La Liga · Transfers · The Youth Game · for US soccer coaches
Now with Chicago Fire, Robert Lewandowski told AS that the young Barcelona squad he left has grown up, and that the Champions League is now a realistic target.
Real Madrid keep working toward Friday's trip to Betis in Seville with a perfect league record on the line and a fresh figure spotted in the session.
Four muscle injuries in roughly 60 days have hit Valencia since preseason began, and the pattern is one US coaches can actually learn from as they build their own fall load.
Barcelona conceded first at Camp Nou, then buried Rayo with braces from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal to stay perfect after three matches.
Villarreal have opened with two draws and a loss, and one stark number explains it: their finishing efficiency has been cut in half compared with last season.
Hansi Flick has a tactical question every US coach eventually faces: what happens when you add a second player who wants to roam free into a midfield built around one who already does.
Real Madrid host a newly promoted Malaga on Sunday, and the tie carries an edge because of a long, prickly history between Jose Mourinho and the club he now faces.
Real Madrid opened the season strongly at the Bernabéu, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice and Vinícius sealing a ruthless win over a Málaga side that could not hold its shape.
Two games into the La Liga season Barcelona sit top with six points, seven goals scored and none conceded, playing with a boldness that echoes Flick's first year in charge.
Barcelona kept their perfect La Liga start with a 2-0 win over Athletic Club, though the visitors' goalkeeper made sure the margin stayed respectable.
Goals from Raphinha and Fermin Lopez saw Barcelona past a stubborn Athletic Club at Spotify Camp Nou, with Unai Simon keeping the margin respectable and Rodri handed his Barcelona debut.
The 36-team league phase is set, and the computer handed Real Madrid a manageable slate while Barcelona, Atletico and Villarreal all drew the harder end of the pool.
Newly promoted Malaga will be without Aaron Ochoa for about three months after knee surgery, and they carry five injuries into Sunday's trip to face Real Madrid.
Barcelona's teenage forward arrived at the new season on 49 career goals for the club and could hit 50 against Athletic. The pace is unlike anything in the modern game.
Real Madrid host Real Sociedad with their two attacking stars still finding each other, and the numbers say the best is ahead of them.
Thirteen years after he left Real Madrid amid the noise, Jose Mourinho returns to the home dugout, and the reaction abroad is pure disbelief.
Kylian Mbappe scored three times as Real Madrid pulled away after the break in Jose Mourinho's first official Bernabeu match in 13 years. The tactical story was patience, then punishment.
The veteran striker's goals have Deportivo unbeaten but still short of wins on their return to La Liga. For US coaches, it is a clinic in what a smart old forward can do, and why isolating your best scorer is a mistake.
Hansi Flick has thrown his weight behind academy full-back Xavi Espart, comparing the young Barcelona defender to a World Cup winner. For US coaches, it is a lesson in how a manager sells a project.
Raphinha and Fermin Lopez each scored twice and Anthony Gordon set up two more as Barcelona ran over Elche away from home. For a US coach, the real lesson is in how the bench raised the tempo.
Malaga host Deportivo on Monday night, both back in the top flight after long spells in the wilderness. For a US coach, it is a case study in patience and rebuilding from the bottom.
Real Madrid edged Espanyol 2-1 away, and the decisive goal came from the substitutes. For a US coach, Mourinho's use of his reserves is a template worth stealing.
Vinicius drew heavy criticism after two apparent dives in Real Madrid's opener at Espanyol. For a US coach, it is a live lesson in how a young player's habits become his label.
Racing de Santander travel to Getafe still chasing a first win, with 19-year-old sensation Sergio Martinez under a spotlight after reports the Real Madrid have taken notice.
Real Madrid beat Espanyol 1-2 on the road to open Mourinho's return, with a 90th-minute winner and a fresh reminder that the midfielder they wanted chose Barcelona.
Edin Terzic takes charge of his first competitive Athletic Bilbao match against Sevilla, with three World Cup winners honored and Nico Williams closing on 200 games.
More than thirteen years after his last Real Madrid game, Jose Mourinho begins his second Spanish spell with a trip to Espanyol and a lineup built around new faces.
Valencia host Celta to raise the curtain on the final campaign at century-old Mestalla before a planned move to the Nou Mestalla in 2027.
For once, Barcelona expect no drama getting their players registered with La Liga, and the new shirt numbers are starting to settle. Rodri keeps 16.
The former Real Madrid striker has started the season on fire for Alaves, involved in all four of the team's goals across two games, at an age when most had written him off.
Vinicius Junior starts the season leading Real Madrid's squad in both official appearances and goals, which tells you as much about the roster around him as it does about him.
Barcelona beat Al Ahly to end their preseason, with Raphinha leading and scoring, but Flick's warning about a squad running at different speeds was on full display.
Real Madrid open La Liga at home to Espanyol on Saturday, and the position that has haunted every recent Madrid coach is still the center of the defense.
Back on the Real Madrid bench, Mourinho praised the reigning champions before landing a pointed line about the teenager everyone is watching.
A club that dropped out in 2018 opens the season in a giant's stadium and travels with six players missing, a returning-team story every coach can use.
Real Madrid open the season at Espanyol on Saturday, and their new coach has decisions to make and a locker room he says has his back.
Opta's model gives Barcelona the edge to defend their title over Real Madrid, a useful reminder for coaches of what predictions can and cannot tell you.
Barcelona's new Ballon d'Or midfielder asked for a specific shirt number, and the choice tells you something about how he sees the year ahead.
Deportivo la Coruna returned to Spain's top flight with a 1-1 draw against Elche. Aubameyang set the tone, but it was keeper Leo Roman who kept the point.
The Turkish playmaker was Real Madrid's best player all preseason, and with Bellingham short of match fitness the number ten job is his to take against Espanyol.
Athletic's new manager is their twelfth since 2000, and before saying yes he called a former boss with a strong record of fast starts. A quiet lesson in how good coaches prepare.
Several Girona players reportedly refused to play against Leganes, sparking a bust-up in the dressing room. For US coaches, it is a case study in what happens when unhappy players are not managed early.
A forward who had not scored a league goal in over four years came off the bench for Alaves and produced a goal and two assists in half an hour. There is a squad-building and man-management lesson here every coach can use.
Real Madrid closed the preseason against Schalke 04 in Germany before a staggered league start. Here is why their opener comes late, and what a coach can read into a final friendly.
Sevilla dug out a comeback win over Rayo Vallecano at home, with a summer signing scoring his first goal from the spot to spark it. The story of the game is a resilience lesson worth teaching your team on Tuesday.
Thirteen years after he left, Jose Mourinho is a week away from managing Real Madrid in a competitive game, opening at Espanyol with the usual demand hanging over him: win now.
The Atletico striker who asked to leave for Barcelona has admitted to teammates he made a mistake, and the club is holding firm. How do you manage a player who wanted out?
Injuries to Militao and Asencio have left Real Madrid short at the back for their opener against Espanyol, opening a door for a Castilla defender.
Barcelona Femeni coach Pere Romeu has gone public against Spain's federation for taking young Clara Serrajordi to the Under-20 World Cup. The club-versus-country tug-of-war over a talented teen is one US coaches live every season.
Bernardo Silva arrives at Real Madrid to add craft to a midfield that had too much muscle last year. One Spanish voice is already flagging the risk of overusing him. The load lesson is one every US coach should hear.
Real Madrid beat newly promoted Deportivo 1-0 at the Teresa Herrera with a lineup that is still finding itself. The lesson for your team is in how they scored, not how they played.
Celta's opening-weekend home match against Osasuna is in doubt after a fungus damaged the Balaidos pitch, with La Liga inspecting the surface against a fixed protocol.
Jules Kounde is back at Barcelona's training ground after the World Cup, and the timing of his return is a small masterclass in managing recovery after a long summer.
La Real conceded in all six preseason friendlies and shipped two in five of them, extending a run that stretches back to last season. It is a case study in the difference between attacking talent and a defense that holds.
Unai Simon, Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams return to training three weeks after lifting the trophy in New York. How a club folds late-returning stars back into a group is a problem every US coach faces in the fall.
After three days training alone, Real Madrid's most expensive purchase ever meets his new coach and teammates. A former coach says the 19-year-old will surprise people. Here is what US coaches can pull from it.
Two friendlies down, a couple more to go before the season opens. Here is how the preseason results read so far and why the last tune-ups matter more than the scorelines.
Arda Guler has been Real Madrid's sharpest forward player of the summer, but Jude Bellingham's return means the young Turk is fighting for a spot in a crowded attack.
The Real Madrid striker used the end of his holiday to get fit at UD Ibiza's facilities. It is a small story with a big message for young players.
In his first sessions at Atletico, Kang-in Lee is already being molded toward a more forward role, drawing comparisons to how Simeone once repurposed Griezmann. For US coaches, it is a case study in developing a player into a new position.
Spanish reports say Real Madrid could register Yan Diomande, their most expensive buy, with the Castilla reserve side. For US coaches, it is a window into roster math most parents never see.
Vinicius Junior arrived at Real Madrid's training complex for a face-to-face meeting over his future. For US coaches, the story is less about the money and more about how a club handles its biggest asset.
La Liga confirmed kickoff times for the first weekend of September, with Betis hosting Real Madrid on Friday and Valencia facing Barcelona on Sunday.
The Vinicius contract saga rolls into August with Arsenal named as the likeliest destination, but plenty inside the Bernabeu still cannot picture the Brazilian in anyone else's shirt.
Isco played his first preseason minutes against Almeria, and Antony is set to be next in line. The staggered return is a model for how to reintegrate a key player without breaking him.
Vinicius returns to preseason with his Real Madrid deal running down to June 2027 and a real gap between what he wants and what the club will pay. If nothing moves, a sale is no longer unthinkable.
Barcelona open their England tour against Championship side Birmingham City, and it is the first look at new signing Karim Adeyemi. The way Flick set up the match is the real coaching takeaway.
A busy summer of arrivals has left Real Madrid with too many bodies and a selling problem that touches every line of the squad. For US coaches, it is a lesson in what an oversized roster really costs.
Hansi Flick named 31 players for Barcelona's preseason camp in England, and two names raised eyebrows: a goalkeeper close to a loan exit and a midfielder still working back from a serious knee injury.
La Real came from behind to win 2-1 at Wolverhampton with no internationals and no summer signings yet. Oskarsson keeps scoring. For coaches, this is a case study in what a thin preseason squad can still show you.
Vinicius Junior's deal expires in 2027 and he still has not re-signed. The good news for Madrid: the player's priority is to stay, and a new signing who shares his agent is not tied to any exit.
The comparison flatters the young Turk, but it also carries the same trap that swallowed Mesut Ozil at Real Madrid. Here is what US coaches can pull from it.
The Japanese summer signing scored on his first appearance as Valencia rolled through Eldense. For US coaches, the standout was how a new arrival forced his way into the picture.
Real Madrid have scheduled a closed-doors friendly against Alcorcon on July 24, the first outing of Jose Mourinho's second spell. Here is what a US coach should watch for.
Real Sociedad academy center back Jon Pacheco has returned from a loan at Alaves saying he wants to stay and nail down a starting role. It is the exact conversation US coaches should be having with returning loanees.
Edin Terzic's Athletic Club racked up goals against Leioa with hat-tricks and doubles across the squad, but the more telling detail was the players who did not get on.
As Spain met Argentina in the World Cup final, the story off the pitch was how much of the Spanish squad came through Barcelona's academy, and what Joan Laporta made of it.
Jose Mourinho opens his first preseason as Real Madrid manager with several open spots in his preferred starting eleven, and the friendlies ahead are where he plans to answer them.
A record number of Barcelona players are still alive in the World Cup while Hansi Flick begins preseason with a thin squad at the training ground.
Barcelona opened preseason at the Joan Gamper complex with Hansi Flick first through the door, while Under-19 Euro winner Marc Espart arrives with momentum.
With Spain still alive at the World Cup, Barcelona begin their preseason on Monday with medical testing and a squad already reshaped by new arrivals.
Spain's run to the World Cup semi-finals has forced La Liga to postpone at least four opening-round matches, including Atletico Madrid's trip and Athletic Club's opener.
Jose Mourinho has arrived in Madrid to lead the club's preseason, which begins Monday at Valdebebas, marking the start of a new era at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid will close their preseason at Riazor on 12 August against Deportivo, returning to Spain's oldest summer trophy after thirteen years away.
Croatia's World Cup exit forces Luka Modric to decide his future, and his former club at Real Madrid is watching closely as the veteran weighs one more season.
The newly promoted side name Argentine coach Martin Anselmi while losing two full-backs, leaving the position as an early priority in the market.
Newly promoted Malaga will open the 2026/27 season away at Atletico Madrid, though the World Cup could still shift the date. Sporting director Loren Juarros preaches patience in the market.
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo will begin his Real Sociedad tenure with eight consecutive days of work at Zubieta, front-loading physical testing and back-to-back training sessions.
Malaga's return to the top flight after eight years is triggering salary bumps and buyout clause changes, and the sporting director has laid out an ambitious but disciplined plan.
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