Solari spells salvation for Real Madrid
If league leaders Real Madrid win a record 30th Spanish title in May, one man who coach Carlos Queiroz will owe a particular debt of thanks to is his utility player Santiago Solari.
If league leaders Real Madrid win a record 30th Spanish title in May, one man who coach Carlos Queiroz will owe a particular debt of thanks to is his utility player Santiago Solari.
In his time at Real, Solari has played everywhere on the field except goalkeeper and right back, and at Valladolid tomorrow it looks likely that he will be employed as a makeshift left back.
Real will almost certainly be without Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos at left back as he is still struggling with a hamstring strain, and his usual deputy Raul Bravo is suspended.
"I will play anywhere the coach wants me to," said the modest and popular Solari recently.
The Argentine has won the hearts and minds of both his team-mates and the club's critical fans with his commitment to the Real cause, after his move across the Spanish capital from local rivals Atletico in the summer of 2000.
Real will need all three points from their trip but Valladolid may not be quite the pushover their modest 10th position suggests.
Real lead the chase for the championship with 46 points, two ahead of Valencia who have not scored in their last two league outings.
The 2001-02 champions will be hoping to end that sorry situation at Malaga today, and their coach Rafa Benitez has David Albelda and Amadeo Carboni back after both players were suspended for the shock 1-0 home defeat to Osasuna last Sunday.
Another familiar figure to return to the fray this weekend will be new Celta coach Radomir Antic, this time after a slightly longer absence after Barcelona declined to renew his contract at the end of last season.
The 53-year-old Serb was signed up by the struggling Galician club on Wednesday. Antic's sixth Spanish first division team are currently one place above the relegation zone, and he will be at the helm at Real Betis today.
Frank Rijkaard was the choice of Barcelona president Joan Laporta after he decided that Antic's face did not fit at the Catalan giants – but there may have been times in the last six months when he wished that he had more faith in Antic.
Nevertheless, after an erratic first half of the season, Rijkaard seems to have guided Barca out of the doldrums – although they play host to Albacete tomorrow without the suspended pair of Michael Reiziger and Ronaldinho.