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 was hard to escape the spectre of the The Superleague this week. The European Court ruling decided that UEFA could not punish players and clubs for starting a new European competition, with Real Madrid and Barcelona lobbying for just that.
As UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has aptly pointed out though, it might get a little boring if it is just the two of them. Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis is the only other major club to have declared an interest, while Atletico Madrid were quick to say they were not. A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said on Spanish radio that several of the clubs that had put out statements rejecting the idea had in fact been in contact with him though.
Meanwhile Manchester United have been in the headlines. Defender Raphael Varane is currently the hot favourite to solve Real Madrid’s injury crisis at the back, after David Alaba was ruled out for the rest of the season. Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri has been mentioned as a quick solution to the forward problem at Old Trafford, while there are also rumours that the Red Devils have a prospective Antony replacement in mind.
Tebas has an outspoken critic of the #SuperLeague for some time now. pic.twitter.com/730jgRMEVB
— Football España (@footballespana_) December 22, 2023
Real Madrid finished for Christmas top of the table after a 92nd-minute Lucas Vazquez winner against Alaves gave the 10-man side a 1-0 win. Girona drew 1-1 with Real Betis after an 88th minute equaliser for Betis – Rangers remain the only side to have won at the Benito Villamarin all season.
Barcelona are seven points off the top spot still, following a shaky 3-2 win over Almeria. It was going worse though, with honours even at half-time. Xavi Hernandez lost it. Criticising his players after the match, he reportedly told his players to ‘run like pigs‘ at half-time, saving a special comment for Robert Lewandowski too. Leaving you with some Christmas cheer though, perhaps the highlight of the whole week was Sergio Ramos releasing a flamenco-inspired single – it’s yet to make it to Christmas number one.
