2023-08-10 07:26:46
Thursday, August 10, 2023, 00:47 | Updated 07:26h.
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The fate of the League in recent years seems to be the obligation to reinvent itself summer after summer. First it was the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, then Messi’s dramatic goodbye in 2021 and now the tournament begins a new stage without Karim Benzema, its last great individual reference. Many of the great stars of the Spanish championship of recent years are no longer there. However, other heavyweights such as Lewandowski or Griezmann continue to pull the bandwagon while the arrivals of footballers called to be important such as Real Madrid player Bellingham or Barcelona player Gündogan take place.
The signings of the English and German midfielders are an injection of optimism. They are proof that despite the more than evident decline in the financial power of the League, the prestige of its two ocean liners, Barça and Real Madrid, and the international scope of the classic as a match of the greatest rivalry in the world are still capable of to convince even above the millions of the Premier League. Yet another market, the English tournament has once again made the bank break with an investment that is light years ahead of that of any other league on the Old Continent.
With the immense power of attraction of the ancestral British soccer it was already counted, but it is also that in recent times another unexpected factor has emerged with force: the incomparable expense of Arabian soccer. The Saudi kingdom is ready to challenge the traditional European hegemony with the help of petrodollars and its networks already reach even soccer players at the height of their careers. Faced with these threats, the League clings to its tradition, the prestige and history of its clubs and a tactical richness typical of a football school that has its own stamp.
The youth explosion
If the League intends to recover its former splendor, it must also be based on the definitive explosion of young people with a projection to dazzle in the next decade. Vinicius, Pedri, Rodrygo, Gavi, Camavinga, Ronald Araujo, Valverde or Balde are already the stars of a championship rejuvenated by the forced generational change. Zubimendi, Rodrigo Riquelme, Yéremy Pino, Nico Williams, Álex Baena and Takefusa Kubo also show that the explosion of talent is not just a matter of Madrid and Barça.
Beyond Sevilla’s drop in performance last year, the European places have been a hunting ground in recent seasons. Barça, Real Madrid, Atlético, Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Betis repeated for the third consecutive season in the positions of honor and due to the investment and potential of their squads they aim to do so again in the season that is now beginning. Osasuna, the David who by the hand of Jagoba Arrasate jumped on the train to the Old Continent by surprise, Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic or the new Celta of the returned Rafa Benítez aspire to challenge the ‘status quo’ in Spanish football.
The best goalkeepers in the world
In the midst of lean times, it is essential to focus on the positive that still exists in the League. One aspect of the game in which the Spanish championship continues to shine above the rest of the major European championships is undoubtedly the level of its goals. Marc-André ter Stegen, Thibaut Courtois or Jan Oblak are three of the most valuable goalkeepers in the world and their particular competition week after week is a guarantee of a show. Beyond the greats, Unai Simón, Bono, Remiro, or Mamardashvili also shine under sticks.
The duel for the Pichichi is not as competitive as the one for Zamora. A priori, Robert Lewandowski, the top scorer in the 2022-23 League, starts as a clear favorite and it is difficult to find a rival at his level. Benzema was the Real Madrid nemesis of the Pole but his departure to Saudi football and the absence of a signing of bells for the Real Madrid forward do not allow us to glimpse another such obvious candidate to fight for the title of top scorer. Griezmann or the Spanish Joselu and Borja Iglesias will try to take a step forward with their goals.
The cash gambling problem
The League has a problem in the disciplinary aspect and the management of the effective game. Too much time stopped and records of fouls and cards between the five great championships of the Old Continent. These are data that, together with the everlasting arbitration controversy and the controversial use of VAR, invite reflection.
Based on the facts, the arbitration group will bet this season on limiting the use of video arbitration to the correction of manifest errors, giving decision-making capacity and prominence to the field referee and betting on extending the added time in the style of what happened in the Qatar World Cup.
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