Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has no qualms upsetting a few people on his war path to glory, and this week the Premier League has come under fire from the combustible Argentine. One of his former players has ‘corrected him’ though.

Earlier in the week, Simeone claimed that he felt if he could come close to replicating the offensive production in the Premier League, he would stand a good chance of winning it, because in his words, ‘nobody defends’.

Simeone about defending well in modern football and Premier League.

Whether you like his style or not, his point of view is interesting

I only put English subtitles, credits to the show El Larguero from Cadena Ser.

Follow me for more football videos with English subtitles! ? pic.twitter.com/ai16GnbrbU

— Juani Jimena (@JimenaJuani) November 15, 2023

Manchester City star Rodri Hernandez knows Simeone well having spent a year working under him before heading to the Etihad, but he wasn’t in agreement with his former coach.

“Here, I disagree with Diego. But I’ll also tell you that he may be right because not all teams play in the same way. I play in a team that I guarantee you, they defend for 90 minutes. In all games. So it is not my case. ”

“But hey, maybe other teams do play more one-on-one and can leave more space, but it is a league that I think is quite hard, defensive and tough,” Rodri told Cadena SER, via Football Espana.

There is no doubt that the disparity of resources in La Liga tempts many teams into defending deeper and focusing on organisation, rather than necessarily their own strengths against the big three. However Pep Guardiola would likely back his midfielder up that he faces no shortage of low blocks at the Etihad too.

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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

There is never a quiet day at Barcelona. With Neymar Junior in Saudi Arabia, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Barcelona would spend their week quietly working away to sign Joao Cancelo from Manchester City. Instead, they announced they would be getting rid of the man who has led their transfer strategy for the last two years, to replace him with someone who has never done the job before.

That person would be Deco. Director of Football Mateu Alemany was on the verge of an exit in May to Aston Villa, but made a U-turn and elected to stay for ‘a long time’ in his words. However it appears Deco has President Joan Laporta’s ear, and he will have full autonomy in a move that could even put Xavi Hernandez’s job in jeopardy long-term. Alemany is now a target for Tottenham Hotspur, Deco still has three signings in mind over the next two weeks.

One of those is Cancelo. It appears if they do not get the deal done shortly, Arsenal may enter the fray following injury to Jurrien Timber. Outside of that, Joao Felix continues to be mentioned, but Xavi, if he still has the power to do so, continues to veto his signing. That was his stance over Neymar Junior, but reading the list of luxuries that Neymar will have at Al Hilal, it is very clear Barcelona could not have afforded him. Oh, and Barcelona opened their title defence with a 0-0 draw away at Getafe.

Returning to Real Oviedo 20 years after his departure is a dream come true for Santi Cazorla. pic.twitter.com/iXIHNbpS8Q

— Football España (@footballespana_) August 17, 2023

At Real Madrid, Kepa Arrizabalaga arrived on loan from Chelsea on loan. He says he sent Thibaut Courtois a message wishing him well with his recovery from an ACL injury, but ruffled a few feathers already by declaring he wants to stay even longer. Brazilian defender Eder Militao also tore his ACL on Saturday in a cruel twist of fate. The headlines on Sunday, after Real Madrid beat Athletic Club 2-0, were all for the fantastic Jude Bellingham, who scored on his debut.

Militao will not be replaced. Real Madrid are closed for business barring a major twist, and that includes Kylian Mbappe. After the Paris Saint-Germain star returned to training, the noises coming out of the Spanish capital have been laced with warnings for Mbappe.

Elsewhere Yassine Bounou looks like he is on his way Saudi Arabia, Gabri Veiga, once certain to move to the Premier League, will join Napoli, and most importantly of all, Santi Cazorla is back in Spain. Two decades after Cazorla left boyhood club Real Oviedo, the 38-year-old has ended his spell in Qatar in order to return to the North of Spain. He will earn ‘just’ €90k per year and has ensured 90% of his image rights will go to the Oviedo academy, his story is remarkable, and in a week which has seen questioning of the game in Spain for its rules, its finances and its stability, is the most wholesome story of the week.

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Manchester City are set to take revenge on rival Manchester United for stealing away two of their young talents by bringing in one from Old Trafford.

Tyler and Jack Fletcher, sons of former Scotland and United stalwart Darren Fletcher, moved to the Red Devils this week from Manchester City. According to the Mirror, City will now bring in 16-year-old talent Harrison Parker in the other direction. The central defender joined in 2021 after a number of years at Arsenal, but will now represent a third member of the so-called ‘big six’.

EXCL: Manchester City are close to reaching an agreement with Manchester United for top talented CB (16) Harrison Parker ????????? #MCFC

City have beaten four top clubs to the signing — agreement is close despite Man Utd offering highest youth deal to keep Parker. pic.twitter.com/N3UYXiI3VM

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 11, 2023

Parker is already an English youth international at his age group too, and looks set for an enormously bright future. United had offered him a deal after making his debut with their under-18 side, but City will now have to stump up a significant fee in order to allow United to let him go.

For the player himself, it is a tough choice between the two Manchester sides. City have the draw of potentially working with Pep Guardiola and are at a higher level, but equally competition is more fierce. Erik ten Hag might be able to afford him more opportunities down the line. Clearly Parker feels he is better served at City.

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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Spanish football was a breathless affair over the course of the last week, as two matchdays were squeezed into the weekend and midweek, clearing space for the main event on Saturday night – the Copa del Rey final. Real Madrid will face Osasuna at 21:00 UK time, with the Los Rojillo looking for their first ever major trophy, while Real Madrid seek their 20th.

It was not an ideal week of preparation for Los Blancos, who lost 2-0 away to Real Sociedad, conceding their eighth goal in three games. This one was a gift from Eder Militao, which will please Pep Guardiola. That consolidates Real Sociedad’s place in fourth (seven points clear of Villarreal with five games to go), but it also allowed Atletico Madrid to pass Real Madrid into second place. They beat Cadiz 5-1, with Antoine Griezmann picking up a brace, and his campaign for player of the season picking up too.

Off the pitch, it was a little better for Carlo Ancelotti. Reports emerged out of Real Madrid that a deal for Jude Bellingham is ‘imminent’, with the first details of his prospective contract emerging too. On a personal level, Ancelotti has maintained that he is not joining Brazil, but staying at Real Madrid – which has led to Brazilian Football Federation President Ednaldo Rodrigues admitting publicly they are after him.

?Lionel Messi has apologised for missing #PSG training to go to Saudi Arabia:

“I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always."

"I had this trip organised and I couldn't cancel it. I apologise to my teammates."pic.twitter.com/XBgL2iDXAQ

— Football España (@footballespana_) May 5, 2023

Meanwhile hope is growing that Lionel Messi will return to Barcelona, despite their financial issues. Messi skipped Paris Saint-Germain training this week, was suspended without pay for two weeks, and then issued an apology video that resembled a hostage plea. He also has a new Barcelona tattoo, but their pursuit of Messi has started to cost them already. Director of Football Mateu Alemany is leaving the club in the summer, reportedly to head to Aston Villa. One of the reasons is a large pay day, another is the fact that he seemingly did not agree with bringing Messi in.

Finally, Real Madrid’s opponent in the Copa del Rey final is Osasuna. Football España travelled to Pamplona to speak to the decision-makers at the club, finding out how in the space of nine years, they went from the electricity being cut off at their stadium to the final – and potentially that much-desired first Copa. Read about it here.

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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have been so occupied with all the football being played of late, that they have barely had time to engage in their usual shenanigans – however they did spice things up by both losing in midweek.

It looked as if Barcelona had wrapped up the title (again) last weekend when they beat Atletico Madrid by one goal to nil, courtesy of Ferran Torres, earmarked as their last possible stumbling block. They still have an 11-point gap to Real Madrid with just seven games to go, but Los Blancos might have been wondering ‘what if’ after they saw Rayo Vallecano soundly beat them 2-1 on Wednesday – West Ham target Andoni Iraola is unbeaten in league matches against Barcelona, with three wins and a draw to his name.

Of course much more attention was being paid to the inquest at Real Madrid until then. Girona thumped them 4-2 on Tuesday, with Taty Castellanos netting an incredible four goals against them. Castellanos is the first to do so since 1947 in La Liga, and Pep Guardiola will have enjoyed watching his Catalan bretherin become the only side in history with a 50% La Liga win rate against Real Madrid. They too have won three of their six clashes.

What we did not know at the time was just how costly it would prove in the other competitions. On Friday it was revealed that Luka Modrix has a muscle injury, with potential for him to miss the Copa del Rey final and the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City. Carlo Ancelotti will not be short of options either though, and perhaps not next season – after a deal for Jude Bellingham ‘cooled down’, Real Madrid appear to have put it back in the microwave.

Everyone knows Barcelona’s main target is Lionel Messi, but the key thing for the Blaugrana is to sell before the Argentine can come in. Manager Xavi Hernandez has given the green light for the first star to be edged out, with Tottenham, Inter and Juventus all lurking in the background.

Meanwhile Getafe have had a memorable week, although perhaps fans at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez might want to forget it. It was Quique Sanchez Flores who paid the price as he was sacked. President Angel Torres told the squad Jose Bordalas would be returning to the club, but then couldn’t agree a deal with the former Valencia coach. Sporting Director Ruben Reyes was left in charge instead, but just a day later, the latest reporting is that Bordalas mat well come back, after the team asked Torres to negotiate again.

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Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

Barcelona have been short on good news in recent years, but Camp Nou was euphoric last Sunday night when Franck Kessie bagged a 91st-minute winner to put them 12 points clear of Real Madrid. ‘El Presidente’ all but sentenced the La Liga title, after a Ronald Araujo own goal and Sergi Roberto equaliser in the first half. Despite their European failures, all will be forgiven for Xavi Hernandez if he brings home the title, and he’s well on his way to doing so.

The other President at the club is under signficantly more pressure, after UEFA announced they too would be investigating the Negreira case. Barcelona and Joan Laporta have begun suing journalists for libel in response to the negative press they are receiving. He was all smiles on Thursday though, as former Barcelona wonderkid and Stoke City star – not every day those fit into the same sentence – Bojan Krkic said goodbye to the professional game. At the age of 32, his career lasted 15 years and spanned 7 countries, also passing through Milan, Roma, Ajax, Mainz, Alaves, Montreal Impact and Vissel Kobe.

The frustration at Real Madrid was tangible. Dani Carvajal said something to in the aftermath of El Clasico that caused one Barcelona player to lose their mind on the pitch, while Carlo Ancelotti complained that he doubted whether Marco Asensio’s potential winner really was offside. The Italian manager is under pressure for his job now, and some have even been calling for Karim Benzema to be dropped, as the French forward continues to look unfit.

It’s no surprise as a result that there has been plenty of transfer news surrounding Real Madrid to distract from that defeat. Los Blancos appear set to pursue Erling Haaland in 2024, and believe they have the edge on Manchester City and Liverpool in the race for Jude Bellingham.

Across the city, Antoine Griezmann lost his proverbial upon finding out Kylian Mbappe would be France captain, he feels that he deserved it. Atletico Madrid have been the second-best side in Spain after Barcelona in 2023, while Griezmann has been the best player in Spain this calendar year. Continuing the French theme, Rayo Vallecano forwards Oscar Trejo and Isi Palazon were the stars of one of the most bizarre penalties in La Liga history last weekend, putting together a sort of tribute to Thierry Henry and Robert Pires.

That good atmosphere at Atleti is in part due to Joao Felix’s absence, according to captain Koke who has admitted he was a distraction for the side. Meanwhile Elche have appointed their sixth coach of the season – Sebastian Beccacece will have to beat an average of 2.6 points per coach previously. Ahead of their Europa League tie with Manchester United, Sevilla have sacked Jorge Sampaoli too, bringing in Jose Luis Mendilibar to steady the ship, as they sit just two points outside of the relegation zone.

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Barcelona have been unable to find a consistent performer at right-back since Dani Alves moved on in 2016, and that search looks set to continue again this summer. However on-loan Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo could well be available this summer.

It is thought that Barcelona might be interested in Cancelo on loan this summer, as they look for an affordable option to fill the position. Although Jules Kounde has done a good job there this season, the French defender has made no secret of the fact he would rather be playing in central defence.

According to Fabrizio Romano though, the Blaugrana have not made contact with Cancelo, despite the apparent fit at Camp Nou.

“Barça have excellent relationship with Joao’s agent Mendes but nothing will be decided now. Bayern and Cancelo will discuss at the end of the season, Joao is now 100% focused on FC Bayern.”

Romano made those comments on his exclusive Substack column with Caught Offside. Cancelo was loaned to Bayern Munich in January with a €70m buy clause, but it is not certain whether the German side will activate it. After losing his place under Pep Guardiola this season, it seems unlikely he will return to Manchester City either.

Image via Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

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Manchester City might have dropped points to Newcastle United, but they have started the Premier League season in fine fettle. Nobody more so than Erling Haaland, who has played five Premier League matches and scored a remarkable 11 goals in that time.

On Wednesday evening Haaland added three more to his tally with a first-half hat-trick against Nottingham Forest, which sent Pep Guardiola’s side marching towards a 6-0 victory. See all of those goals here.

Following that performance, the 22-year-old was on duty during the post-match interviews and once again gave one of his trademark set of blunt responses.

"Amazing! Nothing more to say."

He's a man of few words, instead Erling Haaland does his talking on the pitch ?

? @Sports_EmmaD pic.twitter.com/94J3HGH16m

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 31, 2022

There was nothing malicious in his tone nor was he deliberately being difficult for the reporter, but it does make a difference from some of the more rambling answers given in these interviews.

One of the things that stands out about Haaland, beyond his incredible talent, is his big personality. It contrasts greatly with a lot of Manchester City’s squad, but so far it seems to working just fine.

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Nottingham Forest may be pushing towards 20 signings this summer, but Manchester City are putting them to the sword with just one this evening. It is only half-time at the Etihad Stadium, but Erling Haaland has put three past Forest.

The Norwegian striker has not taken long to hit his stride following his move from Borussia Dortmund and already has 11 goals in his four-and-a-half games in the Premier League, making it consecutive hat-tricks following his triple against Crystal Palace.

It only takes one touch! ?

Erling Haaland continues to take the Premier League by storm with a smart finish! ? pic.twitter.com/5LsYrbz8xm

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 31, 2022

The simplest of finishes for Erling Haaland!

It's still August and he's scored EIGHT goals for Manchester City! ? pic.twitter.com/RhTZdcuA2x

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 31, 2022

This Erling Haaland lad is pretty good, eh? ??? pic.twitter.com/IYAK5T4ple

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 31, 2022

Any doubts about his ability to adapt to the Premier League are being blown to pieces by Haaland, who at this point looks like a frightening prospect in an already excellent Manchester City side.

While it is true that City have mostly played teams expected to finish in the bottom half of the table, scoring at a rate of over two goals a game is impressive for any striker no matter the opposition.

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Manchester City next face Crystal Palace in the Premier League this Saturday, as Pep Guardiola’s side return home to set things right following their draw with Newcastle United. Yet the City squad finds itself in Catalonia currently, as they prepare to take on Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Despite having already started the season, the two clubs have agreed to play each other in a benefit match, in order to raise money and awareness for ALS. Former Barcelona coach and goalkeeper Juan Carlos Unzue is currently living with the condition and is the inspiration for the event.

Previewing the friendly, the Manchester Evening News put out their predicted team to go against Barcelona. Only one of their senior players will start in defence according to their logic, John Stones, while Stefan Ortega should play in goal.

Kalvin Phillips should replace Rodri in the holding role but Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne are expected to play the first 45 minutes, while Cole Palmer and Jack Grealish are expected to flank Julian Alvarez, as Erling Halaand is rested.

Some will wonder about the wisdom of having a friendly during the season, which is a little confusing. While the match is for a good cause and should be honoured, only poor scheduling prevented it from taking place during the preseason.

Man City predicted team: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Mbete, Gomez; Phillips, De Bruyne, Bernardo; Palmer, Alvarez, Grealish.

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