FC Barcelona – Sports Africa

How the race for Europe stands in LaLiga Santander: Just two points separate seventh from 11th

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There are now just four matchdays remaining in LaLiga Santander and there is still so much still to play for. Several clubs are currently taking part in the race to qualify for the 2023/24 UEFA competitions and the battle is ever so tight.

With FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid set in stone to qualify for Europe, here’s a round-up of the other teams fighting it out to join them, from fourth-placed Real Sociedad down to 11th-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Real Sociedad (4th, 62 points)

After the top three of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, the team currently occupying the final Champions League spot is Real Sociedad. Under the coaching of Imanol Alguacil, La Real have come close to reaching the Champions League on a few occasions over the past few years. Returning to Europe’s top competition, which the Basque side last participated in in 2013/14, has become an objective for the club and they currently hold a comfortable advantage over Villarreal CF, thanks to the recent good performances of the likes of David Silva, Takefusa Kubo and others.

Remaining fixtures: FC Barcelona (A), UD Almería (H), Atlético de Madrid (A), Sevilla FC (H)

Villarreal CF (5th, 57 points)

At Villarreal CF, nobody is giving up hope of making a return to the Champions League. Even though there is a five-point gap, Villarreal CF often finish seasons well and still believe that they could make a return to the Champions League, a competition they reached the semi-finals of in 2021/22. Even if Quique Setién’s men don’t end up catching La Real for fourth, fifth place brings direct passage to the Europa League group stages and that too is a success for this club from a city of 50,000 people.

Remaining fixtures: Girona FC (A), Cádiz CF (H), Rayo Vallecano (A), Atlético de Madrid (H)

Real Betis (6th, 55 points)

Real Betis have never before qualified for European football in three consecutive seasons, but that’s very much on the cards this campaign. Los Verdiblancos currently hold a Europa League group stage ticket as they sit in sixth place. Thanks to their recent wins over Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have opened up a sizable gap. That’s very impressive considering the team lost star midfielder Nabil Fekir to a season-ending injury in February.

Remaining fixtures: Sevilla FC (A), Getafe CF (H), Girona FC (A), Valencia CF (H)

Girona FC (7th, 48 points)

Because this year’s Copa del Rey was won by Real Madrid, who’ll qualify for Europe through their league position, an extra European spot has become available for whoever finishes seventh in LaLiga Santander. Girona FC currently occupy that place, which grants entry to the Conference League, and they’d make history if they hold on to it, as the Catalan club have never before qualified for Europe. After winning promotion through the LaLiga SmartBank playoffs last season, Míchel’s side have been playing some thrilling football this term, and they’re currently the fourth-top scorers in the division with 54 goals scored from 34 matches.

Remaining fixtures: Villarreal CF (H), RC Celta (A), Real Betis (H), CA Osasuna (A)

Athletic Club (8th, 47 points)

Athletic Club are no strangers to European football, however the Basques haven’t had to look out their passports since 2018. With Ernesto Valverde back at the helm this season, Los Leones want to qualify for Europe again and the dynamic football of brothers Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams means that they have a chance. Even if they’re outside the top seven right now, Athletic Club are just one point behind Girona FC and have no shortage of belief.

Remaining fixtures: RC Celta (H), CA Osasuna (A), Elche CF (H), Real Madrid (A)

CA Osasuna (9th, 47 points)

CA Osasuna immediately overcame the disappointment of losing the Copa del Rey final by defeating UD Almería 3-1 in Matchday 34. That has put them firmly in the race to qualify for Europe for the first time in a decade and a half. There is optimism in Pamplona, especially because they still face some of their direct rivals, as Athletic Club and Girona FC will both visit El Sadar.

Remaining fixtures: Atlético de Madrid (A), Athletic Club (H), Getafe CF (A), Girona FC (H)

Sevilla FC (10th, 47 points)

Just a few weeks ago, Sevilla FC were more concerned about the threat of relegation than about the possibility of finishing in the European positions. But, their results have improved significantly under new coach José Luis Mendilibar and Los Rojiblancos could finish inside the top seven.

Remaining fixtures: Real Betis (H), Elche CF (A), Real Madrid (H), Real Sociedad (A)

Rayo Vallecano (11th, 46 points)

Another team that believes European qualification is possible is Rayo Vallecano. The team from the capital city have been in Europe once before, in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, and they’re aiming for a return this year. The electric home atmosphere at Vallecas has been spurring the team on in recent weeks, such as during their 2-1 victory over FC Barcelona. If Isi Palazón and co. can keep collecting three-point hauls, Vallecas could be hosting clubs from across Europe in a few months’ time.

Remaining fixtures: RCD Espanyol (H), Real Madrid (A), Villarreal CF (H), RCD Mallorca (A)

10 things we learned this week in LaLiga Santander

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This past week was a momentous one in Spanish football, as FC Barcelona clinched the LaLiga Santander title. There were several other big moments in Spain’s top division this past week, as well as important results for Spanish sides in Europe. All that and more is discussed below.

FC Barcelona are 2022/23 LaLiga Santander champions

With their 4-2 victory in Sunday’s Barcelona Derby, Xavi Hernández’s FC Barcelona side mathematically clinched the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander title with four matchdays remaining. Barça have been consistently picking up points throughout the season and are deserved champions, winning the Spanish championship for the first time since 2019.

Sergio Busquets announces his departure

In the same week as he won his first LaLiga Santander title as FC Barcelona captain, Sergio Busquets also announced that he’ll leave the club at the end of the 2022/23 season. He does so as the joint-second-most decorated player in the club’s history, with the legendary midfielder having won 32 titles during his 15 years in the Barça first team.

Nicolas Jackson is in brilliant form

Nicolas Jackson is arguably the most in-form striker in LaLiga Santander right now, with the 21-year-old scoring two more goals in Villarreal CF’s 5-1 win over Athletic Club on Saturday. That means he has now netted in four matchdays in a row, scoring six goals across those four games. The Senegal international is truly enjoying a breakout season.

Girona FC hold on to their European ticket

For now, Girona FC remain in seventh place in the LaLiga Santander table, which is the last Conference League spot. The Catalan outfit are clinging on to that position by one point, which they earned with a 2-2 draw away at Real Sociedad on Saturday. Despite going 2-0 down in the first 25 minutes, goals from Yan Couto and Cristhian Stuani pulled Míchel’s side level.

Real Madrid retake second place

The battle for second place is still wide open, and Real Madrid climbed back above Atlético de Madrid this past weekend as Los Blancos overcame Getafe CF 1-0 at home thanks to Marco Asensio’s latest goal, before Atleti fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at bottom-placed Elche CF, highlighting the competitiveness of LaLiga Santander. That means Real Madrid are now two points ahead of their city rivals in this tight race for the runners-up spot.

Valencia CF take a huge step towards safety

Matchday 34 was an excellent one for Valencia CF, who took a huge step towards safety. Not only did Los Che win 2-1 at RC Celta, with 21-year-old Alberto Marí scoring the winner, but Valencia CF also benefited from the fact that relegation rivals RCD Espanyol, Getafe CF, Real Valladolid, Cádiz CF and UD Almería all lost. They’re now in 14th and three points clear of the drop zone.

Isi Palazón commits to Rayo Vallecano until 2028

Over the course of 2022/23, Isi Palazón has been playing at a very high level for Rayo Vallecano, scoring eight goals and providing five assists too. Therefore, it’s excellent news for the club that the talented winger has renewed and signed a contract extension until 2028. “It was an easy decision to take because I’m happy here,” he stated.

Raúl Albiol is staying on at Villarreal CF

There was also a contract renewal at Villarreal CF this past week, with veteran centre-back Raúl Albiol agreeing to stay on for another year, until the summer of 2024. The 37-year-old is still one of the best central defenders in the division and is looking forward to playing European football once again with Villarreal CF.

Vinícius scores a wonder goal in Real Madrid’s Champions League semi first leg

Real Madrid are currently in the middle of a Champions League semi-final tie against Manchester City, which is perfectly poised at 1-1 following the first leg at the Bernabéu. Los Blancos are looking to return to the final after winning the European Cup last season, and Vinícius put them ahead on the scoreboard in the semi-final by firing in a super strike from distance in the first half of the first leg. Now, they’ll look to win the second leg in Manchester.

Sevilla FC dominate Juventus in Turin

Sevilla FC were also in continental action in midweek, with the Andalusian club visiting Juventus for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. José Luis Mendilibar’s side dominated the Italian outfit in Turin and went ahead thanks to a goal from Youssef En-Nesyri and almost held on for a 1-0 win, only to concede a last-minute equaliser. Still, the 1-1 first-leg result is a good one for Sevilla FC and they’ll be confident ahead of the second leg with the electric atmosphere of the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

FC Barcelona in Numbers: iconic goals, historic records, stats, and more

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3 – The only club in history to have won a league, cup and European Cup treble more than once (2009, 2015).

17 – The age at which Ansu Fati became the Champions League’s youngest ever goalscorer (17 years and 40 days).

27 – The club have won 27 LaLiga trophies throughout their history, the most recent title in 2023.

31 – The club with the most Copa del Rey titles, with 34 triumphs in that tournament and the most recent coming in 2021.

42 – With Ernesto Valverde as the coach, FC Barcelona went 42 games unbeaten in LaLiga Santander between 2017 and 2018, an all-time record in Spain.

67 – Barcelona have played 67 consecutive seasons in European competition, the only team to have done so since it began in 1955.

672 – The number of goals scored by the club’s record goalscorer, Lionel Messi.

1899 – The club was founded in 1899 by Swiss businessman Hans Gamper.

6,392 – The number of goals scored by FC Barcelona in the history of LaLiga Santander, which is the most of all clubs.

99,354 – Barcelona’s home stadium, the Camp Nou, has the biggest capacity in all of Europe.

Barca secure La Liga title, relegation fight stays close

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FC Barcelona clinched the La Liga title with four games left this season, thanks to a 4-2 win away against local rivals Espanyol on Sunday night.

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, and Alejandro Balde doubled the lead with a far-post volley nine minutes later before Lewandowski’s second of the match made it 3-0 before halftime.

Jules Kounde headed home Barca’s fourth eight minutes into the second half, and although Javi Puado pulled a goal back for Espanyol in the 73rd minute and Joselu netted a second in injury time, it was too little too late for Espanyol, who remain second from bottom of the table.

The result leaves Xavi Hernandez’s side with 84 points from 34 matches: a 14-point lead over second-place Real Madrid and 16 points more than Atletico Madrid in third.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made seven changes ahead of next week’s Champions League semifinal return leg away to Manchester City for Saturday’s 1-0 win at home against Getafe.

A far-from-vintage Madrid display was decided in their favor thanks to Marco Asensio’s 69th-minute goal, but Madrid lost Eduardo Camavinga to injury.

That win lifts Real Madrid back to second place in the table after Atletico Madrid slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat away against already-relegated Elche.

Diego Simeone’s side produced an uncharacteristically lackluster performance and committed just three fouls in the entire 90 minutes, with Fidel netting the only goal of the game and Atletico failing to respond.

Real Sociedad and Girona drew 2-2 in a result that suits both sides as Real Sociedad move closer to securing fourth place, while Girona maintain their hopes of playing in Europe next season after goals from Yan Couto and Cristhian Stuani saw them fight back after early goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and David Silva had put ‘la Real’ 2-0 up early in the game.

Villarreal also moved closer to securing a place in Europe with a 5-1 win at home against Athletic Bilbao. Alex Baena and Nicolas Jackson both scored twice, and Aitor Paredes netted an own goal as Villarreal found acres of space in attack.

Osasuna returned to winning ways with an impressive 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Almeria, thanks to goals from Ante Budimir, Ezza Abde, and Moi Gomez.

Pablo Maffeo’s first-half header following a corner gave Mallorca a 1-0 win at home against Cadiz on Friday.

That defeat leaves Cadiz deep in trouble after Valencia won 2-1 away against Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon. The visitors opened the scoring thanks to fit-again Justin Kluivert in the eighth minute, and although Celta controlled the ball, their moves nearly always broke down with the final pass.

Haris Seferovic finally leveled on the hour, but Valencia youngster Alberto Mari scored a vital winning goal two minutes from time, although Valencia’s celebrations were cut short when Gabriel Paulista was sent off in injury time.

Valladolid also remain deep in trouble after a controversial 3-0 defeat at home against Sevilla.

The home side was furious that the referee disallowed what would have been an opening goal from Sergio Escudero, as he blew the whistle for halftime as the ball was flying towards the Sevilla goal.

Raf Mir chested Sevilla ahead five minutes into the second half and Papu Gomez doubled the lead after breaking the offside trap, before Jesus Corona rounded off the win in injury time.

Barca on brink of elimination, Atletico with mountain to climb in Champions League

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FC Barcelona were held 3-3 at home to Inter Milan in a thrilling game on Wednesday night that means it will take a miracle for them to continue in the tournament.

The result leaves Barca with four points from four games, three behind Inter in Group C, who have the better head-to head record and who will ensure their place in the next round with a win at home to Viktoria Plzen, who have lost all four group games, conceding 16 goals in the process.

Barca, meanwhile, have to win at home to Bayern Munich and away to Plzen and hope Inter fail to win either of their remaining games.

The match turned into an end-to-end thriller, with the result in doubt until the final whistle.

Inter began brightly and Edin Dzeko had the first chance with a header that rattled the Barca crossbar, before the home side came increasingly into the game.

Barca’s pressure high up the pitch began to force errors from the Italians and the chances started to arrive.

Sergi Roberto, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha all had chances before Roberto combined with Raphinha to serve the ball for Ousmane Dembele to score from close range five minutes before the break.

Inter were level five minutes into the second half when Nicolo Barella took advantage of a big loss of concentration from Gerard Pique to sneak in behind the Barca defense and beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a first-time shot.

Suddenly, Inter were creating chances, with Gavi blocking Dzeko’s volley before ter Stegen denied Hakan Calhanoglu’s left-footed effort and got down well to stop Lautaro Martinez’s goalbound header.

A goal was coming and it was delivered by Martinez, who controlled well and fired home off both posts, with the Barca defense all over the place.

Lewandowski drew Barca level thanks to a deflection with eight minutes left, but with Barca stretched looking for a winning goal, Gosens finished a perfect counter-attack to put Inter 3-2 ahead.

Lewandowski made it 3-3 from Eric Garcia’s cross in the second of six minutes of injury-time to give Barca a lifeline, and ter Stegen then produced a brilliant save to stop Martinez scoring a fourth for Inter in a thrilling finish.

Earlier in the day, a sublime performance from Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet helped his side cling on for a 0-0 draw away to Atletico Madrid in Group B.

The result means the Belgian side have qualified for the last 16 of the competition, but leave Atletico in a delicate situation with just four points from four games and with a lot of work to do in the last two games.

The Spanish side have failed to score in five of their last six Champions League matches, although on Tuesday a lot of the responsibility was down to Mignolet, who produced a string of excellent stops, including a first-half save to frustrate Antoine Griezmann and second-half stops from Alvaro Morata and Matheus Cunha.

Brugge ended the game with ten men after Kamal Sowah was shown a second yellow card in the 92nd minute, but there was no time for Atletico to force a much-needed winner.

Critical Champions League matches for Atletico Madrid and Barcelona

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Spanish sides Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona both face must-win Champions League matches on Wednesday night to secure their places in the knockout stages of the competition.

Barca are at home to Inter Milan, who beat them 1-0 in Italy a week ago, and the Catalans are still upset about a late penalty decision that didn’t go their way when VAR failed to see a clear handball in the Inter area.

The defeat leaves Xavi Hernandez’s side with just three points from a possible nine and another loss to Inter would effectively end their chances of reaching the last 16 and deal a significant blow to the club’s delicate economy.

Refereeing controversies aside, Xavi will be worried by a dip in form in the past three matches as a string of injuries have limited his options. Jules Kounde, Hector Bellerin, Franck Kessie, Ronald Araujo and Memphis Depay will all miss out on Wednesday, while other players, such as Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Gavi, Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele, have played in every league match so far this season and their energy levels dipped on Sunday as they clung on to win 1-0 at home to Celta Vigo.

Xavi is likely to continue with Alejandro Balde at right-back, while Gerard Pique and Eric Garcia continue as his only fit options in central defense.

Atletico Madrid are in a similar position to Barca after losing their last two away matches in the tournament, with the last of those defeats a 2-0 loss away to Club Brugge.

The Belgian side travel to the Metropolitano Stadium as surprise leaders of Group B with nine points from a possible nine, and can assure their place in the next phase if they can take a point.

There was good news for Atletico on Monday when Antoine Griezmann re-signed until 2026 after Atletico and Barca reached agreement to make his loan deal permanent, and he will start on Wednesday night.

Sergio Reguilon, Felipe and Marcos Llorente are all out through injury, and Stefan Savic and Jose Gimenez will play in defense, while Alvaro Morata partners Griezmann.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone will be looking for Joao Felix to return to form in this match, and with over 70,000 fans expected in the Metropolitano, now would be a good moment for the talented but erratic Portuguese to take a step forward.

Ancelotti, Xavi explain what they need in transfer window closing days

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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and his Barcelona counterpart Xavi Hernandez Saturday explained what they expect from the closing days of the transfer window.

With the window closing on August 31, most eyes are on possible departures at Real Madrid and the club’s options of buying a striker to provide backup to Karim Benzema.

However, Ancelotti said he would be putting his confidence in Mariano Diaz, who many had expected to leave before the end of the month.

“I am counting on Mariano; he has the best striker in the world ahead of him and it is much harder for him to get a game than others,” said Ancelotti, who was less clear about the future of Marco Asensio.

“We have a lot of resources in our squad and if Marco leaves, we are not going to sign anyone, because we don’t need to,” he said.

Ancelotti also confirmed that former Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos would be staying at the club, commenting that “he wants to stay and we are delighted.”

“From next week onwards, we have a game every three days and he will play more because he deserves to,” commented the Italian in his pre-game press conference ahead of Sunday’s visit to Espanyol.

In Barcelona, Xavi also spoke to the press and said he was happy with Jordi Alba and Alejandro Balde at left-back – which appears to rule out a move for Marcos Alonso. However, the Barca coach made it clear he didn’t have confidence in Sergino Dest, saying “he knows the situation with the club and my opinion about him.”

“The intention of the club is to strengthen at right-back,” said Xavi, who added that it would be very difficult for Barcelona to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

Barcelona held by Rayo at home in LaLiga

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FC Barcelona were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home by Rayo Vallecano in their new season opener on Saturday night.

Barca had moments of impressive football, but Rayo defended well and have not conceded a goal in their last three meetings with the Catalans.

Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha all made their first team debuts for Xavi Hernandez’s side while Ousmane Dembele was also in the starting 11 after signing his new contract.

Barca looked to open up the pitch in the first half with Dembele and Raphinha both looking dangerous, although without working Rayo keeper, Stole Dimitrievski.

The visitors began by pressing Barca high up the pitch, but were pushed deeper as the half progressed, although Alvaro had a good chance well saved by Marc Andre Ter Stegen.

Dimitrievski saved well from Ansu Fati (who came on as a second half substitute) and Sergio Busquets after the break, while Lewandowski sent an effort just wide and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had another cleared off the line in the closing minutes.

Franck Kessie had the ball in the net in the closing moments, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside and in the fourth minute of injury time, Busquets was sent off for a second yellow card after catching Falcao in the face.

Second half goals from Nicolas Jackson and Alex Baena spoiled Valladolid’s return to LaLiga and gave Villarreal a winning start to the season in the Jose Zorilla Stadium.

The result was slightly harsh on a battling display from the home side, but Villarreal had more quality in the vital areas of the pitch.

Jackson opened the scoring four minutes after the break and two goals from Baena in the last 10 minutes assured a 3-0 win for Unai Emery’s side.

Joselu’s 98th-minute penalty saved a point for Espanyol away to Celta Vigo, who had led 2-0 through Iago Aspas and Goncalo Palencia, only for Edu Esposito to pull a goal back in the 72nd-minute penalty before Oscar Mingueza’s late foul allowed the former Alaves striker to complete the fightback.

The new season began on Friday night with Osasuna winning 2-1 at home to Sevilla.

Chimmy Avila opened the scoring for Osasuna in an entertaining match in the ninth minute, but Rafa Mir leveled for the visitors almost immediately afterward and it wasn’t until the 74th minute until a penalty taken by youngster, Aimar Oroz decided the game.

LaLiga clubs have won 34 UEFA titles in the 21st century, more than every other league combined

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Goals from David Alaba and Karim Benzema earned Real Madrid a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup, meaning another European trophy has been brought back to Spanish soil.

Overall, LaLiga Santander sides have lifted 34 of the 67 major UEFA trophies of the 21st century, meaning they’ve won more than every other league combined. Of the 22 Champions League finals played this century, there have been 10 Spanish successes, while 11 of the past 22 Europa League or UEFA Cup finals were also won by teams from Spain.

This has meant that 16 of the 22 UEFA Super Cups held this century have featured at least one Spanish side, with 13 victories.

This week’s UEFA Super Cup was the 67th major UEFA trophy put up for grabs in the 21st century, after 21 previous editions of the UEFA Super Cup, 22 completed Champions League campaigns, 22 Europa League or UEFA Cup finals and one edition of the Europa Conference League.

Of these 67 major UEFA titles, LaLiga Santander clubs have won 34 of them, while the next closest league is the Premier League with 21 fewer European trophies in this time, as English sides have claimed 13 this century. Then, six were won by Italian clubs, six by German clubs, three by Portuguese clubs, three by Russian clubs, one by Ukrainian clubs and one by Dutch clubs.

The 34 Spanish triumphs on the continent have been achieved by six different institutions. Real Madrid have the most with 11, followed by FC Barcelona with seven, Sevilla FC with seven, Atlético de Madrid with six, Valencia CF with two and Villarreal CF with one. Three other Spanish clubs have reached UEFA finals in this time too, namely Deportivo Alavés, RCD Espanyol and Athletic Club.

This century of UEFA competition truly has been dominated by Spanish football and the first UEFA trophy of this campaign has already been won by a LaLiga Santander club. Now, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla FC, Real Betis, Real Sociedad and Villarreal CF will embark on more European adventures in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League this season.

This Week in LaLiga

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Several more transfers were completed by LaLiga Santander clubs this past week, as well as a significant contract renewal at Real Sociedad.

There were also more pre-season fixtures for Spanish teams, including a meeting between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Las Vegas. All of these storylines and more are discussed in greater detail below.

FC Barcelona win ElClasico in Las Vegas

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid met in a pre-season ElClasico in Las Vegas this past weekend, with Barça winning the contest 1-0 thanks to a stunning top-corner strike from summer arrival Raphinha. More than 60,000 fans packed into the home stadium of the Las Vegas Raiders to take in the match.

Robin Le Normand commits his future to Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad and Robin Le Normand have agreed a contract extension, with the centre-back putting pen to paper on a deal that’ll run until 2026. This is great news for the Basque club, as Le Normand has been one of the best defenders of LaLiga Santander for some time and even won the October Player of the Month award last season.

Kubo makes the move to Real Sociedad

There was another piece of astute business at Real Sociedad this week, as they secured the signing of Japan international Takefusa Kubo from Real Madrid. The 21-year-old winger has previously played at RCD Mallorca, Villarreal CF and Getafe CF and is now ready for another challenge in LaLiga Santander.

Muriqi is staying at RCD Mallorca

In just a few months, Vedat Muriqi became a fan favourite at RCD Mallorca while on loan at the island club during the second half of last season. He scored four goals that helped keep the club in LaLiga Santander, even winning the May Player of the Month award. Now, RCD Mallorca have acquired the striker on a permanent transfer from Lazio, with Muriqi signing a contract until 2027.

Carlos Clerc moves across the Valencian Community

Carlos Clerc has completed a transfer across the Valencian Community, moving from Levante UD to Elche CF. As such, the talented left-back is staying in LaLiga Santander and will reinforce Los Franjiverdes’ defence.

UD Almería win the race for Kaiky

Several top clubs across Europe were trying to sign 18-year-old centre-back Kaiky, one of the top young talents in Brazilian football, and it’s UD Almería who have won the race. The newly promoted LaLiga Santander club reached an agreement to sign him from Santos, with the defender putting pen to paper on a contract until 2028.

RCD Mallorca make progress on their stadium redevelopment

There is an ambitious project taking place in Mallorca right now, as RCD Mallorca are redeveloping their stadium. The work at the Visit Mallorca Estadi is on schedule and all the deadlines so far have been met, meaning the ground is on track to host RCD Mallorca vs Real Betis in Matchday 2 of the new LaLiga Santander season.

A new era for Atlético de Madrid’s stadium

Atlético de Madrid announced the new name of their stadium this week, revealing that it’ll now be called the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, after having been called the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano over the previous five years. The club also presented its ‘Ciudad del Deporte’ development plan, that’ll transform the area around the ground to include more sports facilities and a hotel.

Conclusion of the LaLiga x Bloomsbury Football League Finals

Over the past few weeks, a tournament has been held for youngsters in London called the LaLiga X Bloomsbury Football League Finals. The various teams of local schoolkids represented different LaLiga sides and it was the team wearing CA Osasuna shirts that won the competition.

A LaLiga space is inaugurated in the Rafa Nadal Museum

There is an exciting new development at the Rafa Nadal Museum in Mallorca, as a LaLiga exhibition has been installed, containing club jerseys, interactive screens, trophies and more. The tennis superstar is a big fan of Spanish football and his uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, even played for RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona.

FC Barcelona clinched the La Liga title with four games left this season, thanks to a 4-2 win away against local rivals Espanyol on Sunday night.

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