All eyes were trained on Spain’s La Liga this weekend to see how one of the biggest leagues in Europe responded to the tragedy of Antonio Puerta’s death. Signs of solidarity were evident throughout Spain and even into the English Premier League, where several Spanish internationals now play. But the most encouraging signs, says ESPN’s Phil Ball, came from Sevilla’s bitter rival, Real Betis, whose players walked onto the field wearing the late Sevilla midfielder’s No. 16 shirt. It was also “a fitting end to a week in which saw the first ever embrace between the two clubs’ presidents, Jose Maria del Nido and Jose Leon Gomez, and another embrace between the sworn enemies Del Nido and Betis’ ex-president, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera,” Ball says.
On the field, with Sevilla-Osasuna rescheduled put on hold to Puerta’s death, it was all about Real Madrid. The Merengues’ 5-0 demolition of Villarreal at El Madrigal (the worst home defeat in its history) grabbed headlines throughout Spain, leaving the media convinced that the new-look, Dutch-inspired Real is the favorite to retain its crown.
After suffering the worst home defeat in its history, questions now will surely be asked of Villarreal’s management. Such as: was it smart for Manuel Pellegrini to let top scorer Diego Forlan go? And should he bury the hatchet with Juan Riquelme, who looks set to rot on the bench for the next four months now that a transfer to Boca Juniors has been rejected for the last time. Sunday’s shalacking suggests that changes need to be made; the insertion of Riquelme, who Ball describes as “one of the world’s best players,” might be one of them.