Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.
It’s been a week of punishments, bans and social justice this week in Spain, in between all of the transfer business. And Barcelona were even involved in any of it.
At least not directly. The Competition Committee have been recommended a two-game stadium ban for Espanyol, after they chased off Barcelona players who were celebrating their La Liga title at the RCDE Stadium. Fede Valverde is in line for a five-game absence at the start of next season, which is the punishment for punching Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena in April. The Uruguayan waited for Baena in the car park after their match at the Santiago Bernabeu, and took out Baena who was looking at his phone. Some have pointed out that seems generous if anything, given Sergio Canales was given four games for asking the referee to stop chatting to him about his life off the pitch.
Meanwhile the tragic killing of 17-year-old Nahel in France saw both Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni ask questions of both the media, social media and the police in their native country, with varying responses.
"Now what? Social networks are noisy for a bit. Then we resume the course of our lives until another mother, another family wakes up one morning to learn that one of their own is gone."
Aurelien Tchouameni has asked for action in France, after the tragic police killing of Nahel. pic.twitter.com/CT7TEluVd9
— Football España (@footballespana_) June 29, 2023
Ilkay Gundogan arrived at Barcelona this week in what many are considering a coup, but now they have little money left, and are considering replacing Sergio Busquets with former Chelsea and Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu, currently at Girona. They do not seem to be able to afford Marcelo Brozovic from Inter.
Real Madrid claim they are done with their business this summer, but the vacant number nine shirt, the lack of the star striker, and the apparent desire of Paris Saint-Germain to get rid of Kylian Mbappe (if he doesn’t renew) have a few people doing the maths. Meanwhile Carlo Ancelotti is plotting an exciting new system based around Jude Bellingham.
Rafael Benitez returned to work at Celta Vigo last week, while fashionable Spanish manager of the month Unai Emery appears to have attracted Pau Torres to Aston Villa. Another Spanish central defender looking to move is Sergio Ramos. He apparently wants to return to Sevilla – only, they aren’t so keen. Atletico Madrid are also holding a vote on whether to return to their old badge after pressure from fans, giving hope to any support that do not like their new fancy badge.
Finally, it was Pride this week in Spain, with 13 of the 20 La Liga clubs tweeting out their support for it, although not always on their Arabic accounts (cough, Barcelona). Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias has long been a defender of civil rights, and he ‘came out‘ this week too.
