Spain Season Preview 2001-02

Alaves

Seven defeats in their last eight games last season and the loss of Javi Moreno, Cosmin Contra and Ivan Tomic may suggest the Alaves bubble has burst, but don't write off the UEFA Cup runners-up just yet. Mane, Spain's longest-serving coach (five seasons), didn't turn down a lucrative offer from Valencia because he's a masochist. Uruguayan youngster Ivan Alonso was a prolific understudy for Moreno last term, and the Basques' nose for a bargain means Romanian recruit Bogdan Mara (from Dinamo Bucharest) deserves the benefit of the doubt. Veteran defender Llorens (Atletico) and midfield destroyer Turiel (Valladolid) will bolster a leaky rearguard.

Athletic Bilbao

A new president (Javier Uria), a new technical director (Andoni Zubizarreta) and a new coach (Jupp Heynckes). Unfortunately, the club's Basque- players-only philosophy means the only additions to a lacklustre squad are spotty-faced locals. Motivation is a problem, too. Still only in their mid-20s, Julen Guerrero, Joseba Etxeberria, Ismael Urzaiz and Santiago Ezquerro have all stagnated. The returning Heynkes insists eight League titles and 23 Spanish Cups is a heritage that demands greater ambition. No trophies in 17 years suggests that's a pipe dream.

FC Barcalona

One year after his election, Barca president Joan Gaspart still presides over a deeply divided club. Pep Guardiola's parting shot summed up the Barca zeitgeist: "Half the fans turn up hoping the team will lose so they can barrack the board." Carles Rexach is the club's fourth coach in the five years since Johan Cruyff was sacked.

And although the early League fixtures look less than demanding, to survive in the longer term Cruyff's former assistant will need a better return on new arrivals Javier Saviola, Geovanni, Fabio Rochemback, Patrik Andersson and Philippe Christanval than his predecessor, Llorenc Serra Ferrer, got from Overmars, Petit, Dutruel, Gerard, Alfonso and De la Pena.

Betis

This time two years ago, Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera pitched his club as a genuine alternative to Real Madrid and Barcelona. One relegation campaign and a nail-biting Second Division ride later, the fanciful guru has ditched his delusions of grandeur. Former Rayo coach Juande Ramos will build a team that is as ferociously competitive as any in Spain. Strikers Amato and Gaston Casas and baby-faced midfield trio Joaquin, Capi and Varela all impressed last season. If only Denilson would start living up to his reputation.

Celta Vigo

Only Mallorca won more points in the second half of last season, as Celta scaled the table to finish sixth. Coach Victor Fernandez's team still flatter to deceive, though. Despite the impressive approach work of midfield czars Alexander Mostovoi and Valery Karpin, they scored a modest 51 goals last year (with the strikers managing just 19 combined). Unless new recruit Florian Maurice rediscovers his shooting boots after two injury-riddled years at Marseille, expect more of the same.

Deportiva La Coruna

Last summer Augosto Lendoiro invested £45m in nine new players. This year, the wheeler-dealer president has kept the chequebook under lock and key, and it is easy to see why. The Diego Tristan/ Roy Makaay pairing 35 League goals between them should get better; out-of-contract acquisition Goran Djorovic (Celta) and youthful right-back Hector (Sevilla) provide depth at the back, while Amavisca (Racing) is a more athletic alternative to Fran on the left of midfield. Depor's final game is at home to Real Madrid; don't bet against it being the title decider.

Espanyol

The Barcelona side are a well-organised, defensively sound unit with one major defect: a powder-puff attack. Espanyol finished a creditable ninth last season despite scoring just 46 goals in 38 games. Raul Tamudo and Martin Posse are tricky players who huff and puff but rarely blow the house down. A third tiny-tot striker, on-loan Mexican international Juan Francisco Palencia, is not the answer. Espanyol's lack of resources dictate comings and goings. Fortunately for coach Paco Flores, Spain's lower classes look far weaker now than this time last year.

Las Palmas

Two-thirds of the way through last season newly-promoted Las Palmas reached the giddy heights of seventh place, but then won only four of their final 17 games and endured major off-field turmoil (passport-faking, dressing-room punch-ups, unpaid wages). Top scorer Guayre and fellow Spain Under-21 Jorge are gone and no reinforcements worthy of the name have arrived to replace them. New coach Fernando Vazquez made his reputation in similar circumstances at Compostela, but he's no magician.

Malaga

Malaga have been a breath of fresh air since their top-flight return in 1998; an unfancied side that plays enterprising football home and away. Livewire striker Dario Silva and midfield quartet Rufete, Movilla, Agostinho and De los Santos were all summer targets for bigger clubs. Tellingly, Malaga's new recruits Ivan Leko (Hajduk Split), Gerardo (Valencia) and Duda (Cadiz) were not. At 65, Joaquin Peiro is Spain's oldest coach. He'll need all his savvy to prevent his team becoming downwardly mobile.

Mallorca

Mallorca were Spain's form side in the second half of last season, a club record third place and Champions League qualification the result of 40 points in 19 games. However, Turkish defender Fatih Akyel is the only notable addition to a very shallow squad, while former Sociedad coach Bernd Krauss for Atletico Madrid-bound Luis Aragones is an unpromising change on the bench. Samuel Eto'o, Luque and Nova will continue to improve, but with Nadal, Engonga and Soler all nearer 40 than 30, Mallorca are unlikely to thrive on two fronts.

Osasuna

Osasuna's decision to stick with coach Miguel Angel Lotina last season proved a wise one. The Pamplona club escaped relegation only on the final day but that was as good as anybody could possibly expect from such a threadbare squad. The main problem was a lack of attacking alternatives to 14-goal youngster Ivan Rosado. If the Australian John Aloisi delivers on his promise of 20 goals, Osasuna might avoid another nail-biter.

Rayo Vallecano

Juande Ramos performed miracles on a shoestring at Rayo for several years but a League-low 14 points in the second half of last season persuaded him to take his hard-won reputation to greener pastures. The board reacted by selling their best two players, Gerhard Poschner and Michel, as well. New coach Andoni Goikoetxea's unimpressive pedigree at Salamanca, Compostela, Numancia and Racing makes the outlook in south Madrid even more gloomy.

Real Madrid

"With Zidane on board we'll be the best team in the world by a distance," says Luis Figo, not a man given to brash statements (if there is one thing Figo, Zidane and Raul have in common it's their tight-lipped demeanour in front of the cameras).

Throw Roberto Carlos, Guti, Pedro Munitis, Fernando Morientes and Steve McManaman into the mix and Real will definitely be the most entertaining side around. Rivals can only pray that Juve owner Gianni Agnelli's jibe "Zidane is more entertaining than effective" is borne out. Vicente Del Bosque's team still have problems at the back, but opponents will spend too much time doing their own defending to exploit them.

Real Sociedad

A chaotic 2000-01 season was saved by John Toshack, who made the Basques as difficult to beat at Anoeta as tradition dictates, and saved them with something to spare. The Welshman has become something of an itinerant mercenary in recent years but his affection for Real and his San Sebastian home is genuine. Bjorn-Tore Kvarme (Saint-Etienne) and Barkero (Eibar) are useful additions to the squad, and a UEFA Cup place is not out of the question.

Sevilla

Sevilla were promoted as Second Division champions with no major additions to the squad that was relegated a year earlier. Local coach Joaquin Caparros has eight new players this time around, but the fact they cost barely £1m between them is not an encouraging sign. Uruguayan strike duo Nicolas Olivera and Marcelo Zalayeta thrived in the Second Division after flopping in 1999-00. Either they come good at the second attempt in the top flight or the white half of Seville is in trouble.

Tenerife

They might finish above their arch-rivals Las Palmas but that's unlikely to keep Tenerife up. Brazilian passport-faker Barata is suspended for a year and promising young strikers Luis Garcia and Mista have both been sold. President Javier Perez describes his team as "top-flight babies". Given Perez's lack of patience and a lack of quality players, coach Pepe Mel's top-flight debut is unlikely to get past the suckling stage.

Valencia

Last season's cruel finale and the departure of Gaizka Mendieta, coach Hector Cuper and president Pedro Cortes have provoked talk of a sinking ship. But it's not all doom and gloom. Sergio (Espanyol), Rufete (Malaga), Marchena (Benfica), Mista (Tenerife) and Belletti (Sao Paulo) have been recruited with barely a dent on the £45m profit from the Champions League windfall. Sergio is a genuine all-rounder while Rufete is an industrious presence on the right flank. Vicente completes a trio of recent Spain debutants in midfield. Zlatko Zahovic to Benfica for Spain Under-21 defender Marchena was a great piece of business too. Brazilian full-backs Fabio Aurelio and Belletti give the veteran defence some useful new blood. If new president Jaime Orti provides coach Rafa Benitez with a more prolific goalscorer than John Carew or Juan Sanchez, Valencia are a good outside bet for the title.

Valladolid

When the best news a club offers its fans is that 37-year-old midfielder Eusebio isn't hanging up his boots for another year you know you're in trouble. Tellingly, the £8m Valladolid made on defensive stalwarts Torres Gomez, Garcia Calvo and Gabriel Heinze was used to eliminate crippling debts, not buy reinforcements. Long-time backroom boy Pepe More deserves a shot at the job, but no coach deserves such poor raw material.

Villarreal

Seventh place was a major achievement in Villarreal's second top-flight campaign and coach Victor Munoz, who recently signed a contract extension to 2004, has made some shrewd recent buys. Great things are expected of 21-year-old striker Guayre (Las Palmas), Sergio Ballesteros (Rayo) adds physical presence to the defence, Constantin Galca (Espanyol) is a gifted playmaker, and winger Quique Martin (Salamanca) will provide forward Martin Palermo with good service.

Zaragoza

Any club that consistently sells its best players (Poyet, Kily Gonzalez, Gustavo Lopez, Milosevic) without investing in reinforcements is tempting fate. After several years at odds with the fans for his Scrooge-like habits, president Alfonso Solans has decided to invest in a safety net. Zaragoza paid a club record £5m for target man Goran Drulic (Red Star Belgrade) and £1.7m for experienced Brazilian defender Esquerdinha (Porto). With veterans Roberto Acuna, Jose Ignacio and Juanele continuing to thrive, expect the Zaragoza yo-yo to bounce back.