WorldSport-HD: ATLETICO MADRID VS. MALAGA Encore Presentation 8pm EST
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I just got the following update about the Spanish Premiere League due back in August. The La Liga summary before each LIVE game will be back as well this year for the season of 2004-2005.
I was traveling around the web when i found your website: you seem to do a LOT of work on it.
I am Paul Giblin- one of the English commentators for the World Sport Primera Liga games and it was good too look at some of the postings and see the generally positive comments about the programmes.
Sid Lowe and I certainly enjoy doing them and (athough he'll probably miss the first game of the season because he's going to Athens) are both looking forward to getting back into action.
As of yet, we don't know what game we will show, but i'll let you know what the fixtures are: they will be played on August 28 or 29 and are as follows:
Mallorca - Real Madrid,
Osasuna - Athletic Bilbao
Numancia - Betis
Valencia - Villarreal (this may be played 3 days later as Valencia - who won the UEFA Cup have to play the European Supercup on Friday Aug 26th)
Espanyol - Deportivo La Coruña
Zaragoza - Getafe
Sevilla - Albacete
Racing Santander - Barcelona
Real Sociedad - Levante
Maybe we will go to Santander or to see Espanyol, but as i say i can't confirm anything yet because the Spanish FA has yet to cinfirm kick off times and exact dates (spain is different).
As you can see there are 3 new teams this season (at the end of last year Murcia, Valladolid and Celta were relegated) and replaced with Numancia (from the town of Soria), Levante, who are the second team in the city of Valecia and Getafe, which is a small town about 10 miles south of Madrid, who have never been in the PRimera Liga ever (and will probably go straight back to the second division.
There are also a few new faces: Rafael Benitez - who led Valencia to the title, has left to coach Liverpool in England. He has been replaced by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri and the club have made six new signings - most of them Italian.
Real Madrid have bought a good defender Walter Samuel and have got Fernando Morientes back, they will probably sign French international Patrick VIeira and Real Sociedad's Xavi Alonso and look to have more depth than last year.
They sacked Carlos Queiroz the day the season ended and have replaced him with former club hero Jose Antonio Camacho - a man who should get more effort from the players.
Barcelona have signed a lot of players - but lost Edgar Davids, who went to Inter Milan. Barca have added Porto hero Deco to their squad as well as Monaco star Giuly, Celta's Silvinho and Villarreal's Belletti.
They may lack a defensive midfielder, but are trying to sign striker Samuel Eto'o from Mallorca as Patrick Kluiveryt has moved to Newcastle.
Deportivo have signed nobody except two youngsters from Las Palmas,
Athletic Bilbao, are still relying on youngsters and looking promising while Sevilla, have signed some good players including big former Valladolid striker Makukula and Albacete's Carlos Aranda - they could do very well next year.
Nobody else has done much special in the transfer market - and early indicatiions are that as well as th teams who have come up, Racing Santander, Albacete and maybe Real Sociedad will continue to struggle.
However, there are still almost 4 weeks to go, so things will change before the end of the month
all the best PAUL.
I was traveling around the web when i found your website: you seem to do a LOT of work on it.
I am Paul Giblin- one of the English commentators for the World Sport Primera Liga games and it was good too look at some of the postings and see the generally positive comments about the programmes.
Sid Lowe and I certainly enjoy doing them and (athough he'll probably miss the first game of the season because he's going to Athens) are both looking forward to getting back into action.
As of yet, we don't know what game we will show, but i'll let you know what the fixtures are: they will be played on August 28 or 29 and are as follows:
Mallorca - Real Madrid,
Osasuna - Athletic Bilbao
Numancia - Betis
Valencia - Villarreal (this may be played 3 days later as Valencia - who won the UEFA Cup have to play the European Supercup on Friday Aug 26th)
Espanyol - Deportivo La Coruña
Zaragoza - Getafe
Sevilla - Albacete
Racing Santander - Barcelona
Real Sociedad - Levante
Maybe we will go to Santander or to see Espanyol, but as i say i can't confirm anything yet because the Spanish FA has yet to cinfirm kick off times and exact dates (spain is different).
As you can see there are 3 new teams this season (at the end of last year Murcia, Valladolid and Celta were relegated) and replaced with Numancia (from the town of Soria), Levante, who are the second team in the city of Valecia and Getafe, which is a small town about 10 miles south of Madrid, who have never been in the PRimera Liga ever (and will probably go straight back to the second division.
There are also a few new faces: Rafael Benitez - who led Valencia to the title, has left to coach Liverpool in England. He has been replaced by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri and the club have made six new signings - most of them Italian.
Real Madrid have bought a good defender Walter Samuel and have got Fernando Morientes back, they will probably sign French international Patrick VIeira and Real Sociedad's Xavi Alonso and look to have more depth than last year.
They sacked Carlos Queiroz the day the season ended and have replaced him with former club hero Jose Antonio Camacho - a man who should get more effort from the players.
Barcelona have signed a lot of players - but lost Edgar Davids, who went to Inter Milan. Barca have added Porto hero Deco to their squad as well as Monaco star Giuly, Celta's Silvinho and Villarreal's Belletti.
They may lack a defensive midfielder, but are trying to sign striker Samuel Eto'o from Mallorca as Patrick Kluiveryt has moved to Newcastle.
Deportivo have signed nobody except two youngsters from Las Palmas,
Athletic Bilbao, are still relying on youngsters and looking promising while Sevilla, have signed some good players including big former Valladolid striker Makukula and Albacete's Carlos Aranda - they could do very well next year.
Nobody else has done much special in the transfer market - and early indicatiions are that as well as th teams who have come up, Racing Santander, Albacete and maybe Real Sociedad will continue to struggle.
However, there are still almost 4 weeks to go, so things will change before the end of the month
all the best PAUL.
I look forward to the new season. I really enjoy seeing the different levels of skill between the leagues available on World Sport, Fox Sports World, as well as those in Mexico and the MLS. There is such a difference. I hope World Sport can expand to cover additional leagues.
First game of the 2004-2005 season Just announced Valencia vs Villarreal on 8/28 or 8/29. Time to be determined.
http://www.worldsportsoccer.com/
http://www.worldsportsoccer.com/
This is all great news and why I come to this forum. The live HD La Liga games are a highlight for me - I have enjoyed VOOM since February and amd pleased with how much has happened in such a short period of time. Viva La Liga - Viva VOOM.
Cheers..........
Cheers..........
Hey Guys just got this regarding this game from Paul:
Just seen they've announced the Valencia - Villarreal game to kick off the season on August 28th or 29th.
That might not be the case for the following reason: Valencia have to play Champions League winners Porto in Monaco on Friday 27th. That means the Valencia game is going to be on Tuesday 31st (so their players can recover).
I don't know if that means we shall wait a couple of days and still open with that game, or do anther game instead or do another game AND then Valencia (my preferred option)
What it does look like is that this year we could be visiting some different grounds - so you don't get bored with Real Madrid, Barca and Valencia every week.
Seems we have visits to Sevilla and Atletico Madrid in the pipeline for the first month, although that has to be confirmed.
take care and keep in touch PAUL
PS the latest news in England is that Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen could join Madrid: imagine him and Beckham together!!!!
Just seen they've announced the Valencia - Villarreal game to kick off the season on August 28th or 29th.
That might not be the case for the following reason: Valencia have to play Champions League winners Porto in Monaco on Friday 27th. That means the Valencia game is going to be on Tuesday 31st (so their players can recover).
I don't know if that means we shall wait a couple of days and still open with that game, or do anther game instead or do another game AND then Valencia (my preferred option)
What it does look like is that this year we could be visiting some different grounds - so you don't get bored with Real Madrid, Barca and Valencia every week.
Seems we have visits to Sevilla and Atletico Madrid in the pipeline for the first month, although that has to be confirmed.
take care and keep in touch PAUL
PS the latest news in England is that Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen could join Madrid: imagine him and Beckham together!!!!
Sean:
This is fantastic info! Paul, if you are out there THANKS!!! Could we get Paul to post to the forum regularly? They should get him to do a quick spot on HDNews giving an overview of off-season La Liga news to prime us all for the coming season. His comments and insights are excellent. I really enjoy his on air commentary (and Sid's too). The thing that I enjoy most is how whimsically critical they both are when something goes awry. "What a dismal effort by Raul there!" "He has had an utterly, utterly horrible season." "Beckham's kick was nowhere near the target, a truly embarrassing effort by the midfielder". I like the way they keep the galacticos in their place.
Maybe Paul or Sid could pass along a recommendation to the powers that be regarding the broadcasts. Could they recommend that the info in the WorldSport program guide include on what date the match being broadcast was originally played? If the show is live then include "Live" in the program guide description. I realize the guide info comes from a third party but maybe they might know who to pressure to get things changed.
When it comes down to brass tacks the main reason I subscribe to VOOM is for the La Liga games on WorldSport. Everything else is icing on the cake.
This is fantastic info! Paul, if you are out there THANKS!!! Could we get Paul to post to the forum regularly? They should get him to do a quick spot on HDNews giving an overview of off-season La Liga news to prime us all for the coming season. His comments and insights are excellent. I really enjoy his on air commentary (and Sid's too). The thing that I enjoy most is how whimsically critical they both are when something goes awry. "What a dismal effort by Raul there!" "He has had an utterly, utterly horrible season." "Beckham's kick was nowhere near the target, a truly embarrassing effort by the midfielder". I like the way they keep the galacticos in their place.
Maybe Paul or Sid could pass along a recommendation to the powers that be regarding the broadcasts. Could they recommend that the info in the WorldSport program guide include on what date the match being broadcast was originally played? If the show is live then include "Live" in the program guide description. I realize the guide info comes from a third party but maybe they might know who to pressure to get things changed.
When it comes down to brass tacks the main reason I subscribe to VOOM is for the La Liga games on WorldSport. Everything else is icing on the cake.
It looks like Valencia will not be playing on the weekend but during the week as Paul mentioned above. Stay tuned to see what game will be shown on the last weekend of August.
Here it is guys from http://www.worldsportsoccer.com/
JUST ANNOUNCED: This game has been changed b/c the Spanish League has moved the date of Valencia vs. Villarreal to a mid-week game.
WEEK 1:
ATLETICO MADRID VS. MALAGA LIVE on World Sport August 28/29 (date and time TBD)
ALSO, an all-new season of the best Spanish League pre-game show: La Liga before every game.
PROPOSED GAMES:
WEEK 2:
Real Madrid vs. Numancia LIVE September 11/12 (Date/Time TBD)
WEEK 3:
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona LIVE September 18/19 (D/T TBD)
WEEK 4:
Barcelona vs. Zaragoza LIVE September 22 (Time TBD)
WEEK 5:
Sevilla vs. Real Sociedad LIVE September 26/27 (D/T TBD)
More updates to come shortly!
2004-2005 NEW LIVE SEASON
JUST ANNOUNCED: This game has been changed b/c the Spanish League has moved the date of Valencia vs. Villarreal to a mid-week game.
WEEK 1:
ATLETICO MADRID VS. MALAGA LIVE on World Sport August 28/29 (date and time TBD)
ALSO, an all-new season of the best Spanish League pre-game show: La Liga before every game.
PROPOSED GAMES:
WEEK 2:
Real Madrid vs. Numancia LIVE September 11/12 (Date/Time TBD)
WEEK 3:
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona LIVE September 18/19 (D/T TBD)
WEEK 4:
Barcelona vs. Zaragoza LIVE September 22 (Time TBD)
WEEK 5:
Sevilla vs. Real Sociedad LIVE September 26/27 (D/T TBD)
More updates to come shortly!
subdude212 said:
I got this from Paul:
Looking at the feedback on the site was pretty cheering stuff and I like the idea about sending stuff evry week or so.
Sid does a weekly column for an English braodsheet - The Guardian on Mondays or Tuesdays - which is usually pretty funny: i'll try and post that as well once the season kicks off (
Meanwhile if people want to do a Q & A that could be cool, maybe if they send a few questions to you and when you have a list of five or 10 send them on to me and I'll sit down at tap out my replies.
As you can see It's now Atletico Madrid - Malaga (which is fun because Malaga's new coach Gregorio Manzano coached Atletico last season and can expect a 'wam' welcome back to the Calderon.
Personally i still hope we can do the Valencia game as well, but that is not in my hands.
At the risk of sounding a bit naive I'd love for Paul to bring me up to speed on a number of topics. Hopefully others will chime in with a few questions. Just about all I know of European football leagues comes from Paul and Sid (and also to Steve and Shep) so I've got some fairly basic questions:
1. Could you explain a few of the different tournaments and "cups"? What is the difference between the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, Euro 20xx? How do teams qualify?
2. Do European soccer stadiums allow people to bring flares and other incendiary devices or are they just regularly smuggled in?
3. What are the limitations and durations of "transfer windows"?
4. What is the best English language web site to find insights, schedules and results to La Liga games as well as other European football leagues?
5. Are there fines and mandatory suspensions for accumulating a certain number of yellow and/or red cards over the course of the season in La Liga?
I've got a few more questions but these will do for starters.
1. Could you explain a few of the different tournaments and "cups"? What is the difference between the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, Euro 20xx? How do teams qualify?
2. Do European soccer stadiums allow people to bring flares and other incendiary devices or are they just regularly smuggled in?
3. What are the limitations and durations of "transfer windows"?
4. What is the best English language web site to find insights, schedules and results to La Liga games as well as other European football leagues?
5. Are there fines and mandatory suspensions for accumulating a certain number of yellow and/or red cards over the course of the season in La Liga?
I've got a few more questions but these will do for starters.
it's a pleasure to do this, it doesn't take much time and anything that raises the interest of the game and the programme, which we start recording again next week is great news.
1. Could you explain a few of the different tournaments and "cups"? What is the difference between the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, Euro 20xx? How do teams qualify?
OK the Champions League is for the best teams in the various European Leagues. In Spain, England and Italy it is the top four sides who qualifiy: the first 2 directly and the 3rd and fourth after a preliminary round. Leagues with lower status, such as France have 3 places, Scotland 2 and so on with smaller countries having to put their sides into the preliminary round. For example Polish Champions Krakow play Madrid (Madrid won 2-0 last night)
The UEFA Cup is for the teams that finish just below (in Spain 5th and 6th and also the Cup winners. So although it’s a big competition it is not AS big as the Champions. Also the team that finishes 3rd in the Group stage of the Champions League then goes into the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup.
Euro 2004 was an international tournament for countries- You qualify in much the same way as for the World Cup.
2. Do European soccer stadiums allow people to bring flares and other incendiary devices or are they just regularly smuggled in?
Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind, the fans smuggle them in. in Spain people have actually died as a result of them being thrown and every time one gets let off in a ground the club gets a big fine.
3. What are the limitations and durations of "transfer windows"?
The Transfer window means players can’t be bought or sold once the season starts, although in mid-season there is a month when the window is opened and players can be traded (normally end of December until end of January) However, although you can sign players from abroad. If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club.
4. What is the best English language web site to find insights, schedules and results to La Liga games as well as other European football leagues?
Dare I say the website run by the Press Association – www.sportinglife.com: it’s a general sport, but with lots of football, click on ‘football’ on the left of the menu, then overseas, then Spain – it’s pretty up to date – it should be as I work for PA and they keep me busy.
5. Are there fines and mandatory suspensions for accumulating a certain number of yellow and/or red cards over the course of the season in La Liga?
In general 5 yellow cards means an automatic one game ban. A direct red card or two yellows in the same game is also a one-game ban. However, if the red card is for something particularly nasty (ie punching someone), then the Disciplinary Committee can decide to suspend a player for longer. Although that usually means the club appealing and the case tends to then drag on for a long time.
Cheers PAUL
Ps Breaking news:
Mallorca striker Samuel Eto’o – the Mallorca player who destroyed Real Madrid in the Bernabeu late in the season is moving to BARCELONA for 27 million EUROS!!! – a great signing for Barca and it means Javier (the Rabbit) Saviola will probably leave on loan. A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side.
Also Villarreal look like winning a place in Europe through the Intertoto Cup (I forgot this, it is a pre-season compeition and the winners also claim a place in the UEFA Cup. If you remember Villarreal got to the Semi-finals of the UEFA last season and on Tuesday they beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 in Villarreal in the Intertoto final. There is still the second game to go, but it will be very hard to Atletico to win 3-0.
1. Could you explain a few of the different tournaments and "cups"? What is the difference between the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, Euro 20xx? How do teams qualify?
OK the Champions League is for the best teams in the various European Leagues. In Spain, England and Italy it is the top four sides who qualifiy: the first 2 directly and the 3rd and fourth after a preliminary round. Leagues with lower status, such as France have 3 places, Scotland 2 and so on with smaller countries having to put their sides into the preliminary round. For example Polish Champions Krakow play Madrid (Madrid won 2-0 last night)
The UEFA Cup is for the teams that finish just below (in Spain 5th and 6th and also the Cup winners. So although it’s a big competition it is not AS big as the Champions. Also the team that finishes 3rd in the Group stage of the Champions League then goes into the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup.
Euro 2004 was an international tournament for countries- You qualify in much the same way as for the World Cup.
2. Do European soccer stadiums allow people to bring flares and other incendiary devices or are they just regularly smuggled in?
Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind, the fans smuggle them in. in Spain people have actually died as a result of them being thrown and every time one gets let off in a ground the club gets a big fine.
3. What are the limitations and durations of "transfer windows"?
The Transfer window means players can’t be bought or sold once the season starts, although in mid-season there is a month when the window is opened and players can be traded (normally end of December until end of January) However, although you can sign players from abroad. If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club.
4. What is the best English language web site to find insights, schedules and results to La Liga games as well as other European football leagues?
Dare I say the website run by the Press Association – www.sportinglife.com: it’s a general sport, but with lots of football, click on ‘football’ on the left of the menu, then overseas, then Spain – it’s pretty up to date – it should be as I work for PA and they keep me busy.
5. Are there fines and mandatory suspensions for accumulating a certain number of yellow and/or red cards over the course of the season in La Liga?
In general 5 yellow cards means an automatic one game ban. A direct red card or two yellows in the same game is also a one-game ban. However, if the red card is for something particularly nasty (ie punching someone), then the Disciplinary Committee can decide to suspend a player for longer. Although that usually means the club appealing and the case tends to then drag on for a long time.
Cheers PAUL
Ps Breaking news:
Mallorca striker Samuel Eto’o – the Mallorca player who destroyed Real Madrid in the Bernabeu late in the season is moving to BARCELONA for 27 million EUROS!!! – a great signing for Barca and it means Javier (the Rabbit) Saviola will probably leave on loan. A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side.
Also Villarreal look like winning a place in Europe through the Intertoto Cup (I forgot this, it is a pre-season compeition and the winners also claim a place in the UEFA Cup. If you remember Villarreal got to the Semi-finals of the UEFA last season and on Tuesday they beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 in Villarreal in the Intertoto final. There is still the second game to go, but it will be very hard to Atletico to win 3-0.
Here are some of my questions (I am sure I have more):
1. Why does La Liga does not a schedule games before the season start? What is the rationale to announce the date and time a few days before the game?
2. Last year we saw some bad calls made by the officials. The replay clearly showed that it was a bad call. Has La Liga ever considered making "instant replay" available to the officials?
3. Does the League imposes fines or penalties on officials for making bad calls?
4. In the U.S. most professional sports have a players Union and Official Union? Is this the case in La Liga? Can players go on strike or the players union go on strike?
5. You mentioned that there were three teams that were relegated (Murcia, Valladolid and Celta )? What does this mean? Are they not going to play anymore? From I gather there were some divisions, what are they? Who get to be in each one?
6. In your Opinion, why the Real Madrid fail to win the Championship last year. They looked very strong but failed miserably at the end.
1. Why does La Liga does not a schedule games before the season start? What is the rationale to announce the date and time a few days before the game?
2. Last year we saw some bad calls made by the officials. The replay clearly showed that it was a bad call. Has La Liga ever considered making "instant replay" available to the officials?
3. Does the League imposes fines or penalties on officials for making bad calls?
4. In the U.S. most professional sports have a players Union and Official Union? Is this the case in La Liga? Can players go on strike or the players union go on strike?
5. You mentioned that there were three teams that were relegated (Murcia, Valladolid and Celta )? What does this mean? Are they not going to play anymore? From I gather there were some divisions, what are they? Who get to be in each one?
6. In your Opinion, why the Real Madrid fail to win the Championship last year. They looked very strong but failed miserably at the end.
SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS
1. Why does La Liga does not a schedule games before the season start? What is the rationale to announce the date and time a few days before the game?
There is a fixture list for the whole season, you can see it on the football league’s website www.lfp.es Unfortunately it only says what games are due to be played on what weekend. TV rights tend to be a factor on whether a game is then played on Saturday or Sunday. In Spain there is a live TV game on public TV on Saturday night and one on a satellite station Canal Plus on Sunday. The other games are all available pay per view, with the game involving Barcelona, Madrid or Atletico Madrid normally on at a different time to draw a bigger audience.
Other general rules are that if a side is playing in the Champions League (played on Tuesday or Wednesday), their game is played on Saturday to allow them more time to recover.
Sid and I both moan all the time that (unlike England for example where the times are known weeks and months ahead) the kick off times are only published sometimes a matter or days before the games. It is a nightmare for us as although we know where we are going, we don’t know when. For example this year there are games scheduled for December 22. But there will probably be one on December 23 AND WE WON’T KNOW WHICH UNTIL JUST BEFORE – you can imagine this makes booking a flight for Xmas with the folks back in England a bit complicated.
Lets just say the Spanish are not the best organisers in the world.
2. Last year we saw some bad calls made by the officials. The replay clearly showed that it was a bad call. Has La Liga ever considered making "instant replay" available to the officials?
Spanish referees do seem pretty poor at times, but in soccer there is no instant replay – it all adds to the spice of the game. And keeps the press busy for days afterwards as everyone complains. There is some talk of putting camera’s in the goal to see if the ball has crossed the line, but that’s it. The general feeling is that with football being a flowing sport, rather than stop-start like baseball or American football, if the referees were stopping to look at a TV monitor all the time, it would interrupt the flow of the game and I tend to agree.
3. Does the League imposes fines or penalties on officials for making bad calls?
No they don’t, although there are calls for them to do so. It seems that referees are untouchable and the referee’s union fights very hard to protect them A few years ago a referee pretended a player had pushed him and even though the TV showed the player was innocent he still got a 9-game ban and the ref was working again a week after. Incredible!
4. In the U.S. most professional sports have a players Union and Official Union? Is this the case in La Liga? Can players go on strike or the players union go on strike?
There is a player’s union – the AFP, in theory the players could go on strike – they did in Italy a year or two ago, but with so many financial interests at stake (especially TV money) it is unlikely.
5. You mentioned that there were three teams that were relegated (Murcia, Valladolid and Celta )? What does this mean? Are they not going to play anymore? From I gather there were some divisions, what are they? Who get to be in each one?
In Spain the league structure is like this: there is the Primera League, then below that the Second Division. Both are national and the top three teams in the Second Division (this year – Getafe, Numancia and Levante) get promoted to the Primera, while the bottom three in the Primera are relegated to the Second Division. Below the Second Division there are four leagues on a broadly regional basis known as Segunda B. Every year the bottom 4 from Segunda are relegated there while the top 4 from each Segunda B play off for 4 places in the Second (these leagues are all more or less professional) Below that there is a 17 group 3rd Division. It is a pyramid shaped system.
6. In your Opinion, why the Real Madrid fail to win the Championship last year. They looked very strong but failed miserably at the end
I think they messed up least year for several reasons. First of all despite having the best starting 11 in the league, there was no depth, so when they had 2 or 3 players out (normal after a few months when injuries and suspensions are a factor) there was not enough quality backup. You could see players like Beckham, Raul and Zidane were all exhausted as the season drew to an end and all 3 were poor in the European Championships as well.
Also they did a pre-season tour of the Far East which never allowed them to do proper pre-season training and get a good fitness base for the campaign – that is more important than people think.
Finally their defence was poor. They didn’t really have a defensive midfielder (which is why they are now trying to sign Patrick Vieira) and there was a lack of cover for Ivan Helguera. Raul Bravo did OK, but was out of position, Pavon had a poor season and there was nobody to play if Michel Salgado and Roberto Carlos were out (do you remember them losing 4-1in Sevilla?)
Also Ronaldo had to play too much, he hardly trained and he got fat. Then at the end of the season he was injured and there was nobody to score goals.
This year they have bought Walter Samuel to play in central defence, they want Vieira – who is excellent and Fernando Morientes is back from Monaco, so they have more depth in every position. At the moment, I think they have to be favourites to win this time around.
1. Why does La Liga does not a schedule games before the season start? What is the rationale to announce the date and time a few days before the game?
There is a fixture list for the whole season, you can see it on the football league’s website www.lfp.es Unfortunately it only says what games are due to be played on what weekend. TV rights tend to be a factor on whether a game is then played on Saturday or Sunday. In Spain there is a live TV game on public TV on Saturday night and one on a satellite station Canal Plus on Sunday. The other games are all available pay per view, with the game involving Barcelona, Madrid or Atletico Madrid normally on at a different time to draw a bigger audience.
Other general rules are that if a side is playing in the Champions League (played on Tuesday or Wednesday), their game is played on Saturday to allow them more time to recover.
Sid and I both moan all the time that (unlike England for example where the times are known weeks and months ahead) the kick off times are only published sometimes a matter or days before the games. It is a nightmare for us as although we know where we are going, we don’t know when. For example this year there are games scheduled for December 22. But there will probably be one on December 23 AND WE WON’T KNOW WHICH UNTIL JUST BEFORE – you can imagine this makes booking a flight for Xmas with the folks back in England a bit complicated.
Lets just say the Spanish are not the best organisers in the world.
2. Last year we saw some bad calls made by the officials. The replay clearly showed that it was a bad call. Has La Liga ever considered making "instant replay" available to the officials?
Spanish referees do seem pretty poor at times, but in soccer there is no instant replay – it all adds to the spice of the game. And keeps the press busy for days afterwards as everyone complains. There is some talk of putting camera’s in the goal to see if the ball has crossed the line, but that’s it. The general feeling is that with football being a flowing sport, rather than stop-start like baseball or American football, if the referees were stopping to look at a TV monitor all the time, it would interrupt the flow of the game and I tend to agree.
3. Does the League imposes fines or penalties on officials for making bad calls?
No they don’t, although there are calls for them to do so. It seems that referees are untouchable and the referee’s union fights very hard to protect them A few years ago a referee pretended a player had pushed him and even though the TV showed the player was innocent he still got a 9-game ban and the ref was working again a week after. Incredible!
4. In the U.S. most professional sports have a players Union and Official Union? Is this the case in La Liga? Can players go on strike or the players union go on strike?
There is a player’s union – the AFP, in theory the players could go on strike – they did in Italy a year or two ago, but with so many financial interests at stake (especially TV money) it is unlikely.
5. You mentioned that there were three teams that were relegated (Murcia, Valladolid and Celta )? What does this mean? Are they not going to play anymore? From I gather there were some divisions, what are they? Who get to be in each one?
In Spain the league structure is like this: there is the Primera League, then below that the Second Division. Both are national and the top three teams in the Second Division (this year – Getafe, Numancia and Levante) get promoted to the Primera, while the bottom three in the Primera are relegated to the Second Division. Below the Second Division there are four leagues on a broadly regional basis known as Segunda B. Every year the bottom 4 from Segunda are relegated there while the top 4 from each Segunda B play off for 4 places in the Second (these leagues are all more or less professional) Below that there is a 17 group 3rd Division. It is a pyramid shaped system.
6. In your Opinion, why the Real Madrid fail to win the Championship last year. They looked very strong but failed miserably at the end
I think they messed up least year for several reasons. First of all despite having the best starting 11 in the league, there was no depth, so when they had 2 or 3 players out (normal after a few months when injuries and suspensions are a factor) there was not enough quality backup. You could see players like Beckham, Raul and Zidane were all exhausted as the season drew to an end and all 3 were poor in the European Championships as well.
Also they did a pre-season tour of the Far East which never allowed them to do proper pre-season training and get a good fitness base for the campaign – that is more important than people think.
Finally their defence was poor. They didn’t really have a defensive midfielder (which is why they are now trying to sign Patrick Vieira) and there was a lack of cover for Ivan Helguera. Raul Bravo did OK, but was out of position, Pavon had a poor season and there was nobody to play if Michel Salgado and Roberto Carlos were out (do you remember them losing 4-1in Sevilla?)
Also Ronaldo had to play too much, he hardly trained and he got fat. Then at the end of the season he was injured and there was nobody to score goals.
This year they have bought Walter Samuel to play in central defence, they want Vieira – who is excellent and Fernando Morientes is back from Monaco, so they have more depth in every position. At the moment, I think they have to be favourites to win this time around.
Thank You Paul Giblin!
Paul:
Thanks so much for your responses! Several mysteries are now solved. The UEFA cup sounds particularly tricky for qualifying.
1. You stated "The UEFA Cup is for the teams that finish just below (in Spain 5th and 6th and also the Cup winners." Do you mean the previous year's UEFA cup champion or some other cup winner like this Intertoto you mentioned?
2. You said, "Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind" If that was the game where a pile of paper debris caught fire in front of the stands near the endline, that's one of the ones that struck me. I was in Italy a few years back when a kid at a Roma - Lazio match took a firework in the eye and died as play continued of course.
3. You said, "If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club." Is this what the term "cup tied" is all about? I was reading up at the sporting life web site about Michael Owen and he sat out a recent Champions League match so as not to be "cup tied" - is this similar to the limitation that the Primera Liga stipulates? I'm not yet sure how this works.
4. "A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side." Is this rule the same in all of the European Leagues or does it vary? Does this rule apply to a specific game as in who is on the field at one time or does it apply to the whole team roster regardless of any match being played? Could you explain "loaning" of players to other teams? How does that work exactly?
5. You haven't mentioned Guti or Solari, will they be returning for Real Madrid this season? Fernando Morientes looks like he's already paying big dividends, it will be great to see him play this season.
Thanks again for posting your responses. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season.
PS. I don't know if you see a monitor in the booth when you broadcast but the WorldSport cameras have an uncanny knack about capturing fans at the very moment of making some pretty rude gestures. Don't get me wrong I find this very entertaining by the way, especially when the fan "flipping the bird" or giving the international symbol for "up yours" is an elderly woman or young kid. Ah, the passion of the game...
Paul:
Thanks so much for your responses! Several mysteries are now solved. The UEFA cup sounds particularly tricky for qualifying.
1. You stated "The UEFA Cup is for the teams that finish just below (in Spain 5th and 6th and also the Cup winners." Do you mean the previous year's UEFA cup champion or some other cup winner like this Intertoto you mentioned?
2. You said, "Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind" If that was the game where a pile of paper debris caught fire in front of the stands near the endline, that's one of the ones that struck me. I was in Italy a few years back when a kid at a Roma - Lazio match took a firework in the eye and died as play continued of course.
3. You said, "If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club." Is this what the term "cup tied" is all about? I was reading up at the sporting life web site about Michael Owen and he sat out a recent Champions League match so as not to be "cup tied" - is this similar to the limitation that the Primera Liga stipulates? I'm not yet sure how this works.
4. "A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side." Is this rule the same in all of the European Leagues or does it vary? Does this rule apply to a specific game as in who is on the field at one time or does it apply to the whole team roster regardless of any match being played? Could you explain "loaning" of players to other teams? How does that work exactly?
5. You haven't mentioned Guti or Solari, will they be returning for Real Madrid this season? Fernando Morientes looks like he's already paying big dividends, it will be great to see him play this season.
Thanks again for posting your responses. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming season.
PS. I don't know if you see a monitor in the booth when you broadcast but the WorldSport cameras have an uncanny knack about capturing fans at the very moment of making some pretty rude gestures. Don't get me wrong I find this very entertaining by the way, especially when the fan "flipping the bird" or giving the international symbol for "up yours" is an elderly woman or young kid. Ah, the passion of the game...
1.You stated "The UEFA Cup is for the teams that finish just below (in Spain 5th and 6th and also the Cup winners." Do you mean the previous year's UEFA cup champion or some other cup winner like this Intertoto you mentioned?
In this case the Spanish Copa del Rey (won by Zaragoza last season who finished below half way in the Primera Liga)
2. You said, "Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind" If that was the game where a pile of paper debris caught fire in front of the stands near the endline, that's one of the ones that struck me. I was in Italy a few years back when a kid at a Roma - Lazio match took a firework in the eye and died as play continued of course.
Yeah that’s the game.
3. You said, "If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club." Is this what the term "cup tied" is all about? I was reading up at the sporting life web site about Michael Owen and he sat out a recent Champions League match so as not to be "cup tied" - is this similar to the limitation that the Primera Liga stipulates? I'm not yet sure how this works.
More or less, although not the same, ‘Cup tied’ means that if a player has played for one team in a (usually cup) competition then he can’t play for another team in that same competition that year. For example Madrid could still sell Morientes or Raul or Ronaldo to Manchester United tomorrow if they wanted, but as they have already played in the Champions League, they couldn’t play for Manchester in the Champions. (although they could play in the English Premier League with no problems)
4. "A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side." Is this rule the same in all of the European Leagues or does it vary? Does this rule apply to a specific game as in who is on the field at one time or does it apply to the whole team roster regardless of any match being played? Could you explain "loaning" of players to other teams? How does that work exactly?
I think (but I am not 100 % certain) it applies to all European Union leagues. It means a side can’t have 3 non-EU players on the pitch at any one time, although you can have non-EU players as substitutes. However, this can (and has) caused problems in the past.
2 or 3 years ago, Valencia made the mistake of bringing on Serb (non-EU country) striker Denis Serban on as an 89th minute substitute in a Cup game. The then coach didn’t realise they already had 3 non-EU players on the pitch and even though they took one of them off almost straight afterwards, the game was awarded to their opponents.
Racing Santander made a similar error against Osasuna last season and had points deducted, so the best thing is to only have 3 to avoid any chance of error.
5. You haven't mentioned Guti or Solari, will they be returning for Real Madrid this season? Fernando Morientes looks like he's already paying big dividends, it will be great to see him play this season.
Guti and Solari are still both at Madrid and will probably be first or second choice subs should anyone get injured. A shame as I really like Solari and think he should move to get the first team action he deserves.
As for the fans flipping the bird, I think they probably look for them on purpose!
In this case the Spanish Copa del Rey (won by Zaragoza last season who finished below half way in the Primera Liga)
2. You said, "Flares are NOT allowed into stadium: Although as you saw in a few games last season – Marseilles springs to mind" If that was the game where a pile of paper debris caught fire in front of the stands near the endline, that's one of the ones that struck me. I was in Italy a few years back when a kid at a Roma - Lazio match took a firework in the eye and died as play continued of course.
Yeah that’s the game.
3. You said, "If a Primera Liga player has made 5 appearances - including the Cup – he can’t be traded to another Primera Liga club." Is this what the term "cup tied" is all about? I was reading up at the sporting life web site about Michael Owen and he sat out a recent Champions League match so as not to be "cup tied" - is this similar to the limitation that the Primera Liga stipulates? I'm not yet sure how this works.
More or less, although not the same, ‘Cup tied’ means that if a player has played for one team in a (usually cup) competition then he can’t play for another team in that same competition that year. For example Madrid could still sell Morientes or Raul or Ronaldo to Manchester United tomorrow if they wanted, but as they have already played in the Champions League, they couldn’t play for Manchester in the Champions. (although they could play in the English Premier League with no problems)
4. "A club can’t play more than 3 players who don’t have a European passport at the same time, so Saviola has no place in the side." Is this rule the same in all of the European Leagues or does it vary? Does this rule apply to a specific game as in who is on the field at one time or does it apply to the whole team roster regardless of any match being played? Could you explain "loaning" of players to other teams? How does that work exactly?
I think (but I am not 100 % certain) it applies to all European Union leagues. It means a side can’t have 3 non-EU players on the pitch at any one time, although you can have non-EU players as substitutes. However, this can (and has) caused problems in the past.
2 or 3 years ago, Valencia made the mistake of bringing on Serb (non-EU country) striker Denis Serban on as an 89th minute substitute in a Cup game. The then coach didn’t realise they already had 3 non-EU players on the pitch and even though they took one of them off almost straight afterwards, the game was awarded to their opponents.
Racing Santander made a similar error against Osasuna last season and had points deducted, so the best thing is to only have 3 to avoid any chance of error.
5. You haven't mentioned Guti or Solari, will they be returning for Real Madrid this season? Fernando Morientes looks like he's already paying big dividends, it will be great to see him play this season.
Guti and Solari are still both at Madrid and will probably be first or second choice subs should anyone get injured. A shame as I really like Solari and think he should move to get the first team action he deserves.
As for the fans flipping the bird, I think they probably look for them on purpose!
Paul:
Thanks again for your responses, very informative.
). On the down side he seems to be caught out of position every once and a while so he scrambles to get back in the play. Solari on the other hand seems to be quite steady and things tend to happen when he comes in as a sub. He's great to watch.
It looks like Vieira is going to stay at Arsenal but Michael Owen appears to be headed for the Bernabeu. I'm looking forward to seeing him play.
Could you explain the concept of "loaning" players and how that works. Thanks again.
Thanks again for your responses, very informative.
I like watching Guti play, he seems very tough and willing to mix it up with anybody (including a few refereesPaul Giblin said:
). On the down side he seems to be caught out of position every once and a while so he scrambles to get back in the play. Solari on the other hand seems to be quite steady and things tend to happen when he comes in as a sub. He's great to watch.It looks like Vieira is going to stay at Arsenal but Michael Owen appears to be headed for the Bernabeu. I'm looking forward to seeing him play.
Could you explain the concept of "loaning" players and how that works. Thanks again.
