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One of the first things I ever wrote about Spanish football was a short series on Spanish internationals who played just before Spain's period of international success beginning in 2008. The biggest takeaway from that was the amount of Valencia players who made the cut, and just how impressive the club was in the early 2000s. Now in the early 2020s, the club is currently in the LaLiga relegation zone, with little hope that things will get better. So, how did they go from European success to staring down the barrel of the Segunda and financial disaster? A recent history Valencia have faced a fall from grace before, going down in the mid-1980s, having enjoyed a period of success in the late '70s. The club began its modern rise in the 90s. The early part of the decade would be characterize...

It’s remarkable how drastically Sevilla has changed in only a year. Last season, Sevilla were seen as outside title contenders to win LaLiga. Now, the six-time UEFA/Europa League winners are currently fighting to stave off relegation. Julen Lopetegui, who won them their last Europa League title and qualified 3 consecutive seasons for the Champions League, was sacked midseason and replaced by Jorge Sampaoli. Sampaoli has not made much of a difference since taking over and the team is still in the realms of the relegation battle, which is making Sevilla fans even more on edge. If that wasn't bad enough, their cross-city rivals (Real Betis) are battling to get into the Champions League and won the Copa del Rey last season. It's hard times for Sevilla, but how did a side competing for the lea...

To many, Rayo Vallecano is just one of the “other teams” in Madrid. The club isn’t as glamourous as their neighbors Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, but it’s arguably more interesting. You might not believe us now but keep reading and see for yourself what makes this working-class football club so special. Rayo Vallecano’s rise back to LaLiga Rayo Vallecano were promoted from the Segunda Division in 2021 through the division’s promotion playoff. Rayo were the lowest-seeded team in that playoff after finishing sixth in the league that year. Rayo defeated Leganés and Girona in successive two-legged ties to gain promotion. They accomplished this without one of their most important players. Starting goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski was busy representing North Macedonia at the 2020 Euros, ...