What are the genuine opinions of LaLiga footballers concerning their peers? Which individual would they enlist for their squad, given the freedom to select anyone globally? Which venues do they particularly enjoy playing in? And which managers tend to irritate them from the touchline?
ESPN conversed with three dozen athletes in Spain’s premier division to uncover the responses to these and additional inquiries for the sophomore installment of LaLiga Confidential, occurring four years subsequent to its debut. Every participant provided their answers under strict anonymity. Their responses are captivating, providing a glimpse not only into whom they regard as the league’s top talents—perhaps Real Madrid’s forward Kylian Mbappé, or perhaps Barcelona’s Pedri or Lamine Yamal?—but also disclosing those they perceive as being overlooked or most prone to receiving a red card.
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ATHLETES AND MANAGERS: LaLiga players on their contemporaries
The initial query elicits the most anticipated responses, though the division between Pedri and Yamal underscores the high esteem in which the Barça central player is held by his professional peers. Subsequent questions bring to light some of LaLiga’s most undervalued athletes, those considered least disciplined—Getafe, perhaps avert your gaze—and the manager deemed most provocative during fixtures.
1. If you ran a team, who would be your first signing?
Their commentaries:
— “Mbappé secures victories single-handedly.”
— “Haaland is an individual who assures scoring.”
2. Who’s the most underrated player in LaLiga right now?
Their commentaries:
— “Raphinha ought to have received the Ballon d’Or.”
3. Which player in LaLiga is most likely to get red carded?
Their commentaries:
— “Any individual competing against Madrid or Barcelona.”
4. Which coach is most annoying on the sidelines?
Their commentaries:
— “Simeone genuinely enjoys antagonizing the opposing side.”
— “Bordalás disputes every single thing.”
ROAD TRIPS: The premier venues to compete in Spain
Excursions to Barcelona and Real Madrid are prominent, yet even apart from the *Clásico* competitors, LaLiga boasts numerous premier away venues in European football. Nevertheless, ‘best’ does not invariably imply ‘simple,’ as clubs like Athletic Club in Bilbao, Real Betis in Seville, and Rayo Vallecano in Madrid frequently pose challenges for visiting teams.
5. What constitutes the most challenging away match concerning ambiance and supporters?
6. Upon receiving the fixture list, which urban center are you most eager to frequent?
SCORES AND CONTESTS: Jubilations, observing football and EA FC
Ultimately, LaLiga luminaries were surveyed on various additional topics, encompassing their views on netting against a previous squad, observing football, exhaustion, and the crucial EA FC player evaluations.
7. Would you celebrate against your former team?
Their commentaries:
— “No, I rarely find the net, so it would be unfortunate if my sole goal of the campaign occurred against a past club.”
— “Not truly, one must consistently show profound deference to the squad that facilitated one’s current position.”
— “My aspiration is to perpetually remain with the same squad.”
8. Excluding your own squad, what number of football encounters do you observe weekly?
Their commentaries:
— “I do not view much football. I favor observing NFL or NBA.”
— “I follow two or three, primarily Premier League contests.”
— “I do not watch football. I opt to utilize my leisure time to engage with my relatives or to disengage.”
9. Has a moment arisen in your professional journey where you experienced exhaustion due to excessive play?
Their commentaries:
— “When one participates in multiple contests, fatigue eventually sets in.”
— “No, but I must state that when the holiday season arrives, one longs for family, and that can be draining.”
10. Should you engage with EA FC, do you believe the athlete evaluations are precise?
Their commentaries:
— “I believe they are satisfactory for the more renowned athletes, but they undervalue the less recognized ones.”
— “A few are excessively elevated [chuckles].”
— “They consistently fail to grant us custodians the merit we believe we warrant.”
— “They assign us defenders a diminished average than we merit [chuckles].”
ESPN’s Eduardo Fernández-Abascal, Sam Marsden, Tony Mabert and Connor O’Halloran contributed to this report