisiones; 26 years in the former, 28 in the latter and just 7 in between in Segunda B. Although they boast a strong Basque identity, the team's kit is rather more Catalan in flavour. Back in 1944 the team found itself short of a kit to play in and so the regional federation loaned it a full Barcelona one, and the colours have since stuck. The Catalan giants helped out again last week, agreeing to sell the unused blaugrana confetti from the last-day disappointment against Atlético Madrid at a massive discount to money-light Eibar. Apparently, if it's not used within a certain timeframe it turns lumpy. That would've been some way for Barça to celebrate any potential achievement next season - purpley-red mashed potato cascading down on the massed Culés. Bleurgh. Thinking about it, I'm sure Mono Burgos would have been able to find it a good home, if push came to shove.

Given a guard of honour by the Lugo players

     Eibar beat Lugo 1-0 at home last weekend with an early goal from loan-star Jota, and if they beat Numancia on Sunday they will secure first place, ahead of also-promoted Deportivo La Coruna (although they did lose 2-1 at home to los Numantinos on matchday 21). Depor travel to Girona the previous evening and may face a trickier test as the opposition are currently in 19th and fighting for their lives in order to avoid the relegation zone, while Numancia are safe from bothering either the top or bottom of the table, in 12th. By rights, the mountaintop city of Eibar should be preparing for a party already. And yet, although fans and players have already been celebrating with their cut-price confetti and bagpiping aplenty, there has been a slight edge to the festivities, an underlying worry...
     Eibar are something of an anomaly in Spain - they are one of the very few clubs in the top two divisions not to have any debt. The club operates completely in the black within its budget of EUR3.5m, the smallest in the Segunda. It pays its players on time, and in full. And yet, all these things are behind the reason little Eibar may be prevented from lining against the Ronaldos and Messis of the Primera División for the very first time in its history next season.
     Back in 1999, Spain decided it would finally take a stand against football clubs continually spending way beyond their means, without any punishment whatsoever, in order to get to and then stay in the Primera División. To this end, Real Decreto 1251/1999 was born. This states that every team in the top two professional divisions has to have a capital equal to 25% of the average expenses of all teams in the same league as them, not including the two with the largest and the two with the smallest outgoings. In addition, all clubs except for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna (for historical reasons) must convert to an S.A.D., or Sociedad Anónima Deportiva - a public limited sports company - after staying in the league for more than a season. To be fair the rule was brought in on good faith and was aimed at discouraging the massive debt Spanish clubs seem so keen on enveloping themselves in, but simply did not take into account small, extremely well-run clubs like Eibar. Goes to show what a rarity they are.

5,250-capacity Ipurua, up in the mountains

     All of this means los Armeros, whose social capital is EUR422,253, have to raise EUR2,146,525 in order to be able to take their rightful place in La Liga next season. This leaves the club with roughly EUR1.7m to raise and only a matter of months in which to do it. If they can't raise the funds by early August they will be relegated back to the maelstrom that is Segunda División B. In order to make up this massive amount, the club has set up the defiendealeibar site, where people can buy shares at EUR50 (£40) each. This has been doing extremely well so far, but as there is a limit on how many shares an individual can buy, it will take a lot of interest for the club to make its target.
     It must be emphasised at this point that Eibar are not the only club to be affected by this law - Lugo and Mirandés were in the same situation last year and both managed to come through the other side. However, the two situations differ as neither of those two were on the verge of promotion (Lugo finished 11th and Mirandés 15th) and people have been incensed by the possibility that the best team in the league, which had only just been promoted from Segunda B the season before, could be relegated back there. 'Unfair' is a word that keeps cropping up, and it is indeed unfair that Eibar could be punished simply for being well-run while most of the other teams around them continue spunking money up the wall. Another way of looking at the blatant injustice of the situation is that it could in fact help Eibar: The other two clubs managed to raise their capital to meet the amount specified in the complicated workings set out in the Royal Decree even though they were unfashionable small clubs whose story did not make big news even in Spain, let alone internationally. Conversely, Eibar's story has been widely circulated to bellows of justified outrage, and so in theory it should prove easier for them to raise the necessary capital thanks to the goodwill of football fans both at home and abroad. Add World Cup winners Xabi Alonso and David Silva raising awareness of Eibar's plight (the pair both used to play for the Basque side on loan from their respective clubs) and fingers crossed Eibar will be a fixture in the Primera División calendar next season. Football paper Marca seems pretty sure they're up, often not even mentioning the precarious position Eibar finds itself in when it deigns to report on the Liga Adelante.

Celebrating now, but will they be
celebrating come August?

     Nonetheless, the problems would not stop there for Eibar were the football authorities to graciously accept them into the Primera. Four of the team that beat Lugo last week were players loaned from other clubs. Matchwinner in the last two games Jota is borrowed from Celta Vigo and will return to his parent club with his model girlfriend Jessica Bueno. A double shame for most supporters. Two-thirds of the players loaned in from Real Sociedad are set to leave Eibar for sure: Dani García and former Tottenham never-man Yuri Berchiche are leaving town and the future of Alain Eizmendi is up in the air at the moment. The winger Jose Luis Morales could return to Levante and although he'd obviously prefer to stay and go up with the team to La Liga, the Brazilian Gilvan Gomes previously agreed to return to Hércules. Perversely, the winger could yet be in the same boat as Eibar nonetheless, as he could have been going up but is instead going down - Hércules are four points from safety and therefore destined to finish stone-last in the Segunda. Many of the rest of the squad are at polar opposite ends of their playing careers, and one can imagine it will prove difficult to lure higher-profile 'names' to play in front of fewer than 5,000 fans week-in, week-out. But that's not how they do things in these parts anyway - the manager has previously stated that no player is bigger than the club and that is a phrase to which they are keen to stay true. In Gaizka Garitano's own words; "One thing is non-negotiable: we're all the same, there are no splits and anyone who does not share that view has no place here."

Eibar's other 'ascent'

     After the 1-0 win against Lugo, the Eibar players 'celebrated' their pending promotion (fund-raising notwithstanding!) by undertaking the gruelling Santuario de Arrate climb by bike. This is a 7.5km route that begins in the city and ends 535m higher above sea level. I don't know which sadist on the coaching staff came up with the idea but I can imagine that half-way up many of the players will have been wishing the league had relegated them after all!
     The donations keep dripping in bit by bit, and the club has so far raised nearly 72% of the necessary amount with 61 days remaining in which to raise the rest. Hopefully enough people who care about justice in football will come forward between now and then to ensure Eibar are playing at the level they have earned. Club president Alex Aranzabal flatly rejected the proposal that the club could be sold to outside investment, saying "we'd rather take the punishment and get demoted rather than share the soul of what SD Eibar is as a football club." Let us hope it does not come to that.

Anyone interested in helping SD Eibar by buying shares can do so via http://www.defiendealeibar.com/
Also to help, please retweet #defiendealeibar on the Twitter to help raise awareness.

Papa Ramos' big week ends badly

     On Tuesday night Sergio Ramos' other half Pilar Rubio gave birth to the couple's first son. Within 24 hours the Real Madrid centre-back had scored his fifth goal in four games to put his team ahead against Real Valladolid; leading by example, practically dragging his team forward single-handedly at times. So good was he, in fact, that it seemed he must have made a pact with Rubio to name their son after the man of the match from last night's game: The name Sergio Ramos chose for his son was...Sergio Ramos. He missed a trick there by not calling him Val Kilmer.
     Ramos was everywhere, turning up to great effect at either end of the field and everywhere in between. 'Imperious' just about covers his performance. And yet he didn't end up on the winning team. Neither did any of the opposition. In fact, the only team that really won last night wasn't even playing: Barcelona stand to gain most from Madrid failing to take this 90 minutes by the throat.

The lesser-spotted Casillas

     The man from Camas, just outside Seville, led the team like a man possessed without the need to wear the captain's armband. That particular honour fell to the man who hadn't turned out in the league for Madrid in 473 days; Iker Casillas. San Iker's last league game for los Blancos was on January 10 last year, when they beat Valencia 5-0 at the Mestalla. He's still managed 21 games this season thanks to the team's run to the final of both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, but is only playing the remaining Liga matches in order to stay match-fit ahead of the CL final against Atlético. Still, his record isn't half bad, keeping clean sheets in 14 of those games and only conceding 9 in total. As good as that record was, it now reads 10 conceded in 22 after a headed Valladolid equaliser 5 minutes from time at Estadio Nuevo José Zorrilla.
     The orange Blancos streamed forward right from the off and looked for all the world like they'd steam straight into Valladolid, manager Ancelotti announcing before the game that his side wouldn't sit back or take things easily. However, apart from a storming first 3 minutes, that's exactly what his team did. They laboured in possession, seemingly bereft of ideas after resting several key players for a variety of reasons. The cause was not helped when Cristiano Ronaldo limped off after only 9 minutes holding the left leg he'd shown to Ancelotti in training earlier in the day. CR7 remained in the Madrid dugout in his kit 'til the end of the game, but grew increasingly frustrated at his teammates' inability to take charge of the net. Indeed, next to him Carlo Ancelotti's eyebrow jiggled more and more nervously the longer it seemed his side wouldn't find a way through a tight defensive line consisting of 6 Valladolid players at some points.

Papa Ramos celebrates his goal

     Eventually the capital team managed to break the deadlock through an ever-more reliable source - Sergio Ramos senior. The Madrid number 4 took over free kick duties from Ángel Di María after the Argentine had lofted a previous effort tamely into the stands, and curled a pearler of a set piece over the wall and past the despairing dive of Jaime. Ramos ran straight over the the bench to celebrate with Ronaldo, or perhaps to tell him that he'd just made him his free kick bitch. We can only speculate. Nonetheless, my tardiness was punished as I ran out of time before the game to stop into the bookies and place a bet on el Comanche to score first. I really should leave my bloody house earlier when Ramos is on the scoring trail, damnit..
     The goal didn't serve to spur Madrid on, unfortunately, and the longer the game went on, the deeper they sat, leaving Ancelotti's eyebrow to pace up and down the Italian's face with worry. Passing moves starting from a corner would end up all the way back on the halfway line, or even back with Casillas. Yes, I realise it's novel and fun to have San Iker back in the team, but try and win the game rather than sitting on a dodgy one goal lead for an hour! If nothing else, the result shows that teams should stay true to their principles. Madrid were built to attack, and that's what they should've kept doing.
     As Del Boy always said, and was never proved wrong; "He who dares wins". - Only counts if you say it in English though, Tottingham fans, soz. - Real Madrid were too afraid to kill the game off, and were punished for some lax defending from a corner in the 85th minute, Humberto Osorio heading majestically home past Casillas. No amount of match-practice could've helped San Iker save that header, though perhaps some more lessons on defending corners wouldn't go amiss in the capital as two defenders seemed to collide and get in each others' way.

Ancelotti's eyebrow; not amused

     Looking back on the game, Val Kilmer Papa Ramos lamented the fact his team had "settled" for the 1-0 win, and conceded the Liga challenge is now Shirley over. Ancelotti, fluttering eyebrow the only thing giving away any real emotion beneath his steely facade, claimed rather hopefully that "we controlled that game apart from the last 20 minutes. Iker Casillas had barely a save to make, in the end we tried but it proved impossible. I don't think it was down to a lack of attitude; we lacked a bit of mental energy, we conceded a goal from a set-piece and that's what kept us from winning." Xabi Alonso was more realistic, saying his team displayed neither the concentration nor the intensity to close out the game.
     As things stand, Atleti will be crowned champions if they draw their last two games; Barcelona if they win both of theirs. However, the most likely scenario is that Atleti will walk over Málaga this weekend (los Boquerones have been useless and handing out free points to the opposition for weeks now, if not months) then no doubt allow Barcelona the points needed on the final weekend to ensure Real Madrid finish third. Mark my words, the bookies will be offering short odds on this. However, Real only have themselves to blame. They could have overtaken Barcelona if they'd only had the courage of their convictions last night. And a few more Sergio Ramoses. At least there's one more in the world now, even if it may not help them this season.

     Elsewhere, the National Anti-Violence Commission has increased the fine levied against Villarreal for the Alves/banana incident by a whole EUR6,000!!! Yes, you read that right - EUR6,000! That'll learn 'em! To be fair, the Commission also recommended the banana-chucker be banned from entering stadia for a further two years. But I though Villarreal had already revoked his membership and banned him for life? I'm sure this shows they mean business when tackling racism; throw a banana at a player and not only will you be banned for life, your ashes won't be allowed inside any grounds for two years after you're brown bread.
     Down in the Segunda, the expected sale of Real Zaragoza will not be going ahead tomorrow as planned after a judge in the Codesport case ruled that any money brought in by Agapito Iglesias from the deal would be seized.

El derbi canario - #bigtings

     The biggest game in the second tier this weekend is undoubtedly the Canary Islands derby between Las Palmas and Tenerife. The pair have an intense rivalry ranked among the top 50 in the world and Saturday's game should be pretty epic, all the more so as both are in the top 6 and could yet face off again in the promotion playoffs. Juan Carlos Valerón, of Deportivo de La Coruña, Spain and Championship Manager fame who is now back at first club Las Palmas, says he "cannot wait" for the derby and is still pained by his team's 3-0 defeat earlier in the season. That was the 38-year-old's first ever derby against the eternal rivals, as the two teams were in different leagues throughout his first spell with the club. 'El Flaco' has no doubt the Estadio de Gran Canaria will be full to its 31,000 capacity and is looking forward to an insane atmosphere. This may well prove his last chance to be involved in at such a game should one of the teams go up, so he's sure to enjoy it. One player who won't be enjoying the game from the pitch is Tenerife top goal-getter Ayoze, who misses out due to suspension. He will be replaced by either Raúl Cámara or Javi Moyano, both of whom are only just returning from injury. Although los Blanquiazules have lost their last two games on the spin, Cámara says the squad has been feeding off the energy from the fans in the streets all week, and is 'bang up for it'. Or he would if he were English.
     Meanwhile, league leaders Dépor will be without midfielder Juan Carlos Real for Sunday's game against Alavés after he was injured in training by Alberto Lopo. I think the lesson there is must. be. more. careful..

Sergio Ramos  /   Val Kilmer

Week 36 - Second winds and suplexes

     If the top three in La Liga were marathon runners, Week 36 was the point in the race at which they suffered a collective sugar crash and hit the wall.

     None of them has held a massively convincing lead all season long, with all three swapping places periodically. Atlético have been leading for a while now, having won nine in a row since the 2-2 draw with Real, and are in control of pole position as the trio enter the athletics stadium for the final 400m of the marathon. No-one gave the capital's second club even the slightest hope of figuring in the race for first at the start of the season and although it would still represent great work to finish even third, so close to the incomparable riches of Barcelona and Real Madrid, Cholo Simeone would be absolutely sickened to see his team falter now and lose what they've fought so hard for all season. So would every single neutral fan in the world (I did a survey).
     Much to the dismay of neutrals across the galaxy, los Colchoneros dropped 3 massive points on Sunday and were caught up by Barcelona and Real Madrid. However the dream remains alive as their rivals only managed to pull Atleti back by a solitary point after both drew in the 92nd minute, one scoring at that point and the other conceding. This was the first time all season the top three had dropped points on the same weekend; on such margins are leagues won, lost and misplaced. The three results mean Atlético still have the title in their own hands and are favourites with just two games remaining, but it is anyone's guess as to who can blast through the pain barrier in the mad final dash to the finish line and claim the league trophy.

'Tito, always eternal'

     Barcelona were up first out of the top three this weekend, hosting relegation-haunted Getafe at Camp Nou. Los Culés have had to re-evaluate what they consider a walkover this season, and playing the team joint third from bottom no longer counts as such. The club unveiled a massive banner dedicated to Tito Vilanova before kickoff, but the team were unable to honour their former manager in the way they would have wanted. Barça posted their usual numbers with regards to possession and passes but yet again it was the final score that mattered most, the home team conceding in the 92nd minute. Twice they had led, though Messi and Alexis Sánchez, and twice they were pegged back level by the not-normally prolific Ángel Lafita.

Real legend vs Real traitor

     After the game Getafe manager Cosmin Contra stated his belief that his team can stay in the Primera if they continue to play "with such spirit," but despite being unbeaten in three games his team will need others to play worse than them as they are only a point above the relegation zone and have Valencia up next. The subject of much discussion in Catalunya at present is the identity of the next Barcelona manager as the word is that the club will say ta-ta to Tata once this season is finally over. Real Madrid turncoat Luis Enrique appears to be favourite after he was spotted meeting Azulgrana director of football and former teammate Andoni Zubuzarreta at the start of the week, but Celta Vigo are doing their darndest to hold onto him. Other speculation has alleged the team is chasing current Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde.

     The result at Camp Nou meant Altético Madrid had the chance to streak ahead of Barcelona on the final corner of the marathon before the home straight and dash Blaugrana hopes in the title challenge, but they too stuttered. Although left-back Filipe Luis scored an unfortunate own-goal after only 7 minutes, the real author of Alteti's downfall was Levante 'keeper Keylor Navas, who had another stupendous game in the face of 23 shots from los Colchoneros (8 on target). The Costa Rican has been in rich form recently and a video emerged of him this week saving tennis balls shot at him at 160km by pro tennis player Pablo Andújar. David Barral doubled Levante's lead midway through the second half following a sweet one-two with Víctor Casadesús, but it had long since been apparent that Atleti wouldn't be able to knock down the wall called Keylor.

No bananas to make a light-hearted
but serious point this time

     After the game Cholo Simeone opined that the loss was "the best thing that could have happened to us", while Levante goalscorer Barral apologised to Atlético fans and defended that his team "wanted to win the match; not fuck the league up for anybody". Despite the league leaders dropping points at the Estadi Ciutat de València, the main talking point after the match was, yet again, racism. Levante midfield crusher Pape Diop heard monkey chants emanating from the away end throughout the game, and eventually did a monkey dance in response. By this time, with his team leading, a few Atleti players close by thought he was doing a victory dance in front of their fans and ran over to remonstrate with him. One of the main peace-makers following the unsightly set-to that developed was Diego Costa - a man usually more comfortable in the role of antagonist - who had spotted what had gone on. The TV cameras also spotted what had gone on, and caught an Atético fan taunting Diop, jumping from side to side with hands under his armpits. It remains to be seen what, if any, action the LFP takes. After the game, Diop explained "they called me a monkey, so I turned and imitated a monkey. I'm tired of racism in football, and there's a lot of it." The midfielder went on to say "I'm not sure if it's racism or a lack of respect, but they've got to stop the monkey chants."

     After Barcelona's last-minute draw and Atleti's defeat, Real Madrid could have put themselves in a much better position ahead of the last two weekends of action but seemingly staggered when trying to overtake their rivals on the outside of that final turn in the title race. Los Blancos had their most difficult remaining match on Sunday night, hosting Valencia at the Bernabéu, and knew that if they won they'd leapfrog Barcelona and be 3 points behind their cross-town rivals with a game in hand.

Haiiiii-yah!!

     After the taxing task of thrashing Bayern Munich in midweek, Ancelotti's eyebrow decided to rest a few players, with the likes of Marcelo, Varane and Illarramendi starting. Valencia took the lead just before half-time through Jeremie Mathieu but Real equalised through Sergio Ramos' third headed goal in a week. Permanently dopey-faced QPR-reject Dani Parejo put the visitors back in front and Brazilian 'keeper extraordinaire Diego Alves managed to keep the white hordes at bay right up to the very end when Di María's cross found Cristiano Ronaldo in the area. The Portuguese span on a sixpence, turned and ninja-kicked the ball into the net. Bruce Lee eat your heart out.

Betis - getting there eventually

     Down at the bottom, already-relegated Betis lost in the 94th minute to nearly-relegated Almería in the seemingly-weekly Andalusian derby. If these two were taking part in the same marathon as the top three they'd both be raising money and coming along just 'for the fun'; Almería dressed in a massive and overly sweaty donkey outfit and Real Betis turning up in a deep-sea diving suit, eventually finishing the course a week after everyone else. This result could prove the energy drink that boosts los Rojiblancos' chances of survival after a completely unmarked Ramon Azeez headed a 94th-minute winner, sparking a mini pitch invasion.
     Above Betis but below Getafe and Almería in the two remaining relegation spots are Osasuna and Real Valladolid. Osasuna look to be on a bit of a downer after being sunk by a Nolito brace at home to Celta Vigo while la Pucela beat Espanyol 1-0 to draw level on 35 points. Granada moved 3 points above the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad, secured with a 93rd minute Odion Ighalo strike. Elche kept space between themselves and the drop thanks to a 1-0 win at Málaga courtesy of a Garry Rodrigues goal 11 minutes in. In all seriousness the league should be wrapped up come the weekend as Atlético play Málaga. The boys in blue and white may as well not bother turning up, so absolutely shameful has their form been. They're 5 points clear of the drop but will only be safe thanks to others' screw-ups, rather than through any iota of effort on their own part, manager Berndt Schuster saying he didn't recognise some of the players on the pitch on the weekend. To complete the round-up, Athletic Bilbao secured a Champions League spot for next season thanks to a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano allied to a Sevilla 0-0 draw at home to Villarreal.


     The compact nature of the standings in Liga Adelante, as well as the fact that anyone can beat almost anyone else on any given day, mean the lower division resembles not so much a marathon as a royal rumble wrestling match. With less spandex. And less homoerotic undertones. But probably just as much diving.

One happier with the result than t'other

     Current leaders Deportivo de La Coruña are losing form at exactly the wrong time, possibly tiring from being in the centre of the ring for so long. They drew 2-2 away at local rivals CD Lugo after leading 2-0 through first-half goals from Diego Ifrán and Pablo Insua before the home team hit back through a Vincenzo Rennella brace. The Italian's second came 5 minutes from time thanks to a complete brain-fart from the Depor defence; a free kick causing all sorts of problems and ending with 'keeper Germán Lux rushing out just to punch thin air before the ball nestled into the unguarded net.

     Behind Superdépor each of Eibar, Las Palmas and Real Murcia won, heaping increased pressure on the team from the north east with the gap between them now down to 2, 7 and 9 points respectively. Eibar enjoyed their trip to the islands where they defeated Mallorca 2-0, both goals coming from David Mainz in the 75th and 78th minutes. If the first was down to lazy, poor defending as the Mallorca players sat off him in the area, the second was down to...lazy, poor defending; this time 'keeper Rubén Miño not expecting the ball to pop out of a challenge at him before he meekly palmed it into the fortuitous striker's path.

Gómez and pals celebrate

     Las Palmas beat Zaragoza, who local businessman Mariano Casasnovas is supposedly preparing to buy, 2-1 at La Romareda thanks to a Vicente Gómez brace inside the first 11 minutes, the second an absolute peach. Instead of controlling a lofted through-ball from deep, the striker cheekily lofted it over the stranded Leo Franco with his left foot on the volley. A truly stupendous strike. Los Blanquillos pulled a goal back through Paco Montañés on the quarter-hour mark but couldn't force another.

     Murcia were also away, at Hércules. In addition to strengthening their own promotion hopes, los Pimentoneros added to the relegation worries of their hosts, their 3-2 victory leaving the Alicante club rock bottom. Saúl gave the visitors the lead after capitalising on possibly the weakest and most ill-advised backpass in the history of mankind from Hector Font who, to be fair to him, had only just come on. Former Barcelona and Man Citeh youth Gai Assulin equalised just before halftime, but further crass and ponderous defending allowed Murcia to bag all three points in spite of a late de Lucas consolation. Hércules by name, seemingly not by nature.

Celebrating before the equaliser...
tsk tsk

     El Toralín saw some suspect goalkeeping in a six-pointer between Ponferradina and Alavés which was won by the hosts 2-1 and leaves the visitors level with Hércules seated on the trapdoor with 41 points. Things continue to go from bad to worse for Real Madrid Castilla and one can hazard a guess that not many of this current crop will be seen at the Bernabéu anytime soon. In front of a crowd of 3,450 Castilla surrendered a 1-0 lead against Real Jaén to end the game all square; a result which favours neither team in their quests to avoid the drop.

     The result of the day was seen in the Canary Islands, where Girona did themselves a massive favour by suplexing high-flying Tenerife 1-0 with a Jandro penalty on 47 minutes after Javi Moyano was harshly adjudged to have handled in the area.

     Five games left; fifteen points up for grabs; plenty still to play for at both the top and bottom. Llllllet's get ready to rumblllllllllle!

Liga Adelante... a compact, sweaty mess

Week 35 - Spanish football mourns Tito Vilanova

     Tito Vilanova was only Barcelona manager for one season and yet played his part in the most successful period in the club's history. In fact, the man from Bellcaire d'Empordà was only a manager for two full seasons in his entire career, which was cut so horribly short last Friday at the age of just 45.

     The professional life of Francesc Vilanova i Bayó was bookended by FC Barcelona. As a youth, he came through La Masia and graduated to Barcelona B where he became friends with Pep Guardiola, who he would link up with again far more memorably later down the line. At that point the pair's careers took different paths, Vilanova deciding to leave in search of first team opportunities and Guardiola staying at the club for over a decade to great success. Vilanova played for a succession of clubs, only appearing sporadically in the top flight while taking in three seasons at Celta Vigo, but the pair stayed in contact over the years nonetheless.

Pep and Tito in their playing days

After hanging up his boots with Gramenet in 2001, Vilanova later embarked into management with a year-long spell at FC Palafrugell which ended with ignominious relegation from the Tercera División. This failure notwithstanding, in 2007 his old friend Guardiola called on him to act as his assistant at Barcelona B. The pair led the team to promotion to Segunda División B in their first season as a double-act, and were then put in charge of first team affairs after Frank Rijkaard left in 2008. Over the next four years, Pep and Tito together revolutionised the style of football played at the club, since copied by a million poor imitations worldwide, which came to be known as tiki-taka. Their first season was the most successful in Barcelona's history, yielding six major trophies, and before Guardiola resigned in 2012 the team won an insane 14 out of a possible 19 dust collectors.

Mourinho's infamous eye-jab

     Although possibly best known on these shores at the time merely for being blind-sided (literally) and poked in the eye by a cowardly Mourinho during a heated Clásico Supercopa game, Vilanova was more than just an assistant manager and coach at Barça. The all-conquering tiki-taka style, as Guardiola himself has been at pains to point out time and again, was jointly developed by the pair, the current Bayern Munich manager explaining previously "I was just the voice of the ideas that Tito and I developed together." Quite apart from his day to day role at the club, Tito helped his friend by serving as a sounding-board, confidant and advisor.
     After Guardiola left to take his sabbatical, Vilanova was the obvious choice to replace him. The new man immediately stepped up to the challenge, his team collecting 55 points from a possible 57 in La Liga, winning 18 of its first 19 games and drawing one. Barcelona went on to win the league that year with 100 points despite the disruption caused by the manager having to be in and out of hospital at various points for treatment following the re-emergence of his throat cancer. Although Tito was determined to start the following season with a clean slate, his cancer reared its head once more, forcing him to step down from his position last July after concluding he could not concentrate 100% on the team while undergoing the continuous and aggressive treatment. Following Vilanova's death last Friday in a Barcelona hospital Guardiola, two years his friend's junior, said simply and touchingly "the sadness I feel will accompany me for the rest of my life".

The masses of flowers outside the stadium

This was just one of many comments from around Spanish football for a man widely recognised not just as a great tactician and organiser, but more importantly as a good man. After his funeral service FC Barcelona announced three days of mourning. Over 53,000 people queued up and visited Camp Nou to sign a book of condolence for the former manager over the weekend including the Barcelona youth team, which includes his 17-year-old son Adrià. The flower memorials and wreathes increase by the hour and flags remain at half mast around the stadium this week, and the players will wear black armbands in next weekend's game just as they did at El Madrigal on Sunday.

Minute silence at El Madrigal

     There was always the danger that the club's players could be unsettled and allow their sadness at their former manager's passing just two days earlier to overshadow them in a crunch game against Villarreal, and in truth that appears to have been the case, but they came away with all three points in the end regardless, although under fortuitous, some might say peculiar, circumstances. The Catalans were 2-0 down to goals from Cani and Manu Trigueros but stormed back to 2-2 thanks to a brace of own goals from hapless Villarreal centre-backs Gabriel and Mateo Musacchio. If the first was unfortunate and made the defender look clownish, the second appeared more suspect, Musacchio heading past Sergio Asenjo under no pressure whatsoever from a couple of yards out. Never ones to look a gift-horse in the food-hole, Barcelona pressed and the winning goal duly came from that man Messi eight minutes from time, with passing move + weak defending = a Barça winner.
     The game started and finished on different notes. The minute's silence was impeccably observed before kickoff and saw Sergio Busquets moved to tears, while in the 75th minute one imbecilic Villarreal fan saw fit to mark the occasion in their own way, by taking everyone back in time. As Dani Alves was preparing to take a corner the TV cameras picked up an object landing near him on the pitch. A banana. Alves calmy peeled the offending fruit and ate a bit before delivering the corner, a well-measured response to this type of idiotic act. Villarreal have since identified the fan who launched the banana and have banned them for life.

Raúl García

     A couple of hours earlier and a short drive away at the Mestalla, Atlético had managed to place one finger upon the Primera División trophy with a 1-0 victory over Valencia. The goal for los Colchoneros came from Raúl García, who nipped in ahead of a marooned Guaita under a looping high ball to glance a header into the empty net. That was the sixth consecutive game in which Atleti have scored a header and was their 16th to arrive in such a fashion all season, placing them behind only Athletic Bilbao in the ranking of goals scored with the noggin.

     Third-placed Real Madrid made short work of Osasuna to keep the pressure on the top two with Cristiano Ronaldo bagging a super-powered brace before defenders Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal got in on the act to round out the scoring. In the unlikely event that both Real and Barcelona lose next week, Atleti will wrap up their first Primera División title since 1996 with victory at Levante on Sunday. Although the odds of that happening are extremely slight given both teams are at home, Atlético and coach Cholo Simeone know that two victories from their last three games will ensure they are crowned champions nevertheless. One thing's for sure, it'll be bloody exciting.

"Wanted: Players worthy of this badge"

     Real Betis secured their return to the Segunda División with a characteristically meek defeat at home to Real Sociedad, who kept up their chase for Europe thanks to a penalty from former-Arsenal former-Mexican Carlos Vela. Betis supremo Manuel Domínguez assured fans after the game that "the club is economically sound" and has a "workable plan" which it will be able to put in place in the lower league. Supporters remain worried and mistrusting of his leadership nonetheless, as made clear by various chants and protest banners around the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Saturday. Cross-town rivals Sevilla also had a pretty bad time of it over the weekend, getting shown up 3-1 away at Athletic Bilbao in a European six-pointer. The result surely consigns the Seville team to a season in the Europa League rather than the more shiny and desirable Champions League given Bilbao are now six points ahead with only three games remaining. Málaga are currently in no-mans-land with nothing left to play for either way and boy did it ever show in their match against Getafe. They crumbled early in a nothing match and lost to a 7th-minute Adrián Colunga goal, while Granada were battered 3-0 at home by Rayo Vallecano.
     In fact, Almería were the only Andalusian team to get any kind of positive result, a Suso (yes, the one from Liverpool) free kick securing victory against nine-man Espanyol. Elche huffed and puffed but could only come out with a 1-1 draw against Levante, a result which leaves them three points clear of 18th-placed Almería. The unwanted and unloved Monday night slot falls to Celta Vigo and Valladolid. The hosts are safe and in roughly the same kind of end of season pointlessness as Málaga and a couple of others, whilst a win for the visitors would do wonders for their hopes of avoiding the drop, as well as their feelings of self-worth, no doubt.

     Liga Adelante leaders Deportivo La Coruña were stunned by a 3-0 defeat at the Riazor to 15th-placed Ponferradina on the weekend. The visitors were set on their way by an amusing own-goal from Laure just 10 minutes in, Germán Lux saving a one-on-one before the ball ricocheted straight into the path of his captain and thence straight into the net. "Arse-biscuits!" he may well have cried, and he'd havfe been well within his rights. Second-placed Eibar were unable to take much advantage, drawing 0-0 with Recreativo Huelva at home, while Tenerife and Las Palmas both lost, to Real Jaén and Barcelona B respectively. Of the top six able to go up, only Sporting Gijón were able to muster up more than a point, beating Lugo 2-0, both goals coming thanks to lucky bounces in the area and snaffled away before keeper Dani Mallo had a chance to react. To be brutally honest though, his teammates didn't look likely to help him.

Timor celebrates a precise finish

At the very bottom, Girona gave themselves a massive boost towards their aim of escaping the relegation zone by defeating Real Zaragoza at home 2-0. David Timor opened the scoring with a beautifully-placed shot past Leo Franco from the edge of the box before Ortuño finished into the top corner following a scramble brought about by a free kick in the 85th minute, the goal sparking wild celebrations on the touchline as well as in the stands. Unfortunately for the Catalans, their big result came on the same weekend as a couple of the others around them were able to do likewise. Apart from Jaén perhaps getting the result of the day against Tenerife, Alavés came out on top of a relegation six pointer against Mallorca with all three points thanks to a 79th minute Viguera strike.
      The races for both promotion from and salvation within the Segunda División look set to go right to the wire, with seemingly anyone capable of beating anyone else, as demonstrated aptly this week by Real Jaén and Ponferradina. However on this weekend I think it safe to say that those taking part in minute silences before the games will have had the 90 following minutes put into perspective. All apart from one pillock in Villarreal, anyway.

Week 34 - A Messi situation of their own making

     The unassuming, scruffy-haired little man had been in the first team for nearly 10 years. A decade, and he was still only 26. Still had pretty much the same haircut too. Along the way he'd smashed records and won many shiny trophies, always at the forefront of his team. But now, after nine seasons and some 241 goals in 273 league games, some Barcelona fans had begun to turn on Leo Messi. No-one questioned whether the magic in his feet had left him - after all he still has 26 goals in 27 games in the league and is behind only Ronaldo and Diego Costa in the Pichichi rankings - but whispers had begun circulating concerning the little magician's drive, even his commitment to the Barça cause.
     The whispers soon grew into jeers and even personal insults following poor results over the past couple of weeks. After three defeats in a row - to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, Granada in La Liga and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final - the players had arrived back at Camp Nou to find irate fans waiting for them, hurling a barrage of boos and insults. Some players came in for more flak than others; Dani Alves partly because he had announced his intention to leave the club in future, Neymar on account of his inability to mould himself quickly to the Barça style of play, in addition to the shame brought on the club by his dodgy transfer (although that's not his fault) and Pinto because...well, because he's Pinto. But as if three successive defeats wasn't unexpected enough, the previously unthinkable had begun to occur. The previously untouchable Leo Messi, four-time Ballon d'Or winner and top-scorer in the club's history with a frankly disgusting 351 in all official competitions, also copped some personal abuse on each of these occasions.

Messi comforted by CR7 after the Copa
del Rey final defeat

     The personal insults ranged from the mild (but still no doubt cutting, for an athlete in the prime of his life) and tongue-in cheek 'try and run a bit less' to cries that he had brought 'shame' on the fans with his latest performances. A poll in (the admittedly pro-Madrid) sportspaper Marca ahead of the weekend's game asked fans to rate Messi's season. Bearing in mind the still-astronomical numbers being posted by the man from Rosario, some on the outside might be surprised to see that 36.8% of respondents thought he'd had a 'regular' season compared to 28.9% who thought he'd been 'bad' and 21.5% who think he's had a 'very bad' year. After all he's missed quite a few games due to injury and his team are still well in the running for the Primera Liga title, even if they are now outsiders.
     The Argentine press has been in full fingers-crossed mode over the past couple of weeks as Messi's form has stuttered, with many on that side of the ocean hoping praying hard that he's saving himself for a big performance in the World Cup. After all, a lot of people (who are talking out of their arse if you ask me) reckon you can't be considered the best player in the world unless you lift the World Cup. These people presumably believe Stéphane Guivarc'h was a better player than George Best, then. Hmmm.
     In truth, this may have been one of the toughest seasons yet for Messi. The long year began with the player turning up on the front as well as the back pages after he and his father were dragged to court numerous times on tax evasion charges. The winger then sustained a few injuries (and has continued to do so since Guardiola left - Pep blames his decision to leave his Camp Nou project on Messi, who had stopped taking his advice on conditioning) and did not immediately receive the improved contract he'd been hankering after.

One of them appreciated the
goal more than the others..

     On Saturday night at home to Athletic Bilbao he managed to put whatever demons are haunting him to one side for at least 5 seconds to take a free kick in the 74th minute with the score at 1-1. The Basques had been the better team over the game before then and were unlucky not to take the lead in the first half when the highly impressive Aritz Aduriz rattled Pinto's post with a superb bicycle kick. The Athletic number 20 did notch early in the second half though after receiving the ball from the tiny but bull-necked Iker Muniain and shooting it close to Pinto. This is usually enough for a goal and so it proved here, Bilbao were ahead and good value for it. In the 71st minute, Pedro bumbled the ball over the line for 1-1 after Alexis Sánchez shanked a shot roughly towards goal following an excellent run from Dani Alves.
     Up to this point Messi had not been involved massively in the game, but he hit the free kick hard and true and was enveloped by his teammates as they acclaimed his 26th goal of the season. In truth the wall was set up poorly and had Gorka Iraizoz in the Bilbao goal just stood still the ball would have struck him and Barcelona would be a further two points behind Atleti. Still, you takes the breaks when they're offered to you. Barça then survived late Athletic pressure and a scare right at the death to take all 3 points and maintain pressure on Madrids Atlético and Real.

Atleti manage to score a pen

     The league leaders hosted Elche on Friday night and for the second week in a row were indebted to one of their centre-backs for getting them off the mark. Miranda, who's hoping for a spot in the Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup, as well as a name-change perhaps, scored in the 71st minute straight from a corner. Maybe Cholo Simeone should think about letting his defenders take any penalties won in future as David Villa became the latest to waste the chance to score from the spot, shooting straight at Manu Herrera. Atlético did eventually manage to actually score a penalty late on nonetheless, Diego Costa this time screwing up his eyes and smashing the ball in the vague direction of the goal to wrong-foot the 'keeper. He'd won the spot-kick himself after characteristically flapping to the deck when Săpunaru came within 15 feet of him. The Romanian was still shaking his head at the decision as he walked down the tunnel after the ref agreed that going anywhere near Diego Costa is indeed a sanctionable offence. Christ, Costa's nearly as bad as Ashley Young, and that's saying something.
     The weekend's results leave Barcelona still four points adrift of Atlético and two ahead of eternal rivals Real, who enjoyed a weekend off due to their upcoming Champions League semi-final. Apparently the Spanish FA can't work out how to play two matches on a Friday night. Not that los Blancos were complaining as they were afforded time off to relax by the pool or head off on a jolly to Dubai. Or in Pepe's case scheme on how to piss off the largest number of people possible on his next foray into the world of televised football, which just happens to come against the Bayern machine on Wednesday.

Paulão can't take any more. Or he's throwing shapes.

     Sevilla closed in on Athletic Bilbao's fourth spot with an emphatic 4-0 win over Granada, the opening being of the own-goal variety by the curiously-named Mainz. Kévin Gameiro, Vitolo and the coconut-headed emotional basket-case Stéphane Mbia rounded off the victory in the second half. There was an own-goal too at Vallecas, where the woeful Paulão scored Rayo Vallecano's second before actually asking to be subbed off even before the half hour mark. He explained on Monday that he hadn't wanted to keep screwing up and there were "players who'd be able to bring more to the team than me in the moment I was suffering." Strange, nonetheless. Larrivey and Blackburn reject Rubén Rochina scored the others for Rayo, before the unfortunately-named Chica scored at the right end for rock-bottom Real Betis.
     Of the others in the relegation zone only Getafe managed to pick up a point following an awful, awful 0-0 draw at Levante. Really, they could've just met up before the game and agreed to give both teams a point, saving everyone the trouble. Almería remain second-bottom but were far more value for money in a rip-roaring 4-2 home defeat to Celta Vigo, Nolito bagging a brace for the away team. In the remaining games Real Sociedad beat Espanyol 2-1, Carlos Vela grabbing the winner in injury time, while Osasuna played out a 1-1 draw with Valencia which doesn't much help either team's quests at either end of the table.
     The Monday night game saw Málaga welcome Villarreal to La Rosaleda. Roque Santa Cruz opened the scoring for los Boquerones in the sixth minute, and the second half started with Duda attempting to lob former Málaga 'keeper Sergio Asenjo from range before Noureddine Amrabat went on a Gareth Bale-type run and picked out Sergi Darder arriving late and unmarked in the area to make it 2-0. The Dutch-Moroccan later saw red for questioning the referee's eyesight but the Costa del Sol side managed to see the game out and move onto 41 points, surely safe from relegation now. To watch it, one wouldn't think Villarreal had needed the points to continue pushing for Europe, but that was the case. They now remain two points behind Real Sociedad. The commentator seemed to grow increasingly exasperated as the game went on though, with ever-louder sights. One could only feel he'd had a bit of a heavy Easter weekend and felt he was probably sweating more than the Málaga fan who kept drumming throughout the whole encounter.

Result of the weekend for Alavés. Maybe a different
away kit next season though, eh lads?

     In the Segunda, Deportivo continued their march back to the big time with a standard 3-0 away win at Mallorca with goals from Sissoko, Luisinho and Borja. Eibar, in second, beat Real Madrid Castilla 1-0, Capa scoring after 11 minutes. Castilla continue to flounder this season and find themselves under the shadow of relegation. Meanwhile, Barcelona B went 1-0 down at home to Girona through a 29th minute opener from Ortuño before storming back thanks to goals from Sandro and a late screamer from Munir, who'd only been on the pitch a matter of minutes. They remain in third, level on 54 points with island teams Tenerife and Las Palmas. Behind those three it's turned into a right kerfuffle, with eight teams all within four points of each other. At the bottom, Alavés did themselves a huge favour by overcoming the odds in the result of the weekend, winning 2-0 at highly-placed Recreativo. The goals came from Manu García and Borja Viguera, who overtakes Stefan Šćepović of Sporting Gijón in the Pichichi rankings for the Segunda with 22 in 35 games.

Week 33 - Barça lose the plot, Atleti lose Costa

Some things are easy to lose but extremely hard to get back: Your hair as it gets claimed by the passing years. Your cool when the bastard kid behind you on the plane has been kicking the back of your chair for half an hour. If you're Barcelona, possibly your self-belief after a torrid week in which you're dumped out of the Champions League without a whimper and fall further behind in the race for the title. Or if you're Atlético Madrid, your talisman and lead striker - one of the main reasons you're still leading the pack.

'Mono' searching for John Connor

With Costa restored to the starting line-up, the league leaders travelled with a healthy away support across the city for a derby against Getafe. Diego Godín smacked in a header shortly before half-time to give Atleti the lead (I'm still not quite sure what he was doing wandering into the area like that), and Costa spurned a chance from the penalty spot before the most talked-about incident of the match. No, not 'Mono' Burgos in his futuristic Google Glasses on the bench, although he did look funny. A few minutes from time, and with Getafe down to 10 men, Adrián played a ball across the face of goal for Costa who hared after it like a man possessed and slid in to poke the ball home. So single-minded were his attempts to score that he didn't account for the far post and smashed straight into it. No Atlético fan was celebrating this goal. Fears increased for the Brazil Spain striker amid reports that he'd been rushed straight to hospital as a precaution. Nevertheless, manager Simeone has since played down rumours that the striker is set to miss the rest of the season, pointing out that Costa sustained a wound rather than any ligament or muscle damage.
Good news for los Colcherones, then, as they remain with their fate in their own hands. They now have five games remaining, and will lift the title for the first time since 1995-96 if they win four of those.

Conversely, Barcelona seem on the verge of meltdown. In a week where they were humbled by an Atleti side minus the twin threats of Diego Costa and Arda Turan, a trip to relegation-haunted Granada must have seemed a nice and relatively easy way to try and get back in the swing of things. Sadly for the reigning Liga champions, this was to be the latest in a series of 'bad days at the office' domestically this season. Yet again Barça couldn't capitalise on their astronomical possession, leaving Granada in their natty kit to celebrate at the final whistle following a 1-0 win after Yacine Brahimi steered the ball past buffoon/goalkeeper hybrid Pinto just after the quarter hour mark.
Pressure is growing on both manager Martino and the players in general. The team coach was received back to Camp Nou at 2:30 in the morning by irate fans hurling insults at the players within, among the cries that they were 'useless' and brought 'shame' to the fanbase. Pinto, Neymar and Dani Alves were singled out for particular insults as they made their way to their cars. Messi again went missing in the match, and it is not

Messi in his now-customary pose

hard to draw a line between the downturn in form of the perennial world footballer of the year and his team. Andoni Zubizarreta, the Barcelona sporting director and no doubt a man who still has nightmares of Garba Lawal, is not among those drawing such a line, instead insisting on TV3 that he doesn't doubt Messi for even 'half a second'.
As for Tata Martino, it would seem the Camp Nou hierarchy have finally lost patience, and football hipster extraordinaire Jürgen Norbert Klopp (whose Dortmund side battered Bayern Münich 3-0 on the weekend) is rumoured to be favourite to replace him at the helm. The word about the place is that even securing the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid on Wednesday will not prove enough to keep him in a job.

That final may take on the appearance of a 'B Team' match-up though, owing to the sheer number of players set to miss out through injury. The players who will definitely miss out are; CR7, Marcelo, Arbeloa and Jesé for Real and Valdés, Piqué and Bartra for Barcelona, although the veteran Puyol has volunteered if he can put himself back together in time. Although Sami Khedira has returned to training, he is also expected to miss out for los Blancos as is Sergio Ramos, pending a late fitness test.

Di María celebrates the opener

Without their main threat, Real still made light work of Almería on Saturday night. Ángel di María stepped into Ronaldo's shoes and drove the team forward with guile and creativity, scoring the opening goal on the half hour. This was added to by Bale and Isco early in the second half and Álvaro Morata with just over five minutes left. The weekend's assorted results leave Atlético Madrid top of the pile on 82 points, with Real leapfrogging Barcelona into 2nd place, the eternal rivals on 79 and 78 points respectively.

The weekend's biggest game with an impact on both the European and relegation places was a massive Seville derby between Real Betis and Sevilla at Estadio Benito Villaramín. The hosts were rock bottom of the division and would remain there no matter the result against their fiercest rivals, but local pride was at stake. At the other end of the classifications, Sevilla were in a battle for the last Champions League spot behind the top three. However, in such strongly-contested derbies, no matter where in the world, the form book always goes out the window. Unfortunately for neutral fans, and especially los Heliopolitanos, the central figure in the game was Velasco Carballo - the referee. Right on the half hour Juan Carlos performed an absolutely brilliant tackle on Carlos the bus conductor Bacca in the Betis area. Unbelievably, the man in the middle then pointed to the spot. Kévin Gameiro dutifully stepped up and put Seville 1-0 up. He later

Betis defeated and deflated

doubled his tally but the damage had already been done by Betis unjustly losing a player. The result leaves los Verdiblancos floundering a full 10 points off Valladolid in 17th while their cross-town rivals keep the pressure on Athletic Bilbao in 4th. The Basques host Málaga at the new San Mamés on Monday night. The Andalucians have levelled out in mid table over recent weeks, but are still within sight of the relegation zone and so would like a couple more victories under their belt before the end of the season.

Down in the Segunda División, the race to clamber up into the Primera Liga is reaching its peak. Deportivo de La Coruña took a massive step towards re-establishing themselves as a top-flight club with a 2-0 victory over Recreativo de Huelva with goals from Juan Carlos and Diego Ifrán. They are now on 60 points, five ahead of Eibar in the second automatic promotion spot, and six ahead of Las Palmas. Recre remain a further three points back in fourth. Behind those, the difference between Real Murcia (50) in seventh and Real Jaén (40) in 22nd is only a scarcely-believable 10 points. Girona and Alavés are slightly further adrift, on 37 and 35 points respectively. Barcelona B and Real Madrid Castilla find themselves is vastly different positions, those from la Masia up in 5th on 51 points (albeit they cannot be promoted, obviously) and Castilla on equal points with Jaén in the relegation zone.