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Wide open race

Clubs primed for upcoming Spanish Primera season

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Posted: Tuesday August 17, 1999 11:55 AM

For the longest time, Spain's Primera Liga was incredibly easy to preview: Barcelona or Real Madrid would win the title (as they did every year except one since 1985), a Deportivo La Coruna or a Valencia would challenge early and then fade away, and Atletico Madrid would self-destruct in a rash of manager firings and Jesus Gil-inspired lunacy.

Well, not anymore. The last Spanish league of the millenium promises to be one of the most wide open and uncertain in recent memory. Here's why.

Fighting for the title

Barcelona is hunting for its third straight title and has all the tools to do it. Manager Louis Van Gaal may not be popular among Catalan purists (he is seen as the bogeyman who drove out local phenoms Celades, Oscar and Nadal), but he remains one of the few tactical innovators in the game.

Club chairman Jose Luis Nunez has done little tinkering over the summer. He replaced Brazilian striker Sonny Anderson by acquiring Dani from Mallorca. At 25 years of age, this is Dani's first foray into the big time, and it remains to be seen how he will cope with the pressure at the Nou Camp. He'll share center forward duties with Dutch hitman Patrick Kluivert, a player who just four years ago was being favorably compared to Ronaldo but has failed to live up to expectations since leaving Ajax.

The other notable imports are midfielder Jari Litmanen (from Ajax), defender Frederic Dehu (from Lens) and striker Simao (from Sporting Lisbon). The first two are solid additions, while the promising Simao could blossom into a genuine star, if given time to develop.

The rest of the club is sheer firepower. Brazil's Rivaldo is one of the top five players in the world and is only just now getting the recognition he deserves. The supporting cast, from Luis Figo to Luis Enrique, and from the De Boer brothers to Philip Cocu, is nothing short of stellar.

Still, they could easily falter. The defense is still suspect, especially goalkeeper Ruud Hesp. After two straight seasons of Champions League disappointment, Europe will be their top priority and their domestic form could suffer. And, most of all, there is no telling what effect Van Gaal's strained relations with the fans and the press could have on the club.

Real Madrid is another club shrouded in uncertainty. It cleaned house following last year's disappointments. Gone are Davor Suker (to Arsenal), Predrag Mijatovic (to Fiorentina) and Christian Panucci (to Inter Milan). Clarence Seedorf is likely to follow real soon (possibly to Inter) and midfielders Savio and Karembeu are also facing the axe.

Their replacements are younger and hungrier, though generally not as established. The big name is Nicolas Anelka, who joins the underrated Fernando Morientes and the magnificent Raul in a front line that could be banging them in for the next 10 years. Raul especially is nearing a crossroads. He is Real's best center forward since Hugo Sanchez and, in terms of talent, a genuine thoroughbred. Yet his name still isn't mentioned in the same breath as Batistuta or Ronaldo. At 22 years of age, the best is still to come, but it's time for him to step it up and take Real to the next level.

The other newcomers are midfielders Elvir Balic (from Fenerbache), Steve McManaman (from Liverpool), Geremi (from Genclerbirgi) and defenders Ivan Helguera (from Espanol), Julio Cesar (from Valladolid) and Michel Salgado (from Celta). All except Salgado are genuine gambles. Balic cost some US$22 million and is hardly a household name, while McManaman's career has been on the skids for several seasons. Cesar and Geremi are promising but raw and Helguera is slowly bouncing back after several tough years.

But the real problem could be Toshack himself. His disciplinarian manner has irritated players and Real Madrid is the kind of club where the knives come out before your posterior even hits the bench for the very first time. His wheeling and dealing has left a lot of question marks and a gaping hole in the middle of the defense, where Fernando Hierro still lacks a top quality partner. Patience is running thin.

Atletico Madrid's new boss, Claudio Ranieri, has added power to the front line with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (a US$22 million signing from Leeds) and steel to the defense with Carlos Gamarra (from Corinthians), but the old demons persist: a meddling chairman in Jesus Gil and a lack of a genuine playmaker in midfield.

Dutch superstar Patrick Kluivert tries to revive his stellar play this season with Barcelona. AP

Valencia's top pickup is manager Hector Cuper, who worked wonders at Mallorca. The striking tandem of Claudio Lopez and Adrian Ilie is one of the best in Spain, and newcomers Oscar (from Barcelona) and Kili Gonzalez (from Zaragoza) offer more offensive options.

Celta could spring a surprise or two. Victor Fernandez has built a well-oiled, efficient team around the mesmerizing Alexandre Mostovoj. The club is solid top-to-bottom and has added depth by acquiring Albert Celades (from Barcelona) and Gustavo Lopez (from Zaragoza).

Challenging for Europe

Athletic Bilbao is always tough, and its core of stars (Jose Exteberria, Julen Guerrero and Roberto Rios) will keep them in the running. Mallorca finished third last season but will sorely miss the four starters it lost over the summer, as well as the departed Cuper.

Betis' front line of Finidi, Denilson and Alfonso looks good on paper, but the defense is porous. Deportivo La Coruna has picked up some good-looking players in Jaime (from Real Madrid), Victor (from Racing Santander) and Slavisa Jokanovic (Tenerife). Liga newcomer Malaga could be the big surprise. It is an attractive, aggressive bunch which gained talent and experience by acquiring five former Real Madrid players (Rojas, Ognijenovic, Sanz, Edgar and Contreras).

Fighting for Survival

Real Sociedad will struggle to replace hitman Darko Kovacevic (who was sold to Juventus), while Zaragoza has yet to find adequate substitutes for the departed Kili Gonzalez and Gustavo Lopez.

Sevilla and Valladolid will rely heavily on two young on-loan strikers: Zalayeta (Juventus) and Congo (Real Madrid), respectively. Oviedo coaxed legendary manager Luis Aragones out of retirement, but he will have to work wonders to keep the club up, while Rayo Vallecano's newly acquired goalkeeper Kasey Keller (from Leicester) will be under constant fire. Racing Santander has two young talents in midfielder Ismael and striker Munitis, but will still face hard times. As for the likes of Espanyol, Alaves and Numancia, well, it's going to be a looong season.

Final Verdict

Barcelona will take the title, unless one of the factors mentioned above drags it down. Look for strong challenges from Celta and Real Madrid. Numancia is a lock to go down. They'll be joined by two out of Espanyol, Sevilla, Alaves and Oviedo.

Extra time

Yugoslavia plays Croatia Wednesday night in their postponed Euro 2000 qualifier. Without getting into the merits of the wars which have beset the region, looking at the talent that will be on display, it's hard to believe that this bunch never won a world title when they all competed under one flag. ... After Ruud Gullit's Newcastle lost its third consecutive game on Sunday, leaving the Magpies with zero points, the dreadlocked one hinted that it was time to go. According to reports, the players talked him out of it, and 24 hours later, he vowed to stay. Let's hope they know what they're doing. Gullit's decision-making and personnel decisions since taking over the club last fall have been questionable at best. ... Good news for Brazil and Inter fans. Ronaldo returned to Milan on Monday after taking his first real vacation in two years. He says he's rested, his knee problems are behind him and he's ready to bounce back after last year's disappointing campaign. What can a full-strength Ronaldo achieve alongside Christian Vieri in the world's most expensive striking tandem? On paper, anything they want.

London-based Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com. To submit questions or comments to Gabriele Marcotti, click here.

 

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