Jonás, 25, has come to the end of his two year loan from Vélez Sársfield and with Mallorca unable to afford the €8million fee that the Argentine club are requesting for his services, the midfielder has played his last game for the Islanders.
"The truth is that I am not particularly pleased with the way things have ended, but I go away content because of what I have achieved at Mallorca and the fact that I had an opportunity to play in Spain," he told Marca.
"My relationship with the president has always been the same as it has been with everyone at the club, although it is true that the technical secretary and me have not exchanged words. Having said that, I leave without being annoyed with anyone."
The Argentine international was linked with a move to Portsmouth during the January transfer window and hopes that he will get the opportunity to continue his career in Europe.
"I do not know where I will be next season, but my desire is to continue playing in Europe. Hopefully something will come up that is good for all parties," he affirmed.
"I cannot regret the fact that I couldn't move in Janaury because Mallorca didn't want me to leave in the middle of the season. I have always that everything happens for a reason and the same is true in football."
As the interview drew to a close, Jonás had some kind words for the Mallorca supporters.
"There are no words to describe how grateful I am to the supporters. When I came across some fans in Palma, they all told me that they wanted me to stay on," he concluded.
Birindelli confirms Juve exit
Gattuso not planning Milan exit
Sevilla And Valencia Track Jonás
Ibagaza: Güiza Must Grasp Opportunity
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Jiménez Resigned To Alves Exit
Alves has long been linked with a move to Barcelona, but despite Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido being ready to play hardball with the Catalans over the transfer fee, Jiménez suggested that the Brazilian's departure is all but certain.
"Unfortunately it doesn't look like we will be able to retain [Alves] but such work is for the technical body and if he does depart then they will have to find a new Alves who can come in and do just as well," he told the radio station of the organisation blanquirroja.
Jiménez somewhat disparagingly indicated that Alves "has not the player we saw in previous years," during the current campaign and although the full-back has a contract with the club until 2012, it seems unlikely that it will be fulfilled.
Moving on the general transfer talk, Jiménez explained that Sevilla do not have the financial resources of the big two in Spain, but believes that they can compete with them due to the hard work of all the staff at the club.
"We are a great team, but we do not have the chequebook of Real Madrid or Barcelona. We are a great team because of the great effort we put in across the organisation," he concluded.
AZ Want To Make Alves Pay
Berlusconi stands down
Alves Wants Swift Departure
Jiménez Dismisses Laudrup Rumours
"Unfortunately it doesn't look like we will be able to retain [Alves] but such work is for the technical body and if he does depart then they will have to find a new Alves who can come in and do just as well," he told the radio station of the organisation blanquirroja.
Jiménez somewhat disparagingly indicated that Alves "has not the player we saw in previous years," during the current campaign and although the full-back has a contract with the club until 2012, it seems unlikely that it will be fulfilled.
Moving on the general transfer talk, Jiménez explained that Sevilla do not have the financial resources of the big two in Spain, but believes that they can compete with them due to the hard work of all the staff at the club.
"We are a great team, but we do not have the chequebook of Real Madrid or Barcelona. We are a great team because of the great effort we put in across the organisation," he concluded.
AZ Want To Make Alves Pay
Berlusconi stands down
Alves Wants Swift Departure
Jiménez Dismisses Laudrup Rumours
Valencia Track Zapater And García
A number of Zaragoza players, including the likes of Ricardo Oliveira, Diego Milito and Pablo Aimar look set to leave La Romareda following their demotion to the Segunda Division and it seems that Zapater and García could follow.
Zapater is a clear favourite of the Zaragoza faithful having come up through the club's youth academy and established himself as a worthy member of the first team with consistently determined performances in the centre of midfield.
He is the current team captain and although he has, thus far, been overlooked at international level, the twenty-two year old is seen as one of the best young defensive midfielders in Spain.
García, on the other hand, has caught the attention of national team coach Luis Aragones and has been named in Spain's 23-man squad for this summer's European Championships.
The twenty-four year old has been linked with English side Tottenham Hotspur in recent times as his stock continues to rise and it is not surprise to see Valencia taking an interest in the forward.
Valencia vice-president Rafael Salom made initial contact with the players' agent before his resignation and the details of the meeting have been passed on to Juan Sanchez in order to take the talks further if he sees fit.
Players will have to be sold to balance the books before Valencia are in a position to make any signings of their own, but once that is the case, it seems that Zapater and García will be among the first moves made.
Hertha back on track
Schalke stay on track
Zaragoza & Madrid In Four Goal Thriller
Zapater is a clear favourite of the Zaragoza faithful having come up through the club's youth academy and established himself as a worthy member of the first team with consistently determined performances in the centre of midfield.
He is the current team captain and although he has, thus far, been overlooked at international level, the twenty-two year old is seen as one of the best young defensive midfielders in Spain.
García, on the other hand, has caught the attention of national team coach Luis Aragones and has been named in Spain's 23-man squad for this summer's European Championships.
The twenty-four year old has been linked with English side Tottenham Hotspur in recent times as his stock continues to rise and it is not surprise to see Valencia taking an interest in the forward.
Valencia vice-president Rafael Salom made initial contact with the players' agent before his resignation and the details of the meeting have been passed on to Juan Sanchez in order to take the talks further if he sees fit.
Players will have to be sold to balance the books before Valencia are in a position to make any signings of their own, but once that is the case, it seems that Zapater and García will be among the first moves made.
Hertha back on track
Schalke stay on track
Zaragoza & Madrid In Four Goal Thriller
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pirés: Raúl-Aragonés Is Like Me And Domenech
The Villarreal man has come up against the Real Madrid captain this season, but that's not where their connections begin and end.
Indeed, the former Arsenal winger believes that his treatment under France national team boss Raymond Domenech puts him on a par with Raúl due to his controversies with Spain coach Luis Aragonés.
Pirés told As.com, "I'm not disappointed that I don't get to go to Euro 2008 because I knew it would happen. Everyone knows that I have a problem with the manager, a bit like Raúl and Aragonés," he said.
"Still, that's life."
The veteran added that France can still go on to win the Euros without him as they have "many quality players."
And while he takes an interest in the national side, he admitted that he probably won't be watching many of the France matches unless they reach the final four.
"I've been lucky enough to win the Euros with France, but now I'm planning on disconnecting for a while before building for next season, which will be very tough."
Toffees eye Joaquin
Platini: Italy, France & Germany Favourites
The Fans Deserve It - Guti
Indeed, the former Arsenal winger believes that his treatment under France national team boss Raymond Domenech puts him on a par with Raúl due to his controversies with Spain coach Luis Aragonés.
Pirés told As.com, "I'm not disappointed that I don't get to go to Euro 2008 because I knew it would happen. Everyone knows that I have a problem with the manager, a bit like Raúl and Aragonés," he said.
"Still, that's life."
The veteran added that France can still go on to win the Euros without him as they have "many quality players."
And while he takes an interest in the national side, he admitted that he probably won't be watching many of the France matches unless they reach the final four.
"I've been lucky enough to win the Euros with France, but now I'm planning on disconnecting for a while before building for next season, which will be very tough."
Toffees eye Joaquin
Platini: Italy, France & Germany Favourites
The Fans Deserve It - Guti
Spanish Debate: What Makes Pellegrini Stand Out?
South American players have become an integral part of Spain's footballing culture and a great many of them are forever linked with success. From Di Stefano to Santos, Ronaldo to Ronaldinho, the cream of talent from the region has inspired many a Spanish team to victory over the years.
The same cannot be said of coaches from the region. Since César Luis Menotti's generally barren spell at Barcelona in the early eighties, a number of South America's finest coaching talents have tested themselves in Spain without a great deal of success. Carlos Bianchi, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Washington Tabárez, Miguel Ángel Russo, Gustavo Benítez, Marcelo Bielsa, Vanderlei Luxemburgo... the list is seemingly endless.
Héctor Cúper came close to titles on numerous occasions with Valencia, but his record in Spain – and elsewhere - since then has somewhat blotted his copy book. Troubled spells at Mallorca and Real Betis perhaps indicate that much of his success with Los Che was piggybacked on the team that Claudio Ranieri had built before leaving for Atlético Madrid in 1999.
In fact, the only two coaches from the region that have won trophies on a fairly consistent basis both spent the majority of playing careers in Europe: Helenio Herrera – who among other achievements, won four La Liga titles with Atlético Madrid and Barcelona – in France and Alfredo Di Stefano – a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Cup Winners Cup winner with Valencia – in Spain itself.
However, in recent years another coach has emerged who defies the logic that explains the success of Herrera and Di Stefano. A coach who took a team that first tasted top flight football in 1998 to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2006 and to a best-ever league finish of second place in the season just ended. That coach is Manuel Pellegrini.
While Pellegrini has had the fortune to coach a club with steady long-term ambitions, a sensible board of directors and an extensive South American scouting network – something that neither Bianchi or Luxemburgo were, for instance, blessed with – perhaps primary to his success in Spain has been his ability to adapt tactically to the rigours of the European game in a way that so few of his contemporaries have been able to.
In his first season with Villarreal, Pellegrini inherited a squad with players suited to the classic South American 4-4-2 diamond formation. He had Juan Román Riquelme at the top of the diamond, Josico, Marcos Senna or Sebastián Battaglia at the bottom, Hector Font on the right and Juan Sorín on the left. He stuck with the tactics that he was comfortable with from his time with San Lorenzo and River Plate in Argentina, and led the team to a superb third place in his debut season.
The top four finish gave Villarreal a crack at the Champions League for the 2005/06 season and while Pellegrini often employed a solitary striker in La Liga, the diamond was his preferred formation for Europe's premier competition. The signing of Alessio Tacchinardi allowed Marcos Senna to spend more time on the right of the diamond, a position in which he flourished, attracting the attention of Manchester United with some excellent performances throughout Villarreal's Champions League campaign.
Riquelme ran the show as Villarreal played some superb football on their way to the semi-finals, where they were a saved penalty away from taking Arsenal to extra time in the second leg at El Madrigal. However, cracks were starting to appear in La Liga. Whenever Riquelme was absent from the team, neither Roger or Guayre were anywhere near as effective as the play-maker, and Villarreal suffered as a result, finishing the season in seventh.
Pellegrini had much to muse over during the summer and the signing of Robert Pires from Arsenal held the key to understanding his tactical thinking for the season ahead. Having observed that Riquelme had become the irreplaceable focal point of the team, Pellegrini wanted to find a more fluid style of play that was less reliant on any one player and would counteract the stiffness that Villarreal had shown at times in the previous campaign.
His solution was to employ a variation of 4-4-2, in which two central midfielders would generally hold, while two attacking midfielders were given freedom to roam from initial wide positions in the attacking third. His plans were dealt a blow when Pires picked up a serious injury in pre-season, but he persevered, using Riquelme and Ruben Cani in the attacking roles in the early part of the 2006/07 season.
The new formation was not a great success and the relationship between Riquelme and Pellegrini started to deteriorate, culminating in Villarreal's 4-1 defeat at home to Osasuna in December. Riquelme was shipped out on loan to Boca Juniors in January and Pellegrini decided to revert back to a central play-maker, with new signing Matias Fernandez fulfilling the role. Pires returned from injury in time for the final stretch of the campaign and inspired the club to a eight straight victories, taking them to a fifth-placed finish.
Pellegrini's initial attempts to integrate his new formation had been largely unsuccessful, but that was all set to change. Villarreal's summer transfer dealings saw Santi Cazorla return from his loan spell at Recreativo and Diego Forlan replaced with Giuseppe Rossi. With some other minor changes to the squad, Pellegrini now had the players at his disposal to play the sort of football he had envisioned at the start of the previous campaign.
Villarreal began the season in fine fettle with five wins from their first six games, and despite some indifferent form in the middle part of the season, they picked up once more going into the final stretch, overtaking Barcelona and confirming a second place finish.
Pires belied his increasing age with some excellent performances, while Cazorla was able to reproduce the form that had seen him lead the goal assist charts during his year at Recreativo. In fact, such was the consistent level of Cazorla's displays that Spain coach Luis Aragones called him up to the national squad for this summer's European Championships.
With Cani and Fernandez providing ample back-up in the attacking midfield positions and January signing Sebastian Eguren proving to be the ideal partner for Senna in the centre of midfield, Pellegrini's vision is finally beginning to take hold. Rossi has forged an excellent understanding with Nihat Kahveci up front and there is certainly a more free-flowing nature to Villarreal's attacking play compared to seasons past.
Greater defensive solidity came with the signing of imposing goalkeeper Diego Lopez, while Diego Godin and Gonzalo Rodriguez have established a formidable partnership in the centre of the back four. All in all, Villarreal are beginning to look like serious long-term challengers.
The likes of Sol Campbell, Edmilson, Cristian Villagra, Mane, Joseba Llorente and Diego Valeri have already linked with summer moves as Pellegrini looks to improve the squad and it is clear that the Villarreal board are fully behind their coach. The tactics are now in place and next season will be a case of Pellegrini taking what he has learnt this season and making a few subtle tweaks in order to improve the formula.
If his time at the club so far is anything to go by then it is totally possible that Pellegrini could lead Villarreal even closer to the Primera Division title next season. With a Champions League campaign sure to bring greater exposure to his work, it would not be at all surprising to see Europe's biggest clubs vying to secure his signature come the end of the next campaign.
Whether or not he would want to leave the calm atmosphere of El Madrigal, however, is another matter entirely.
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The same cannot be said of coaches from the region. Since César Luis Menotti's generally barren spell at Barcelona in the early eighties, a number of South America's finest coaching talents have tested themselves in Spain without a great deal of success. Carlos Bianchi, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Washington Tabárez, Miguel Ángel Russo, Gustavo Benítez, Marcelo Bielsa, Vanderlei Luxemburgo... the list is seemingly endless.
Héctor Cúper came close to titles on numerous occasions with Valencia, but his record in Spain – and elsewhere - since then has somewhat blotted his copy book. Troubled spells at Mallorca and Real Betis perhaps indicate that much of his success with Los Che was piggybacked on the team that Claudio Ranieri had built before leaving for Atlético Madrid in 1999.
In fact, the only two coaches from the region that have won trophies on a fairly consistent basis both spent the majority of playing careers in Europe: Helenio Herrera – who among other achievements, won four La Liga titles with Atlético Madrid and Barcelona – in France and Alfredo Di Stefano – a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Cup Winners Cup winner with Valencia – in Spain itself.
However, in recent years another coach has emerged who defies the logic that explains the success of Herrera and Di Stefano. A coach who took a team that first tasted top flight football in 1998 to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2006 and to a best-ever league finish of second place in the season just ended. That coach is Manuel Pellegrini.
While Pellegrini has had the fortune to coach a club with steady long-term ambitions, a sensible board of directors and an extensive South American scouting network – something that neither Bianchi or Luxemburgo were, for instance, blessed with – perhaps primary to his success in Spain has been his ability to adapt tactically to the rigours of the European game in a way that so few of his contemporaries have been able to.
In his first season with Villarreal, Pellegrini inherited a squad with players suited to the classic South American 4-4-2 diamond formation. He had Juan Román Riquelme at the top of the diamond, Josico, Marcos Senna or Sebastián Battaglia at the bottom, Hector Font on the right and Juan Sorín on the left. He stuck with the tactics that he was comfortable with from his time with San Lorenzo and River Plate in Argentina, and led the team to a superb third place in his debut season.
The top four finish gave Villarreal a crack at the Champions League for the 2005/06 season and while Pellegrini often employed a solitary striker in La Liga, the diamond was his preferred formation for Europe's premier competition. The signing of Alessio Tacchinardi allowed Marcos Senna to spend more time on the right of the diamond, a position in which he flourished, attracting the attention of Manchester United with some excellent performances throughout Villarreal's Champions League campaign.
Riquelme ran the show as Villarreal played some superb football on their way to the semi-finals, where they were a saved penalty away from taking Arsenal to extra time in the second leg at El Madrigal. However, cracks were starting to appear in La Liga. Whenever Riquelme was absent from the team, neither Roger or Guayre were anywhere near as effective as the play-maker, and Villarreal suffered as a result, finishing the season in seventh.
Pellegrini had much to muse over during the summer and the signing of Robert Pires from Arsenal held the key to understanding his tactical thinking for the season ahead. Having observed that Riquelme had become the irreplaceable focal point of the team, Pellegrini wanted to find a more fluid style of play that was less reliant on any one player and would counteract the stiffness that Villarreal had shown at times in the previous campaign.
His solution was to employ a variation of 4-4-2, in which two central midfielders would generally hold, while two attacking midfielders were given freedom to roam from initial wide positions in the attacking third. His plans were dealt a blow when Pires picked up a serious injury in pre-season, but he persevered, using Riquelme and Ruben Cani in the attacking roles in the early part of the 2006/07 season.
The new formation was not a great success and the relationship between Riquelme and Pellegrini started to deteriorate, culminating in Villarreal's 4-1 defeat at home to Osasuna in December. Riquelme was shipped out on loan to Boca Juniors in January and Pellegrini decided to revert back to a central play-maker, with new signing Matias Fernandez fulfilling the role. Pires returned from injury in time for the final stretch of the campaign and inspired the club to a eight straight victories, taking them to a fifth-placed finish.
Pellegrini's initial attempts to integrate his new formation had been largely unsuccessful, but that was all set to change. Villarreal's summer transfer dealings saw Santi Cazorla return from his loan spell at Recreativo and Diego Forlan replaced with Giuseppe Rossi. With some other minor changes to the squad, Pellegrini now had the players at his disposal to play the sort of football he had envisioned at the start of the previous campaign.
Villarreal began the season in fine fettle with five wins from their first six games, and despite some indifferent form in the middle part of the season, they picked up once more going into the final stretch, overtaking Barcelona and confirming a second place finish.
Pires belied his increasing age with some excellent performances, while Cazorla was able to reproduce the form that had seen him lead the goal assist charts during his year at Recreativo. In fact, such was the consistent level of Cazorla's displays that Spain coach Luis Aragones called him up to the national squad for this summer's European Championships.
With Cani and Fernandez providing ample back-up in the attacking midfield positions and January signing Sebastian Eguren proving to be the ideal partner for Senna in the centre of midfield, Pellegrini's vision is finally beginning to take hold. Rossi has forged an excellent understanding with Nihat Kahveci up front and there is certainly a more free-flowing nature to Villarreal's attacking play compared to seasons past.
Greater defensive solidity came with the signing of imposing goalkeeper Diego Lopez, while Diego Godin and Gonzalo Rodriguez have established a formidable partnership in the centre of the back four. All in all, Villarreal are beginning to look like serious long-term challengers.
The likes of Sol Campbell, Edmilson, Cristian Villagra, Mane, Joseba Llorente and Diego Valeri have already linked with summer moves as Pellegrini looks to improve the squad and it is clear that the Villarreal board are fully behind their coach. The tactics are now in place and next season will be a case of Pellegrini taking what he has learnt this season and making a few subtle tweaks in order to improve the formula.
If his time at the club so far is anything to go by then it is totally possible that Pellegrini could lead Villarreal even closer to the Primera Division title next season. With a Champions League campaign sure to bring greater exposure to his work, it would not be at all surprising to see Europe's biggest clubs vying to secure his signature come the end of the next campaign.
Whether or not he would want to leave the calm atmosphere of El Madrigal, however, is another matter entirely.
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Bojan Out Of Catalunya Squad To Face Argentina
The coach, Pere Gratacós, told Sport that his decision not to summon the youngster was primilarly because the player might otherwise have encountered "problems", given that he won't in Austria and Switzerland with La Furia Roja.
Bojan's absence, as well as the presence at Euro 2008 of a few key players, means that the side has a makeshift look to it in places.
Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández of Barcelona, Francesc Fàbregas of Arsenal, Real Zaragoza's Sergio García, Fernando Navarro of RCD Mallorca and Joan Capdevila of Villarreal will all miss the Argentina clash due to their Spanish commitments.
However, with no Espanyol players set to take part, Gratacós can call on many perequitos: in fact, he's chosen no fewer than five.
Santi Triguero, a striker with Tercera side Vilanova, could be in line for a debut, while the longest-serving player in the squad is Deportivo midfielder Sergio Gonàlez, who has ten caps.
The Selecció's encounter with the Albiceleste will be their first match since the 1-1 draw with Euskalherria (the Basque Country) on December 29 last year, and their first with a FIFA-recognised team since the 2-0 win over Costa Rica in 2006.
The squad for the Camp Nou encounter, which will take place on May 24, is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Víctor Valdés (Barcelona), José Miguel Morales (Terrassa)
Defenders: David García (Espanyol), Javier Chica (Espanyol), Bruno Saltor (Almería), Carlos García (Almería), David Belenguer (Getafe), Gerard Piqué (Manchester United), Albert Lopo (Deportivo La Coruña.)
Midfielders: Ángel Martínez (Espanyol), Ferran Corominas (Espanyol), Sergio (Deportivo La Coruña), Óscar Serrano (Racing Santander), Luís García (Atlético Madrid), Gerard López (Recreativo)
Attackers: Jonathan Soriano (Espanyol), Joan Verdú (Deportivo La Coruña), Santi Triguero (Vilanova i la Geltrú).
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La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 37
Bojan's absence, as well as the presence at Euro 2008 of a few key players, means that the side has a makeshift look to it in places.
Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández of Barcelona, Francesc Fàbregas of Arsenal, Real Zaragoza's Sergio García, Fernando Navarro of RCD Mallorca and Joan Capdevila of Villarreal will all miss the Argentina clash due to their Spanish commitments.
However, with no Espanyol players set to take part, Gratacós can call on many perequitos: in fact, he's chosen no fewer than five.
Santi Triguero, a striker with Tercera side Vilanova, could be in line for a debut, while the longest-serving player in the squad is Deportivo midfielder Sergio Gonàlez, who has ten caps.
The Selecció's encounter with the Albiceleste will be their first match since the 1-1 draw with Euskalherria (the Basque Country) on December 29 last year, and their first with a FIFA-recognised team since the 2-0 win over Costa Rica in 2006.
The squad for the Camp Nou encounter, which will take place on May 24, is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Víctor Valdés (Barcelona), José Miguel Morales (Terrassa)
Defenders: David García (Espanyol), Javier Chica (Espanyol), Bruno Saltor (Almería), Carlos García (Almería), David Belenguer (Getafe), Gerard Piqué (Manchester United), Albert Lopo (Deportivo La Coruña.)
Midfielders: Ángel Martínez (Espanyol), Ferran Corominas (Espanyol), Sergio (Deportivo La Coruña), Óscar Serrano (Racing Santander), Luís García (Atlético Madrid), Gerard López (Recreativo)
Attackers: Jonathan Soriano (Espanyol), Joan Verdú (Deportivo La Coruña), Santi Triguero (Vilanova i la Geltrú).
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La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 37
Monday, May 19, 2008
La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 38
While fewer than half of the games had anything at stake, there was no shortage of goalmouth action in La Liga's final week. True, some games - most notably Getafe and Betis' 1-1 draw - passed without too much incident, as did Almería's 3-1 win at Espanyol. But Sevilla took out their frustrations on Athletic by four goals to one, while Valencia punished a lethargic Atlético 3-1. Villarreal capped a memorable season with a 2-0 win over high-flying Deportivo at the Riazor, while the day before, Murcia were swept aside 5-3 by Barcelona. Not to be outdone, Real Madrid preceded their trohpy presentation with a 5-2 win over Levante.
In the games with true meaning, Real Zaragoza succumbed to relegation against a buoyant Mallorca side after the islanders won 3-2 at San Moix, while Valladolid and Recreativo both stay up after their 1-1 draw in Huelva. Osasuna couldn't do enough to gain a point at Racing, meaning that the Santander men advance to the UEFA Cup after a dramatic, 1-0 win.
This week's XI lines up 4-4-2.
Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Ramos - Albiol - César Navas - Capdevila
Felipe Melo - Guti - Giovani - Courtois
Kanouté - David Villa
Goalkeeper
Sergio Asenjo (Valladolid): He succumbed to a goal only in the 93rd minute, by which time his side was safe anyway. The young 'keeper has enjoyed a brilliant debut season, and he capped it off with a wonderful showing in Huelva against Recreativo.
Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Ramos - Albiol - César Navas - Capdevila
Felipe Melo - Guti - Giovani - Courtois
Kanouté - David Villa
Honourable Mentions
Ruud Van Nistelrooy comes first: any other week would have seen him in the side, but the exploits of Villa and Kanouté see him as the "third striker." Ricardo Oliveira is the fourth: his side went down, but he worked so hard. Webó and Güiza formed Pa great double act for their tormentors.
Diego López can't stop putting in great performances for Villarreal, and he continued that. 'Matigol' Fernádez was equally as impressive. Eidur Gudjohnsen was on song for Barcelona, as was Thierry Henry. Most of the Real Madrid side did well, too, not least Mahamadou Diarrà, Marcelo and Wesley Sneijder. David Cortés did everything right for Getafe against Betis, except when he missed a penalty, while Pédro López wasn't half bad for Valladolid.
Iván Bolado managed a season-saving goal for Racing despite being on the pitch a mere twenty minutes, so he gets the final mention.
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La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 37
In the games with true meaning, Real Zaragoza succumbed to relegation against a buoyant Mallorca side after the islanders won 3-2 at San Moix, while Valladolid and Recreativo both stay up after their 1-1 draw in Huelva. Osasuna couldn't do enough to gain a point at Racing, meaning that the Santander men advance to the UEFA Cup after a dramatic, 1-0 win.
This week's XI lines up 4-4-2.
Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Ramos - Albiol - César Navas - Capdevila
Felipe Melo - Guti - Giovani - Courtois
Kanouté - David Villa
Goalkeeper
Sergio Asenjo (Valladolid): He succumbed to a goal only in the 93rd minute, by which time his side was safe anyway. The young 'keeper has enjoyed a brilliant debut season, and he capped it off with a wonderful showing in Huelva against Recreativo.
Defenders
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid): Ramos is included not so much for his defensive performance as his attacking nous. It was a Dani Alves-esque showing from the Spanish international, who was a constant thorn in in the side of the Granota.
Raúl Albiol (Valencia): A season to forget for Valencia, but still a performance to remember for Albiol. Not until Agüero came on did he look ruffled, and even then he was the best of the Che back four.
César Navas (Racing): Calm, confident stuff: his presence ensured that what was a depleted Racing back line didn't rest on their laurels.
Capdevila (Villarreal): Yes, Capdevila again. It's true that Depor had their chances against Villarreal at the Riazor, but the Catalan helped secure a clean sheet for his side and put in a power of work further forward, culminating in an assist for Guille Franco
Midfielders
Félipe Melo (Almería): A great performance, complete with a goal, for the Brazilian. The 24-yaer-old bade farewell to his rojiblanco teammates with a showing that will have his new employers at Fiorentina licking their lips in anticipation. He could very well grace the Champions League next season - a fine reward for a fine season.
Guti (Real Madrid): The master of the deft assist, Guti showed his true worth as he exploited any given gap in the Levante defence to provide the blanco attackers with chances. Here he did what he does best.
Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona): A masterful display from a kid who Barcelona have just found out might be an attacking midfielder instead of a forward. A hat-trick's just the half of it: this was brash, energetic and scintillating stuff; it was "only" Murcia, but he still did everything right.
Strikers
Fredi Kanouté (Sevilla): Two goals and a return to form for the Malian. There was no arguing with his performance, one that was reminiscent of happier times last season.
Sergio Asenjo
Sergio Ramos - Albiol - César Navas - Capdevila
Felipe Melo - Guti - Giovani - Courtois
Kanouté - David Villa
Honourable Mentions
Ruud Van Nistelrooy comes first: any other week would have seen him in the side, but the exploits of Villa and Kanouté see him as the "third striker." Ricardo Oliveira is the fourth: his side went down, but he worked so hard. Webó and Güiza formed Pa great double act for their tormentors.
Diego López can't stop putting in great performances for Villarreal, and he continued that. 'Matigol' Fernádez was equally as impressive. Eidur Gudjohnsen was on song for Barcelona, as was Thierry Henry. Most of the Real Madrid side did well, too, not least Mahamadou Diarrà, Marcelo and Wesley Sneijder. David Cortés did everything right for Getafe against Betis, except when he missed a penalty, while Pédro López wasn't half bad for Valladolid.
Iván Bolado managed a season-saving goal for Racing despite being on the pitch a mere twenty minutes, so he gets the final mention.
Happy Ramos flattered
Calderón: Sergio Ramos Is Staying
La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 37
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