The brains of the Blanquiverdes (Part 3): Sergi Guardiola - Setbacks maketh the great (28th October, 2017)

Every time he was destined to fail, he did not. Every time he had to take a step back, he was back where he began...

Guardiola was a product of Lorca Deportiva CF's youth system, and made his debuts as a senior in the 2009-10 season, in the Tercera. In the summer of 2010, he signed with Segunda B club Jumilla. It was his first Segunda B season - and it ended with relegation, with Guardiola playing less than 1200 minutes.

It looked as if Sergi Guardiola would be consigned to the Tercera - and his February 2012 move to CF La Nucía in the same tier was a clear indication of that. But miraculously, in August of the same year he was given his second shot in the Segunda B with Ontinyent. But once again, he barely got game time - playing just 1059 minutes - and moved to fellow league team Getafe B in January 2013.

Once again, he was back in the Tercera. And once again, he bounced back - scoring nine goals with Novelda in the 2013-14 season and earning a move to Segunda B side Eldense. And this time he was not going to blow it.

Sergi Guardiola, at Eldense, protecting the ball against a Valencia B player

17 goals later, Sergi Guardiola found himself in the Segunda for the very first time. Alcorcón gambled on him, and he was in a professional league at the age of 24. But as became predictable, Sergi was about to face another setback. After playing just four games in the first half of the season, he terminated his contract in December 2015, and signed for Barcelona B in the third tier. It was a "dream" move in his eyes.

But Barcelona's, and the world's eyes had fallen on old tweets - offensive tweets about the club and Catalonia made in 2013. He claimed they were made by a friend as a joke, and that he had not noticed they had been posted. But in eight hours he was released, looking for a new club.

Granada B took him on in January 2016 - his third club of the season - and once again showed that he was ready for a shot at the Segunda. He scored eight goals in just under 1400 minutes, and was promoted to Granada's first team by new manager Paco Jémez in July 2016.

He appeared regularly during the pre-season and also being an unused substitute in the opening game of the new season against Villarreal. However, after the arrival of new signings, he was deemed surplus to requirements and was loaned to A-League club Adelaide United in September 2016. At first glance, it seemed like a promising move - his coach would be Barca legend Guillermo Amor. However, once again, his chances were limited.

Sergi Guardiola, at Adelaide United

But after that, and a January loan move to Real Murcia in the Segunda B where he once again showed his prowess (10 goals in 18 games), this summer he got his shot. Finally. Córdoba were the team to give him a fair shot, and Sergi Guardiola is proving his worth. He has already scored 7 goals in 12 games so far, and is already the story of the season.

Sergi Guardiola, at Real Murcia

He is finally showing what he is capable of - his strong left boot, his dribbling, his explosive speed, his tight ball control, his uncanny vision, and his heading ability. And there will be more setbacks. There will be more times when Sergi will have to drop down a division to prove to the world he has it in him. And there will be more clubs that don't give him a fair chance.

Here's hoping that some do.

Non-league Incider: St Helens Town 3-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers

Last game: 8th August: Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 East Thurrock United The previous day, I was blown away by my first ever football match experience. Dulwich Hamlet impressed me, but what impressed me more was the journey. The travel to the stadium was just as enjoyable as the football itself. I had caught the groundhopping bug. There were no games scheduled for the 9th of August. There was one, near Wigan, and all I had booked earlier was a refundable bus ticket from Manchester Airport leaving at quarter past midnight. I should have refunded it. This was a mistake. This whole day was a mistake. I was only slightly hungover from the previous night, but that was nothing compared to this feeling of loss - I couldn't handle the fact that there was a game happening. And I wasn't too far away. Just three hours and a bit. They'll fly by , I thought. I was in autopilot. Something within me made me get up, grab a bag, and get out the door. This wasn't me. I wasn't trave

Non-league Incider: Cray Valley Paper Mills 4-4 Punjab United Gravesend

Last game: 9th August: St Helens Town 3-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers After ripping up my groundhopping calendar, mostly because I was determined to avoid overnight travel, and partly due to other commitments, there was a period of time where non-league football took a backseat. But that period did not last long. Because of course it didn't. Secretly, I'd loved travelling over ten hours back-and-forth to watch some 10th division football. And this was 9th division football in London. When I had gone to East Dulwich exactly a week back , I had commented on how the amount of graffiti struck me as I watched from on board a southeastern train. I was going the exact same way, but much further this time - then I had stopped at Denmark Hill, now I would have to go six stations further. The graffiti I had thought was so emblematic of south London quickly disappeared, as did the tall buildings desperately cluttered together. We, and by we I mean me, were going to the suburb

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

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