Upcoming La Liga season: Barcelona's daring strategy faces scrutiny, Xabi Alonso spearheads Real Madrid's recovery effort
Santi Cazorla Returns to La Liga with Real Oviedo
In a heartwarming comeback, Santi Cazorla, the 40-year-old midfield maestro, is set to grace the pitches of La Liga once more. After three successful spells at Villarreal, Cazorla has returned to his boyhood club, Real Oviedo, who have just been promoted to Spain's top-tier football league.
Cazorla's career has been marked by numerous achievements, including a European Championship win with Spain, over 500 club appearances, and 107 goals, 124 assists. His contribution to Oviedo's promotion was significant, as he scored a crucial penalty in the extra-time victory during the Segunda Division playoff final.
As Cazorla enters the final season of his career, he aims to bring inspiration and experience to Oviedo as they navigate the challenges of La Liga.
A New Generation Emerges: Lamine Yamal at FC Barcelona
While Cazorla represents the twilight of a storied career, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal embodies the future of Spanish football. As a key player for Barcelona, Yamal has already made a name for himself, leading in assists and dribbles in La Liga.
Yamal, who wears the iconic No. 10 shirt, is central to Barcelona's attack and is crucial to their defence of the La Liga title and their pursuit of success in the Champions League.
| Aspect | Santi Cazorla | Lamine Yamal | |-------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Age | 40 years old | 18 years old | | Current club | Real Oviedo (newly promoted to La Liga) | FC Barcelona | | Role | Veteran midfielder, experienced playmaker | Young winger, key attacking player | | Career stage | Final professional season | Early breakout star | | Achievements | 1 European Championship with Spain, over 500 club games | Over 100 appearances for Barcelona, European Champion 2024 | | Playing style | Skilled midfielder with scoring and assisting ability | Creative winger, leader in assists and dribbles in La Liga | | Importance in team | Inspirational leader for Oviedo's top-flight return | Central figure in Barcelona’s attack and future | | Shirt number | Not specified for Oviedo in source | Number 10, inherited from Lionel Messi | | Key stats | 107 goals, 124 assists in career | Led La Liga assists (13) and most dribbles (161) in 2024-25 season |
Other Notable Developments in La Liga
- Atletico Madrid have spent more on transfer fees in the last two summer windows than any other Liga club, including rivals Real Madrid.
- Real Madrid suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup.
- Giacomo Raspadori, the latest addition to Atletico Madrid, won his second Serie A title with Napoli and has 40 Italy caps to his name.
- No player in this season's La Liga will be more universally popular than Cazorla, who won two European championships with Spain.
- Atletico Madrid's forward line includes Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez, Alex Sorloth, and Giuliano Simeone, the coach's son.
- Diego Simeone, the manager of Atletico Madrid, is approaching 1,000 games as a club manager, with more than three-quarters of those games being at Atletico.
- Robert Lewandowski, last season's leading scorer in Spain, is ably supported by players like Yamal.
- Barcelona's redevelopment of Camp Nou, initially planned for completion earlier this year, is still not finished.
- Barcelona's stadium redevelopment delay is causing issues for them in meeting La Liga's Financial Fair Play rules.
- Joan Garcia, Marcus Rashford, and Roony Bardghji are among the summer recruits for Barcelona, but their official licensing to play is yet to be confirmed.
- Xabi Alonso, the new coach of Real Madrid, is yet to have a lot of time to brief new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.
- Alex Baena, a new signing from Villarreal, was the second-highest assist provider in La Liga last season.
- Cazorla grew up at Oviedo but reluctantly left after their relegation to the second division.
- Oviedo spent time in Spain's fourth tier in their 24 years outside the top flight and faced bankruptcy.
[1] Source for Cazorla's career statistics
[2] Source for Cazorla's return to Oviedo
[3] Source for Cazorla's contract
[4] Source for Cazorla's role at Oviedo
[5] Source for Cazorla's importance to Oviedo
- The world of sport continues to captivate audiences as Santi Cazorla, a 40-year-old midfield maestro, returns to La Liga after his boyhood club Real Oviedo's promotion.
- In a parallel narrative, football in Europe is excited about the potential of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal at FC Barcelona, who has already made a significant impact with his dribbling and assisting skills in La Liga.
- While Cazorla's return marks the final professional season of a storied career with numerous achievements, Yamal embodies the future of Spanish football as a key player in the team's quest for La Liga and Champions League victories.
- Meanwhile, news outlets in Europe are featuring stories about other significant developments in La Liga, such as Atletico Madrid's substantial transfer expenditure, Real Madrid's struggles against Paris Saint-Germain, and the ongoing challenges faced by Barcelona due to the delay in the Camp Nou redevelopment project.
