After three months La Liga is back

In all honesty this game against the best club side in world football has come way too early in the season for Real Mallorca, they are nowhere near the finished article. Coach Arrasate is still working out his initial starting XI in the new 4-3-3 system and his squad is at least two players light, especially on the right flank and central defence.

With the transfer window closing on August 31, there are still some Mallorca players uncertain of their future. Samu Costa is reportedly interesting sides from Saudi Arabia and the Premier League. Right back Pablo Maffeo has one foot out of Real Mallorca after an injury hit last season. On Saturday night against Bologna he played in the second half like he was waiting for his phone to ring with his agent telling him he was on his way out elsewhere. After his “I’m leaving here” shenanigans on social media during the Summer, our Ultras were chanting “Maffeo vete ya” (go now). He has gone from hero to zero in only a few months.

Two players who have taken the eye in pre-season are Japanese “speedster” Takuma Asano, who primarily plays down the left wing and chipped in a beauty from an exquisite Sergi Darder defence-splitting pass, and the other player is teenage scoring sensation Marc Domenech who will certainly have some minutes in the “big team.”

Up front Verdat Muriqi again doesn’t look like the predator he was two years ago and his missed penalty against Bologna was almost laughable. His striking partner Cyle Larin came back from playing with Canada in the Copa America looking lean and mean. Unfortunately he played for Canada in four games and couldn’t score. On Saturday night, due to Arrasate’s system, Larin was stuck down the left wing and was barely involved in the game. He also was the only Mallorca player who didn’t acknowledge the fans’ applause as the players were introduced to the faithful.

Real Mallorca’s objectives this season are more or less the ambitions of last time, to stay in top flight Spanish football and under a new coaching regime get into the top ten of La Liga. Sunday night’s game is a huge test for the Palma side against a Real Madrid side who are almost invincible. One thing Mallorca mustn’t do (and something I’ve mentioned many times before when Real come to Palma) is sit back and let “Los Blancos” attack us, otherwise they’ll run rings around us. We need to get stuck in as they “don’t like it up ‘em”!

The investment in La Liga clubs is still light years away from the English Premier League. Most Spanish clubs are forced to sell their best players at a loss in order to balance the books due to past contracts that they couldn’t afford. An example is Getafe who played in Bilbao last night with only 15 players, three of them goalkeepers, because they don’t have the salary space to register any more players. No strikers were available. However, since the national side won the Euros, the value of the players who took part has rocketed. It was great to see the highly-sought-after Real Sociedad midfielder and Spanish international Martin Zubimendi turn down the mighty Liverpool to stay with his boyhood club in San Sebastian – good to see loyalty overcoming money.

It’s been a glorious summer for Spanish football. Spain are the current holders in the Men’s Euros, Olympic gold medal winners, Women’s World Cup winners, Men’s Nations League, Women’s Nations League and Under 19s Men’s Euros and Under 19s Women’s Euros. That record across the board in international football is remarkable. This new generation of young Spaniards (male and female) came out of the blue but look like they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future. In men’s football, England, Italy and France seem to have taken a step back (despite what the English media report).
The Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente is an experienced European champion after winning the Under 19s and 21s over the past seasons. Most players picked for the Euros have played together under his command for the last 10 years. All the national squad players are taught the same philosophy: possession, positioning, pressing and passing. Spain versus England in the Euro final was Spain (reality) and England (hype)!

New Mallorca Sports Bar

PS The new Mallorca Sports Bar behind and slightly uphill from the club shop looks as if it will be ready to open on Sunday. After a slow start, dozens of builders, sparkies and fontaneros etc. have been at it against the clock to get it finished on time. Great news for us Mallorquinistas!

And finally

After a spectacular finale to the Paris Olympics, as the flame makes its way to Los Angeles, there’s already changes proposed to the format for the modern pentathlon, to include such events as shoplifting, skip-diving, fly tipping, mugging and looting!