The Story of Betis' 39-year-old Joaquín: The Oldest Attacker in Europe

Real Betis man Joaquín has signed a new one-year deal to remain at his boyhood club and continue to play in La Liga into his 40s.

He will remain at the club for one more year and last year he even hinted of attempting to become Real Betis President in the future.

He is just second in the all-time list of appearances in the Spanish first division having played 579 games, behind Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta.

Joaquín expressed his desire to stay at the club next season months ago and was eager to see fans' faces once again in stadiums.

"My contract expires in June, but I feel strong and in good shape on both a footballing and physical level," he told Diario AS.

"I want to continue at least one more year.

"I would like to retire with the fans in the stands, as I want to invite football fans to attend my fin al match at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.

"I want to play with the crowd present before I retire."

The Real Betis legend defied all expectations as the 39-year-old scored a wondrous looping header against Deportivo Alaves one weekend adding to his extraordinary assist in the 93rd minute in a tie against Real Sociedad. After being diagnosed with coronavirus in early January, the veteran was unfazed by the challenge of returning to Spanish football again.

Despite painful loss to rivals Sevilla, Real Betis continued to climb and Joaquín, who has over 3 million Instagram followers and almost 400K twitter followers, still is willing to compete at the highest level.

So what is the story of the evolution of the inspirational Spaniard?

Betis were greeted by a blessing as Joaquín returned back to the club he first established himself at in 2015 where he has appeared almost 200 times wearing the green and white stripes since then.

He started his senior career originally at the club after his uncle believed firmly in his talent helping him with trips to and from the Betis youth system.

Betis, nicknamed with the pseudonym 'Heliopolitans' due to the Sevillan district of Heliopolis which the club is located in, was the benchmark to his brilliant career as he featured in the 2005/06 Champions League campaign for the club, where they finished third to demote themselves to the Uefa Cup despite their triumph against Chelsea and draw against another Premier League giant in Liverpool.

This sparked interest from Chelsea, the English team enjoying success with Jose Mourinho, which Joaquín denied. 

He told the Daily Mail, “people always say to me: 'Joaquín, don’t you regret it?' “Well the answer is no, I don’t. I know I lost an important opportunity to play for a great team and earn a lot of money but it just wasn’t what I was thinking about at that time.”

2002 World Cup Quarter Final Controversy:

Prior to his half-success in this European season at the club he's always been devoted to, Joaquín debuted for the Spanish National Team in the World Cup of 2002. This tournament has been widely regarded as the most controversial competitions of all time filled with ambiguity and incompetent officiating.

At the centre of this, was the quarter final between Spain and hosts South Korea. Joaquín was crowned man of the match as he starred showcasing his elegant crosses and his willingness to beat defenders as a right-winger. 

However, amongst this was mayhem, and decisions were extremely questionable and propelled altercations. Two poor offside decisions and a cross from the right midfielder which set up a headed goal for Spain was claimed to be over the line when contact for the ball in was made. This was proved to be clearly wrong and Joaquín later pulled up with an injury which subsequently resulted in him missing the decisive penalty in the shootout due to a stuttering run up and tentative shot. It became a continuity of misfortune for Spain and unjust fortune for Korea.

Highlights of the South Korea vs Spain 2002 World Cup Bout

Regarding these scandalous incidents Joaquín said, "It was a robbery." "It was clear before reaching the penalty shootout what was going on. It wasn't only the two legal goals [the referee] didn't give, but a lot of wrong decisions he made."

Joaquín's emotion triggered determination which was evident as he said, "I pleaded to take that penalty because I was really confident in myself."

"Now my heart hurts; it is broken. I feel so much impotence. If I could step back in time I would surely score that penalty. I was fine to take it."

Heading into his prime, the winger then enjoyed a 5 year spell at Valencia after his personal judgement to stay in his homeland. In his later years, he was given the number 7 after the departure of David Villa and scored consistently to eventually obtain the Valencians a Champions League spot in his final season.

Brief times at Malaga and Fiorentina led him into his 30s where he returned to his former club in Seville. 

It has led him into several records as one of Europe's oldest players. Scoring in 20 consecutive seasons, over 800 senior football appearances and the La Liga appearance milestone.

At 39 years of age he is still a phenomenon helping Betis to further advance.

His career first hat-trick came in 2019 against Athletic Bilbao after three right footed shots that found the net thanks to the space he created as a 37 year-old through his tremendous ability to unsettle his defenders with his agility.

As the captain of Betis, now he has developed into an appreciated figure that staggers the footballing audience. Granted sensationally with a Europa League place, Betis strive towards a major trophy with Manuel Pellegrini in Joaquín's potential last season.

Can the goals keep coming, as the years keep going and can Joaquín and Betis achieve their quest of competing in Europe once again heading into his 21st successive season in top flight football of his enduring career?

Why Luis Enrique's Loyalty Lies With Aymeric Laporte Over Madrid's Excluded Sergio Ramos

Aymeric Laporte was granted Spanish citizenship only 2 weeks ago and instantaneously books his place in the 26-man Spanish team for the Euros selected by Luis Enrique.

With the ageing Ramos, Laporte saw his opportunity to pounce into his entitled Spanish nationality which he gained from playing in Bilbao for just short of a decade. 

He moved from France to the academy of Athletic Bilbao which he rose up through despite local debate over his tenuous links to the Basque region. He was fortunately given his debut by Marcelo Bielsa in the 2012 Europa League and later proceeded to prompt success at the Northern Spanish club and eventually sign for £57 million for Manchester City. Meeting Pep Guardiola was just another managerial treat as he experienced the pinnacility of tutoring from the 2 most innovative and phenomenal coaches in the history of football.

Enrique knew this season that with his current club partnership with Ruben Dias, the Spanish defensive wall would be solidified indefinitely as Laporte is expected to feature for years to come.

The new star of Spain is emerging while controversially Sergio Ramos and all other eligible Real Madrid players have been excluded from the squad which Real Madrid President Florentino Perez explicitly criticised saying, "It's fine. We'll just make our own Euros."

This comes ironically since Enrique was the Barcelona manager for 3 years. His allegiance this year doesn't lie what so ever with Real Madrid perhaps influenced by his spell at the Bernabeu from 1991-1996 which he stated following the early 1995 El Clasico that he "rarely felt appreciated by Real Madrid supporters and didn't have good memories there."

After being appointed as Barca head coach, the team was once again riddled with success including another Champions League and to rub salt into the wound for the Los Blancos fans who passionately believed he was a traitor, he further emphasised his devotion to the club by kissing the badge after every El Clasico goal for the Catalans.

Enrique was one of the only footballing greats to transfer from the capital to Catalonia with countless others moving vice vera like Luis Figo and Michael Laudrup.

Enrique's selfishness to the Real Madrid players like veteran Spaniard Sergio Ramos this season, was justified very clearly in his latest press conference,"I've not included Ramos because he's bot been able to play much this season," Enrique said. "Especially since January he's not been fit enough, and at times not even training with the group at his club.

"It wasn't easy, but I called him last night (Sunday) and we had a difficult and tough conversation. I feel bad as he's a player who has always been at the top level and has a future with the national team. It's a decision that I've taken for the good of the national team and the group as a whole."

Spain since Luis Enrique's potent introduction in November of 2019 have picked up 5 draws including against Greece, Portugal and Germany. A very average run of form for one of the most prominent European footballing nations. Yet still, Spain advanced to the semi-finals of the Nations League which will commence in October of this year (due to its postponement) against fellow Mediterraneans Italy.

The question in everyone's minds for the upcoming Euro Championship however is, can Spain return to the top and dominate the European football scene by snatching the crown arduously off the likes of bordering rivals Portugal and World Champions France with the absence of Sergio Ramos?

The Madrid centre half tweeted: "I have fought and worked every day, in body and soul, to be able to reach 100% for Real Madrid and the national team but things don't always work out the way we'd like.

"It pains me not to have been able to help my team more and not to play for Spain but, in this case, the best thing to do is rest, fully recover and come back next year like we've always done. It hurts not to represent your country, but I have to be honest and sincere. I wish all my teammates the very best of luck and I hope we have a great Euros. I'll be another fan cheering on from home."

It could prove pivotal to the success of the Spaniards in this tournament where they are grouped with Poland, Sweden and Slovakia. Can Enrique's confidence in Laporte defend the most clinical striker in football at the moment in Poland's Robert Lewandowski though?

A valiant manager guiding this young and spirited team who have the ambition to surprise with attacking pressure, will direct Spain to be entertaining in this year's Euros yet more inexperienced than ever before.

Spain's 26-man Euros 2020 Squad:

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), David de Gea (Manchester United), Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders: Jose Gaya (Valencia), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City), Eric Garcia (Manchester City), Diego Llorente (Leeds), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Fabian Ruiz (Napoli), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Ferran Torres (Manchester City), Adama Traore (Wolves), Pablo Sarabia (Paris St-Germain)

Former Frenchman centre-back has a demanding job to keep his net locked across Europe alongside his Manchester City companion Eric Garcia as Ramos will be cheering for clean sheets in the stands.

How Villarreal Have The Chance To Ruin United And Real Madrid's Title Conquest

 

Villarreal have the chance to disintegrate the trophy hopes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

They face title challengers Real Madrid on the final match day in La Liga while 4 days later they travel to Gdansk to compete in the Europa League final against United.

The Yellow Submarine are undoubtedly not expected to come out with victories in these two rigorous back-to-back games however if they do defy all odds the rewards could be phenomenal and the humiliation of these so-called European giants would be even greater.

The European Super League sparked exponential outrage and protests from all fans across the continent and Villarreal could ultimately reinforce this like numerous smaller sides but this time at the biggest stage of them all.

Villarreal's UCL campaigns against Man United

In the Champions League, Villarreal competed against Manchester United in the 2004/05 tournament where Villarreal were undefeated in the group stage with United finishing last with their results consisting of two goalless draws against the Spanish side. 

Another meeting between the sides occurred in the 2008/09 competition when another two stalemates occurred again. Even at Old Trafford under the famous Sir Alex Ferguson did United not score a single goal against their bogey team in the UCL.

Cristiano Ronaldo in the UCL vs Villarreal.

The 2004/05 camping was the most memorable and commemorated in the Spanish club's history as they reached the semi-finals.

They have the chance this year to do even better arguably, with a Europa League to add to their triumph-less trophy cabinet and also to knock Real Madrid cynically off the podium of La Liga by overcoming them.This however requires goals to defeat their formidable opponents and Manchester United, I'm sure will have a sense of vindictiveness heading into Wednesday's final.

Talisman Forlán:

The golden era was upon the Spaniards in the first decade of this century especially influenced by Diego Forlan abandoning Manchester United in 2004 in a bid for a new start in Villarreal. 

During the same season, the club's centre-forward Diego Forlán won the Pichichi Trophy for top scorer in the league, with 25 goals amidst the club's triumph of finishing 3rd in the league to grant yet another European qualification.The transfer paid off as he shared the European Golden Shoe in 2005 with Thierry Henry and helped to fend off against his former club in the Champions League the next season. 

Since his departure, the eye of a tiger talisman has been absent in the side until Gerard Moreno's arrival whose form this season has been similar to that of the Uruguayan attacker 15 years ago.

Could the man with 29 goals and one in front of Bruno Fernandes, two in front of Harry Kane this term, be the difference maker in Gdansk next week?

Match Previews:

Their tie against Manchester United was rescheduled to Wednesday 26th May 2021 8pm GMT.

"The order of priority is the game we play in the competition in which we are in," Emery told journalists at his most recent press conference.

"La Liga is the one that marks our consistency and the objective that is to be in Europe. We already ran out of options to (finish) among the top four.

"Then there is the Europa League and La Liga, which is only one that gives us access to this. And then there is the Conference League, which should not be demeaned because it is a European competition.

"We have the option of playing for a title that is important like the Europa League. The ambitions objective is given by the Europa League and the important goal is given by La Liga.

"On Saturday we will have an eye ob the Manchester United game. It is important that we play on Saturday and I think we deserved it because we are in the final representing Spanish football."

Emery is also optimistic for Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze to feature in the final, after the 22-year-old sustained an injury in their semi-final against Arsenal where they prevented an 'all-english' European final.

Emery has hinted that he is optimistic about having Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze available for the final, after he sustained an injury in their semi-final second leg against Arsenal.

Villarreal look to be in prime position to take home a guaranteed Europa League spot and even a Champions League spot with the support of European mastermind Unai Emery and their fans.

The Enthralling La Liga Season Finale

The La Liga title race has shaped up to be thrilling this season with only three points separating the entire top 4.

Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla are the teams featuring in this brutally tight race to the league title. Nonetheless, not one of these sides are fighting for a Champions League place as Real Sociedad in 5th are adrift 20 points.

Barcelona could win the title just by winning all remaining games which they can take advantage of especially when they have lost only once in La Liga in 2021 (twice thanks to Granada on Thursday)!

Spanish Football has been dominated by two teams, and we know who they are so the range of actual competitors is exciting for La Liga fans. Dark horses Sevilla could even snatch the trophy off the top 3 especially when Barcelona and Atlético Madrid are yet to play each other and could easily drop significant points. 

But Sevilla still have the daunting prospect of facing reigning champions Real Madrid again, who they picked up a 1-0 defeat against at home last year. The capabilities, however, are very much present for the Europa League extraordinaries as their prolific Moroccan attacker Youssef En-Nesyri has the same 0.77 goals per 90 minute ratio as the respected Galáctico Karim Benzema. They also defeated Real on consecutive meetings in the year 2018.

Sevilla lifting their first Europa League trophy in 2006. Christophe Karaba, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

As well as the top, we look down to the relegation battle in La Liga where simultaneously a set of sides are duelling for survival. Real Valladolid and Valencia are among the teams that have the potential to be relegated to the secondary tier of Spanish football.

The relegation fight could go down to the wire, with even 8th place Granada able to be relegated, only in extreme circumstances. But, Valencia would be the shock of them all as their emergence to European success would be depleted. Their recent stagnation could mean that their status could be diminished as a result, with Sevilla (the side who they've scored none against over the last three outings) and Barcelona awaiting them.

It will be an excruciating run in for an abundance of La Liga supporters as we see captivating challenges and shocks on the horizon.

Diego Simeone is eager to win his second title at Atlético who lost out to Chelsea in the Champions League. He expresses his feelings on how he can achieve victory in La Liga:

"People ask me what the most important factor will be and it's obvious to me that it will be the mental factor," Simeone told reporters after a second defeat in five league games. The team that manages that emotional balance the best will have the best chance of winning the title."

Atlético raced 10 points clear at the top in January but an unexpected disappointing run of form has seen their lead cut to two points.

"Real and Barça are used to winning the title. We had a big lead this year but we knew Real and Barça were not going to surrender. Now Sevilla are playing very well and we have a very exciting situation," said Simeone. 

"We still depend on ourselves and with five games to go that's crucial. It will all come down to how mentally strong we are and how determined we are in those five games."

The Catalans faced Granada in their previous game in hand at Camp Nou on Thursday where they had the exceptional opportunity to stride to pole position and emphatically assert their authority in this league sprint to the finish line. However, the inaugural victory of Granada at Barça's famous home ground and the capitulation of Barcelona leaves the giants in trophy jeopardy but also leaves this title race still very much all to play for.

It is ultimately anyone's game in the most intriguing league on the continent as we dive into the breathtaking final stage where miracles may or may not come true.

How Will The Post-Wenger Spaniard Successors Fair Against One Another?

Current and former Arsenal managers Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery will contend for a place in the Europa League Final on Thursday.

Villarreal are going to be a tough force to contend with as Mikel Arteta's predecessor Unai Emery has developed a flurry of success at the Spanish club influenced by his talisman striker Gerard Moreno as he seeks redemption.

The sides' UCL finals bout in 2006

However firstly we must mention, in 2006 these sides met in a highly anticipated match in the Champions League semi-final which Arsenal won 1-0 in across two legs. It was the inaugural chance for both teams to pick up a major European trophy but Arsenal consequently faced another Spanish side in the final, Barcelona, who they lost out to thanks to the magic of iconic attackers Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

It was the final European night at Highbury and one to remember. Arsenal achieved 10 clean sheets in a row that year and 995 minutes between conceding goals in the Champions League. Despite their dismal performances in their domestic league, they flourished in Europe, beating Real Madrid and Juventus and on that night The Yellow Submarine (Villarreal's nickname inspired by the Beatles) thanks to Kolo Toure.

Kolo Toure celebrating his goal in the UCL Semi-Final vs Villarreal. Arsenal.com

This was the only final Arsenal had ever reached and their chance to assert their dominance that they so clearly bestowed during their invincible season two years prior was wasted.

Emery vs Arteta

Arsenal and Emery had an uneasy relationship with a promising first half leading to a spell of devastating managerial status that ultimately reinforced his sack on 29th November 2019. However, the Spaniard has a remarkable trait upon him in the form of winning Europa League titles on a consecutive and frequent basis.

He has the chance to strike again with his current Spanish club after his 3 successive Europa League wins with Sevilla was prior to spells at PSG and English club Arsenal where he reached the underwhelming final against Chelsea in the 2018/19 campaign.

Arteta and Arsenal really haven't been much better following the departure of the fellow Spaniard. The Gunners sit in a measly 10th place in the Premier League currently and experienced their worst start to the season since 1974.

Arsenal's Spanish Managers:

Unai Emery had considerably more chaotic games with more goals conceded and scored that today's Arsenal side but this seemed to pay off for him in terms of total win percentage.

Even over the course of this campaign, Emery leads on victories after Arsenal splashed out on Thomas Partey, Willian and Gabriel in last summer's transfer window.

The Three Spanish Coaches:

The differing tactics and philosophies are clearly outlined in the matches and both of their respected clubs have opposed style of players. Emery is a conservative coach but relies significantly on midfield superiority, through balls and playing out from back. Arteta however, demands high intensity movement and fluidity, ruthless attacking intent and for a midfielder to drop deeper to receive the ball. 

Pep Guardiola, his friend from La Masia, was Manchester City assistant coach Mikel's mentor and obviously a very good one.

The Spanish managers were all interconnected in some way which Emery revealed: “We spoke a little bit about what I lived in Arsenal, in a positive way, as I experienced. I just told him about what I had lived through, as two working colleagues.

“Of course I knew Arteta before. He is from Donostia (San Sebastian) – just like me. We were practically neighbours so I have a lot of admiration for him as a footballer and now as a coach, working with Guardiola and Arsenal." 

On the eve of their first meeting in opposite dugouts, Arteta revealed he had spoken to Emery before being appointed – with his predecessor later explaining an extra motive for the chat.

“It was a common friend that interceded and he was OK to speak to me, had nothing against it and it was good for me too as I had to leave my home in London,” he said.

“Maybe the house would be interesting for him, so maybe he would be interested to see the house?

“So apart from talking about my job at Arsenal and football I suggested he take over my house, finally I think it was a player who took it in the end."

Emery's comments heading into the semi-final first leg at home: "Well as for the game plan I'm sure Arteta will have given them a personal touch. This is what I tried to do," he told press ahead of the clash. 

"From that point onwards they have top quality players - Ceballos, Odegard, Saka - quick players - Aubameyang , Bukayo, Martinelli. They have very quick players on the side like Bellerin. 

"But they have a very solid defensive structure, they can do a passing structure. It’s going to be a very tough match. A very demanding team Arsenal. They’re going to be very demanding in terms of positional game.

"It’s a very recognisable Arsenal. They have a very marked identity and they show a lot of progress with Arteta."We need to play our passing game ourselves. The minute you let them run they have very speedy players like Pepe with plenty of space. 

"They have lots of individual arguments where they can make a cocktail. We have to be very aware of players like Aubameyang and Lacazette, but they have many different types of players, many different game plans and many ways to execute their game plan on the pitch and we need to be ready for that.

Villareal and Arsenal have been in scintillating Europa League form but the decisive edge of this tie could come down to the superiority of the team's respected attacking pairs. Gerad Moreno and 27-year-old former Barcelona man Paco Alcaer. Moreno has 26 goals which is the same as the established and regarded as world-class Englishman Harry Kane and the later of the pair has an outrageous 91% shot accuracy from all of his 7 European appearances.

The post-Arsene Wenger era men will battle to attempt to crucially squeeze out some inspiration and discipline out of their players in the semi-finals as Emery has a chance to take down the club he was ruthlessly dismissed from and Arteta looks to pick up silvarware to save The Londoners' season and dismantle Emery's unbelievable Europa League streak.

Unai Emery and Gerard Moreno's Europa League Masterclass

Unai Emery is on the cusp of a career 4th Europa League trophy at Villarreal as superstar striker Gerard Moreno is in dazzling form.

Emery was a valued manager during his time at Sevilla where he won the competition 3 successive times starting from the 2013/2014 season. A juggernaut of a team at his dispatch allowed him to determine the way to approach each opponent in each game of the Europa League. He made Sevilla the most successful and undisputed team in the history of tournament with 6 wins, double any other side.

Speaking after winning the Europa League in 2015, Argentine midfielder Ever Benega said: “We have a great coach and he is getting the very best out of us – we don’t relax whether we are on the pitch or on the bench. We have really healthy competition for places here."

Leaving the Spanish team, after expressing his desire to leave, Unai fled to European Giants PSG where he enjoyed more immense success with the exception of allowing Barcelona's historic Remontada in 2017 in the Champions League.

Another midfielder in Rabiot expressed his glory on Emery, “This is a coach who really communicates with everyone.“He is asking us our opinion after the sessions, what we liked, what we didn’t like. He asks if you are not too tired after training. “This is really important for the staff to know as they can then adapt (the training sessions). They need to know if we can withstand the workload being asked of us.“Communication is essential, not only in football but in all sports. This is what I find really good about Emery.”

The youth graduate at Real Sociedad, Emery was also a midfielder which reflects his brilliant relationships with these players. He is eager as manager to bond a team and create an unbreakable positive atmosphere.

A return to his homeland was however imminent as clubs in Spain saw the dazzling opportunity to appoint Emery to spark his managerial resurgence following his lacklustre spell at Arsenal. Emery last year was seen as a magnet to European trophies and further progression especially at Spanish clubs demonstrated earlier in his career at Sevilla.

Villarreal were the La Liga side that latched onto the sub-50-year-old manager as Javier Calleja was replaced in the summer of 2020. In his first year at the club, he has already been expressing his attraction to dominance booking a place in the Europa League last 8 with ease.

The club broke their unbeaten streak in 2020 under Emery after 19 matches consecutively without a loss as they march towards their first ever major trophy.

The evolution of The Yellow Submarine (the club's nickname influenced by the Beatles) over recent seasons has been driven by two influencing strikers in the form of American born Giuseppe Rossi and the sensational Gerard Moreno, who is on the same amount of goals in La Liga as the highly-praised Luis Suarez with 19.

The Spaniard possesses excessive goal scoring threat thanks to his shooting precision. Level with the Uruguayan on 0.83 goals per 90 minutes and higher than Suarez and the claimed extraterrestrial Argentinian Lionel Messi on goal conversion rate and shot accuracy.

The Yellow Submarine are striving forward towards a potential European trophy and the looming Champions League qualification under the magician Emery.

Villarreal will compete in the second leg of their Europa League quarter final against Ukranian side Dynamo Kiev on Thursday 15th April at 8pm BST.

The match will happen at Villarreal's home venue Estadio de la Cerámica.

The Spaniards are 1-0 up on aggregate following Gerard Moreno's strike from the penalty spot was the difference maker in last weeks reverse fixture in Ukraine.

Антон Зайцев, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

CarlosRM, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Copa Del Rey Final 2020: Could this be the closet Basque derby ever?

The Copa Del Rey Final for the 2020 tournament will take place today between local rivals Real Sociedad and Athletic Club due to its postponement from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It will be the latest edition of the Basque derby where the clubs from two different cities but from the same Spanish region will face off.

The sides are representatives of their own country in the north of Spain travelling to stage their highly anticipated final 1000km south in Seville. Athletic Club's last success of the Copa del Rey came in 1984 where they accomplished the domestic double, making it a disheartening 37-year wait for the coveted trophy.

The Lions have the glorious chance of winning two of this cup in two weeks as they will also contest with Catalan giants Barcelona on the 17th April.

However, an unanticipated intimidating challenge awaits them in the form of the side from San Sebastian Real Sociedad who have thrived since the arrival of coach Imanol Alguacil.

A promising prospect has also occurred for Sociedad fans as Spanish icon Xavi Alonso extended his contact as manager of the B team until 2022. They have a line up of propitious managers to maintain their unexpected success.

A more united team with the assiststance of Ozyarabal and David Silva expanding their previous lapse of creativity. 

They have a contrasting strategy to build their clubs with Sociedad renowned for marvellously tactical transfers like Monreal and Isak from Dortmund who have arrived this season. Whereas, Athletic Club are firm believers in their 100 year philosophy of fielding players from Basque's youth academies. To nurture players to success has been an incomparable factor of the club evident from the uprising of now Manchester City French centre-back Aymeric Laporte. Head coach Marcelino supports the strategy and believes in its sustainability in Bilbao, "Is it incompatible with the 21st century? I would say absolutely not, because the principles are way ahead of different situations," he says.

"When you really trust and believe in a principle it is very authentic, and the philosophy and even the way of living and way of behaving is very strong. It is very responsible, respectable and even very viable. I think it is fantastic."

Arguably the weaker side of the Basque country, have outshined their rivals in extraordinary fashion in La Liga as on average from the last 8 seasons they have placed 8th whereas Athletic Club place approximately 9th. Despite the club sharing with worldwide heavyweights Real Madrid and FC Barcelona the distinction of never being relegated from the top flight.

The Basque autonomous community officially accounts for 20% of La Liga teams and just 4.6% of the overall population of Spain. They have almost inherited the desire of regions like Catalonia to fight for their own independence as they were granted their own status of nationality in 1978.

The region have shared memorable sporting moments including when The captains Inaxio Kortabarría of Real Sociedad (left) and José Ángel Iribar carry the still-illegal Basque flag before the derby in December 1976. Photograph From Real Sociedad.

The game is held like no other this year with both club's expressing their views, “It’s some feat, Why? Because it’s 2021, a social and sporting context totally different to the 1980s, and suddenly we find two clubs with a profound belief in what they’ve always been.” Athletic Club representatives said, “Fidelity is central to our philosophy, a team forged from our surroundings. There’s much we share with our neighbours.”

An occasion so dear in the citizens hearts is taking place with empty stadiums and disappointed fans. The difference of this derby is additionally the rise of Real Sociedad and shrinking their local rivals to become the underdogs in this tie instead of themselves.

Four places currently stand between the two in the league as Los Txuri-Urdin have the historic opportunity to capitalise on their first Copa del Rey since 1988 against their fellow Northerners.

The Art of Spain's Attacking Full Backs

A flurry of Spanish left and right backs have emerged over the last decade. Performances from Jordi Alba and José Gayá in the last La Liga match day showed their attacking value particularly, as they both pick up assists in their victories for Barcelona and Valencia.

The previously rather uninteresting position of full back has dazzlingly developed into an exciting position with many versatile and more offensive players. A modern day full back doesn't now make you think of constant defending.

Spaniards who have reinforced the idea of an attacking-minded wingback consists of José Gayá, Hector Bellerin, Sergio Reguillon and Jordi Alba. This abundance of quality that they all share has been significant in the progression of their sides.

A praised factor of these four is their ability to link up with the forward line and deliver delightful crosses or critical short passes to set up goal-scoring opportunities. The demanding job of supporting attacking plays is the vital role of tracking back which is demonstrated as we see some Spanish full-backs almost top the list for distance covered. Their fast pace to overlap or move dangerously into a position is also a modern requirement. We even see Jordi Alba sometimes sprinting up the pitch to the striker position to press or support the attack more like a traditional left-winger.

Additionally, Jordi Alba, who turned 32 last weekend, has greatly influenced the evolution of footballing sensation Lionel Messi. His partnership with The Flea has undoubtedly been one of the best in Europe and almost reminiscent of Leo's one with the prime Dani Alves. Assisting Lionel Messi on several occasions throughout his career, with his spectacular composed pass to Messi in the last second of El Classico in 2017 being the pick of the bunch. The majority of his assists have been to Messi and he himself said, "Whenever I have the ball, I always look to see where Messi is."

Underlaps from Bellerin and sprints up and down the field from the likes of Gaya contrast exceptionally to 20th century football. Often these essential forward movements trigger central midfield players to drop in. At Arsenal, we see Granit Xhaka cover to the right back position to maintain possession as Bellerin adopts a near winger role.

While crucially defending, full-back has become a key position as we see Spanish left-back Jose Gaya been elected as captain of Valencia as he sends in staggering crosses. Spanish full-backs have popularised the desire to get forward and support the attack enthusiastically rather than negatively playing deep relying solely on defending and aggression to individual keep your place.

What Full-Backs feature in the most recent Spain Squad?

Alba who makes his first appearance for Spain since 2018, and the shining 25-year-old Gayá from Valencia have been selected by Spanish National Team coach Luis Enrique for the first instalment of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers.

Spain play Greece, Georgia and Kosovo where we will see the two in form Spanish left-backs fight to assist their fellow forwards. 

Football.ua, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

Who is Arsenal target Guido Rodríguez?

 

Arsenal have, according to the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, approached 26-year-old Real Betis defensive midfielder Guido Rodríguez. 

The deal is reportedly valued at up to £70 million which would make the Argentine sign for the Gunners in an almost record deal with only Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga being transferred for more at £80 million to Chelsea.

The London club have prioritised the deal for the midfielder to add significantly to their midfield. Guido Rodríguez's contract runs for Betis until the summer of 2024 yet Arsenal are eager to accomplish in their eyes this crucial signing. Arsenal have also reportedly been scouting the Betis man for several months. They want to strengthen their midfield presence regarding physicality which they previously hoped ex-Atletico Madrid man Thomas Partey would give them.

What type of player is Guido?

The midfielder is a key asset to the current Real Betis team. Interceptions, ball retrievals and defensive duels have rocketed above those of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey per 90 minutes. 10.5 ball recoveries this season per game is above his two rivalled midfielders and the Argentine tends to enjoy winning the ball higher up the pitch as opposed to being passive in his own half.

Tenacity and work rate is something the Spaniard thrives on, ‘Rivals are studied a lot with video analysis. Perhaps more at the start, I was a more thinking player and taking time to decide and solve, but I had to change that and readjust more to how it is played today. ‘If you don’t decide quickly, the opponent eats you. I progressed to be able to be at the height of the highest competitive level,' the midfielder told Estadio Deportivo.

He added, ‘Football today is a lot faster and faster, we train more and more on the physical.'

How would he fit into Arsenal?

Forward passing and a physical dominance in the middle of the park is something Arsenal have been lacking this term which shows former midfielder himself, manager Mikel Arteta, how influential someone like Rodríguez would be. He would join previous La Liga players Martin Odegaard and Ghanian Partey at the Gunners where he would be a big contender to replace Granit Xhaka. 

This is a pivotal move for Arsenal to revive their Premier League form as they look to excite in this season's summer transfer window.

The Illustrious Partnership of Xavi and Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi officially has broken the seemingly unbeatable record set by legendary Spanish midfielder Xavi for the most Barcelona appearances in all competitions which now tallies at 767 after playing against Huesca on Monday.

The two magicians developed a special partnership during their time at FC Barcelona which proved to devastate the European football scene. A composed playmaker ready to exploit any space given to him in Xavi Hernandez combined with an all-round phenomenon of a footballer who has arguably developed an assisting trait better than his mentor in Lionel Messi.

The Frank Rijkaard managing era was the time in which these two stars individually grew metaphorically in stature and importance at the Catalan club. Xavi was made vice-captain in 2005 following his impressive first two seasons at the club where he racked up 20 assists as a defensive midfielder. Following the departure of superstar Ronaldinho, who befriended Messi and believed that he would become an even better player than himself, the diminutive Argentinian was considered to be world class in an instance. This youthful pairing was exciting and reinforced the idea of La Masia, where these two stars built their foundations.

The appointment of Pep Gaurdiola in the 2008/2009 season ultimately shaped their careers. Xavi providing pin-point passes to his teammates to set up Lionel Messi who flourished in all attacking scenarios. Their partnership was aided by the philosophy inaugurated by former Barcelona midfielder Pep Guardiola, who made them both fall in love with football in their youth, in the form of the famed tiki-taka. This tactical mastery was a stroke of genius. 

More specifically in regards to the Spaniard's role, Xavi was helped by the overlaps of the purposefully attacking-minded full-back in Dani Alves and he threaded passes penetrating all defences in Spain which Lionel Messi would undoubtedly and perpetually capitalise on.

They had a sort of telepathic chemistry with one another when playing the game and complimented each other. Goal and assist was a common theme and their presence deteriorated European clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United.

The pinnacle of Pep's formidable Barcelona side came in the 2011 Champions League Final against Manchester United. Performances from Captain Xavi and Messi were mesmerising. Their constant patience and immaculate runs from midfield left their opponents completely disorientated. Rotation and brilliant  passes dazzled Wembley Stadium with their sheer dominance of United. 

Before the primary European cup was lifted by Barca, Wayne Rooney had his breathe taken away from him during the game which Xavi Hernandez explained following the final, “It must have been around the 80 minute mark, Wayne Rooney said to me: ‘That’s enough. You’ve won. You can stop playing the ball around now." This outlines the breathtaking and unstoppable force that was Hernandez and Messi.

Xavi tore defences apart in this tie with an exceptional 95% pass success rate from his record 148 passes. His relationship with Iniesta was also significant as the trio at their time at Barca were involved in 733 goals and 559 assists.

Subsequently, we saw the Spanish midfielder place third three times in a row in the Ballon Dor while placed behind winner Lionel Messi in all three of his third places in 2009,10 and 11.

Trophy after trophy, the two sustained their success until Xavi's departure in 2015.

Lionel Messi has fortunately carried on the legacy of Xavi as he has emulated his playing style to cement his reputation as 'the complete player'. Learning from Xavi has been apparent as Messi is often seen scanning and overviewing the game for the first 10 minutes or dropping deep to receive the ball on the half way line to try and create more clinical opportunities.

A partnership never seen in the world of football and perhaps the best and most iconic ever in football. Described by Frank Lampard as 'absolute naturals on the ball' are they the most magnificent pairing to play the game?

Christopher Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Spain World Cup Qualifying Squad

Luis Enrique has decided on his final 25-man squad for this months' 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. Spain face Georgia, Kosovo, Greece and Sweden throughout the qualifying campaign with the two upcoming fixtures against Georgia on the 28th March before Kosovo at home.

A surprise debutant for the National Team has been introduced to the squad in Pedri who has been chosen over his rising Barcelona teammate Riqui Puig for example. The 18-year-old has performed impressively racking up 40 appearances since the start of this season and the youngster has been significantly picked in former Barca manager Enrique's side.

Eric Garcia, the Manchester City centre back, is also an astonishing mention as he deservedly earns a place in the national team after regular success with the Premier League leaders. It would only be the 20-year-old's 5th appearance if he starts alongside captain Sergio Ramos in these qualifiers.

While Kepa and Pique do not feature, Liverpool midfielder Thiago and Sergio Ramos will return as Spain look to assert their dominance in World football once again as they currently sit in 6th in the Fifa World Rankings.

Spain Qualifying Squad in Full:

Goalkeepers: David De Gea (Manchester United), Robert Sanchez (Brighton), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)

Defenders: Pedro Porro (Sporting), Eric Garcia (Man City), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Diego Llorente (Leeds United), Inigo Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Jordi Alba (Barcelona), Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia) 

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Rodrigo (Man City), Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool), Pedri (Barcelona), Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Canales (Real Betis), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Fabian Ruiz (Napoli)

Forwards: Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Ferran Torres (Man City), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Bryan Gil (Eibar), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig).

Click Here to view the strong Spain Under-21 squad featuring Barcelona's rising ballers Oscar Mingueza and Riqui Puig.

The Spanish National Team look in prime position to qualify and compete for the World Cup with their interestingly youthful squads looking to flourish in times ahead.

Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid

Sunday 7th March 2021   La Liga

Atlético Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid

Suárez (15')             Benzema (88')

Benzema's late strike ensures stalemate with leaders Atletico Madrid who fail to capitalise on points at the top of La Liga.

Luiz Suarez opened the scoring early in the first half after a cool finish with the outside of the boot assisted by fellow attacker Llorente.

The 34-year-old Uruguayan has now scored 17 goals in the league this season compared to his 16 goals over the duration of last term for the Catalan club in La Liga.

While Marcos Llorente becomes the top assister in the league for the first time in his career with 8.

A ambigious decision against Atletico Madrid as Casemiro was close to a hand ball in the penalty area.

Both keepers were busy throughout the second half with Coutoius and Oblak decisively keeping out efforts from Benzema and Luiz Suarez again as both sides of Madrid link up nicely prior to their chances.

Karim Benzema netted crucially in the 88th minute after an Iniesta type skill from the Frenchman led to Casemiro providing the set up from a one-two.

Real Madrid seal a draw in the derby and the reigning champions take away their 4th point from the current leaders this season.

Atletico suffer their 4th draw in their last three La Liga contests and face Copa Del Rey finalists Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Real play Elche next before Champions League matchup against Atalanta.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone on the title race, "It's a long and difficult competition. I don't know what people expected, that we were going to win it by 20 points? We know it is going to be difficult."

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane said, "It's a point, we're alive and we're going to keep fighting. There's still a long way to go in La Liga and a lot of points at stake, we're going to fight until the end. Things can change quickly. We're doing the right things, although we know we can improve and that's what we're going to do."

Atletico are still ahead of their rivals but Real and Barcelona have closed the gap recently which could prevent them from clinching the La Liga title for the first time since 2014.