The fall and rise of Antonio Campillo, and Rival Watch: Mirandés (21st April, 2017)

A huge thanks to Ignasi Torné for designing the official new logo for this blog! Follow him on Twitter: @groundhopperbcn

Sometimes, you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand back up taller than you ever were.

Born in Madrid, Campillo graduated with Atlético Madrid's youth setup, and made his debuts as a senior with the C-team in 2008, in Tercera División. In the 2009 summer he was promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B.

In July 2010 Campillo moved to another reserve team, Getafe CF B also in the third level. But, in January 2012 he signed for fellow league team UD Melilla, after being rarely used by Getafe. He had been touted as the next big thing for years. But the opportunity never came.

So he went down to the Tercera.

In July 2012 Campillo joined CU Collado Villalba, in the fourth division. After scoring nine goals for the side he agreed to a two-year deal with Rayo Vallecano, being assigned to the B-side in the third tier.

He helped Rayo B get promoted back to the Segunda B, and then scored a career-best 13 goals for them in the 2014-15 season. And in July 2015 Campillo signed a two-year deal with CD Lugo in Segunda División.

In his first season he was used as a rotational option, but the 26 year old attacking midfielder has found his groove this season. He has scored three goals and has already clocked 2752 minutes - moreover, he has assimilated in a difficult division.

Watch out for him - some mid-table to relegation threatened sides in La Liga will be looking for him this summer, when his contract expires.

Rival Watch

A new segment where I explore another team in the division and how they are doing

If you thought Rayo was having a turbulent season, with three different managers and relegation trouble, spare a thought for Mirandés.

Since 2013, Carlos Terrazas had been at the helm of the club, guiding the club to 19th, 8th and 15th place finishes in the Segunda - it must be noted that in the 2013-14 season Mirandés should have gone down but were saved because Real Murcia (4th place) had failed to obtain a professional license.

But after 16 games Mirandés were bottom of the league, and he was sacked despite the club being just two points off safety.

What followed was turmoil to a degree never seen before.

Caretaker coach Javier Álvarez De los Mozos took over for the 17th game - a 1-0 win against Elche - before handing over the reigns to Claudio Barragán. He, in turn, was sacked after just four games, which included one win and three losses - and 11 goals conceded.

The reigns were given back to Javier Álvarez De los Mozos, this time on a permanent basis. But permanent probably means something else at the club, because he was sacked after 10 games which brought just a solitary win.

Finally, after the 31st jornada, he was replaced by current manager, hopefully current-manager-for-some-time, Pablo Alfaro. Currently, Mirandés are bottom of the league, six points off safety with eight games to go.

Good luck.

Francisco Pérez Pérez - the actual oldest player to have played in Spain (1st November, 2017)

I've always wanted to ask a football player: how much do you love your club? If you see your club go down, what are you willing to put on the line to see them go back up? The notion that "players will come and players will go, but the fans are the club" is one that is sadly true in what has become a money-filled sport. The story of a player sacrificing money and success for his club? That story is rare. That story is beautiful. This is that story. This is the story of a player who loved his club. His local club. It'll be a long time if and when someone beats his record. Francisco Pérez Pérez, also known as Chico, currently holds the record for being the oldest player to play in the Segunda B - 43 years and 93 days is the figure. That's a figure that second place Diego Rodríguez Fernández (41 years and 324 days) falls short of by a year and 134 days. I should also point out that the top 3 list for oldest players to play in any of the top three tier

When three teams offered a 19-year-old an eight year contract (11th October, 2017)

Just how many players can you name who have the following descrption: He is a striker of great quality, and was a great promise of Spanish football, but his bad luck and some injuries denied him the opportunity to recover - he has never played more than one season in the same team. This is the story of a player - a technically and physically excellent striker - who made mistakes and suffered injuries very young and never really recovered. Born in Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, Barcelona, Iván Peñaranda started his youth career at Granollers. His real formation, however, was in the lower categories of Barcelona, in which he stayed for seven years (1991-98). Playing alongside Xavi Hernández, Gabri and Carles Puyol. He was considered as one of the young players with a huge future within the club. In the summer of 1998, he angered Barcelona by using "change of residence" as an excuse to sign for Mallorca B (he would move there along with his family), where he would play alongs

Who is Raúl Martín Presa, the Mickey Mouse? Part 1. (20th August, 2017)

José María Ruiz-Mateos was the head and main shareholder of Nueva Rumasa - the company that owned Rayo and other companies - mainly specializing in dairy products. (He wasn't the president of Rayo though - his wife, Teresa Rivero, was Rayo's president). In early 2011, the directors announced a debt of over 700 million euros, that it was on the verge of bankruptcy and that staff wouldn't be paid. And the players were visibly angry about it - captain Míchel assured the press that the club would continue fighting on the pitch, but the day after the announcement was made, six key players didn’t attend training. Veteran midfielder José María Movilla spoke on radio station SER about the situation, about the fact that he had only received seven of the last eighteen months of pay, about the fact that there were a few players who couldn't even afford car repairs. When Rayo Vallecano were about to earn promotion to La Liga despite all the odds - the players not being paid,

The Pride of Vallekas

Search This Blog