LaLiga News, Transfers, Injuries, Player Ratings, Analysis

Ranking the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history

12Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history

Rayo Vallecano is a truly special club. Very few clubs in European football have dedicated and passionate fan bases like Los Franjirrojos have. Even fewer represent their community as well as Rayo do, despite constant attacks from their owner. We’ve written about Rayo Vallecano’s terrible owner and their amazing fans before. Now, it’s time to take a look at some of the club’s players. Without further ado, here are the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history. 10. Hugo Sánchez (1993–1994) Hugo Sánchez is one of the few players in history to play for Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano. The Mexican legend joined Los Franjirrojos near the end of his career, and played just one season for the club. Even with just one season under his belt, Sánchez deserves to be on this list...

Real Madrid Transfers: PSG are already waving goodbye to Kylian Mbappé

10Mar

By Parshva ShahNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Ligue 1

Real Madrid Transfers: PSG are already waving goodbye to Kylian Mbappé

We are set for a big transfer window in the upcoming summer as there are already huge developments as we head toward the conclusion of the ongoing campaign. Kylian Mbappé is set to call an end to his seven-year chapter at Paris Saint-Germain, the player deciding to leave the French capital as a free agent this summer. It has become somewhat of a foregone conclusion as to where Mbappé will play come the 2024-25 season, and all (not most) signs point towards Real Madrid. In February 2024, Mbappé communicated his decision to not trigger an extension in his contract to PSG chief Nasser al-Khelaifi and everyone else that matters at the club, according to a report from The Athletic's David Ornstein. The Parisian outfit have already started to prepare for life without their biggest pl...

Takeaways: Vinícius Jr. better than Kylian Mbappé; Bayern Munich deserve this; Marcus Thuram world-class

10Feb

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Bundesliga, Champions League, Features, LaLiga, Serie A

Takeaways: Vinícius Jr. better than Kylian Mbappé; Bayern Munich deserve this; Marcus Thuram world-class

Is Real Madrid's current superstar forward Vinícius Júnior better than Kylian Mbappé? Is this the beginning of the end for Bayern Munich? And why aren't more people calling Inter Milan's new star striker Marcus Thuram world-class? Here are the biggest takeaways from Saturday's action in Europe's top five leagues. Marcus Thuram is legitimately world-class Inter Milan passed their latest test on the road to the Scudetto with flying colors, overcoming a 2-1 deficit to defeat Roma at the Stadio Olimpico 4-2, cutting new manager Daniele de Rossi back down a size. Although Lautaro Martínez is the Ballon d'Or candidate striker in Milano, Marcus Thuram took center stage on Saturday afternoon with two goals, proving to be a step ahead of the Roma defense each and every time. Thuram has...

18Jan

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Have Real Madrid ever won the treble?

Real Madrid were eliminated from the Copa del Rey quarterfinals by crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid 4-2, meaning the defending champions are out of the competition they rarely win - seemingly only finding success in it under Carlo Ancelotti. No club has won more LaLiga titles than Madrid's 35. Furthermore, they are also the winningest club at the European level with an eye-watering 12 Champions League/European Cup trophies. When it comes to the Copa del Rey, rivals Barcelona have won it more often 31, as have Athletic Club, surprisingly enough, with 23. Yet 20 Copa del Rey crowns is not the worst tally either for Real Madrid. Real Madrid have won 14 Champions Leagues but no treble However, despite 14 opportunities to win a treble with the elusive Champions League secured 14 times i...

The 7 best Girona players you need to know in 2023/24

15Dec

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The 7 best Girona players you need to know in 2023/24

Here are the seven best players on Girona you need to know so far in the 2023/24 LaLiga season, with the Manchester City-backed club in prime position to steal LaLiga away from the "big three" of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid. DM Aleix García Aleix García was the star of the team upon their promotion to LaLiga in 2022/23, quickly establishing himself as not just one of the best midfielders in Spain, but also one of the best midfielders in world football as a whole. The 26-year-old hasn't just picked up where he left off in 2023/24. No, no, the Spanish international entering his prime has upped his game further, even scoring three goals with four assists so far in the campaign. An intelligent defender with a keen eye for the killer pass from deep, García can also s...

LaLiga Player Rankings: Griezmann tops Real Madrid stars, Barça’s midfield shines, all hail Girona

27Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

LaLiga Player Rankings: Griezmann tops Real Madrid stars, Barça’s midfield shines, all hail Girona

As November begins to draw to a close and the halfway point of the 2023/24 LaLiga season creeps up on us, it's time to take stock of the best performances of the campaign thus far, specifically, the individuals contributing to a season that has somehow been even more thrilling than last year's unpredictable campaign. Though the Premier League continues to draw the most eyeballs - and money - Spanish football has returned to the top in terms of excitement and quality of play on the pitch. There's a tight title race, a captivating top-four race, and intriguing relegation battle, and a host of mid-table teams worth rooting. Who are the best individuals in LaLiga right now? Let's rank the top 10, basing it on their overall quality - not just performances in the current season. 10. Br...

5 possible center back targets for Real Madrid in 2024

27Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

5 possible center back targets for Real Madrid in 2024

The injury to Éder Militão exposed Real Madrid's need for a center back. While the club decided not to sign anyone and stick with the veteran trio of David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, and Nacho Fernández, many Madridistas were already concerned at the time about the club's quality at the position. Now, it's quite clear that Real need to invest in another young center back to pair with Militão when he returns to health. It will be highly unlikely for Madrid to find a good solution in the winter transfer market, so the move will be to make a long-term signing next summer. Here are five possible center back options for Los Merengues to mull over in 2024. Sporting CB Gonçalo Inácio Sporting CP's 22-year-old center back Gonçalo Inácio is the name most frequently linked to Real Madrid in t...

5 possible transfer targets for Real Madrid at striker

25Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

5 possible transfer targets for Real Madrid at striker

Although Real Madrid lost Karim Benzema in the summer 2023 transfer window - one year earlier than they expected - the Merengue club elected against opening up their pocketbooks to sign an elite striker option to replace the Frenchman. Instead, Los Blancos acquired LaLiga veteran Joselu on loan from Espanyol following their relegation, deciding to use new midfield signing Jude Bellingham in an attacking role behind a two-forward setup of Rodrygo Goes and Vinícius Júnior. So far, it's actually been defensive issues holding back Madrid rather than attacking woes, even if the presence of a true anchor point at the 9 is missing. It would make sense for Real Madrid to show interest in a 9 this coming summer if the right opportunity did pop up, as incoming signing Endrick is still only ...

Is it time for Real Madrid to break a transfer tradition?

19Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Is it time for Real Madrid to break a transfer tradition?

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez wasn't actually known for his pragmatism the first time around. When he was in charge of the club in the early 2000s during the Galácticos era, Pérez took style over substance, and the star-studded Madrid sides often underperformed because they were so unbalanced. Real Madrid don't jump into transfers Now, Pérez's approach did pay dividends because of the star power he brought to the Bernabéu, but it is no coincidence that Real Madrid is a much more powerful club in the 2010s and 2020s in the presi's second stint in charge, given the lessons he learned from his initial failures. Pérez's pragmatic, sustainable approach has allowed Real Madrid to obtain the highest level of success in the Champions League despite minimizing their net spend. ...

Barcelona star Gavi’s injury highlights an ugly truth in football today

19Nov

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Barcelona star Gavi’s injury highlights an ugly truth in football today

Tests have revealed Barcelona star Gavi suffered a "major knee injury", per Fabrizio Romano, during the Spanish national team's match against Georgia on Sunday in the qualifications for the upcoming European Championships. Gavi is a 19-year-old midfielder who has been a regular for club and country since the age of 16. In the 2021/22 season, he received his first-team call-up for La Blaugrana and played over 2,000 minutes, quickly establishing himself as one of the best players at his position in LaLiga. Pedri is another example of the injury issue Gavi then logged even more playing time, surpassing 2,500 minutes in the 2022/23 season, during which Barcelona won the Spanish top flight. The serious knee injury is a huge blow to Barcelona, who have already suffered a great deal of ...