La Liga · Transfers · The Youth Game · for US soccer coaches
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.
Spanish football, in English, in your inbox every week.
The week in La Liga, transfers and the youth game, written for US soccer coaches. One email, no noise.
