La Liga Loca's Tim Stannard continues to ponder exactly how fans of La Liga's twenty clubs will be feeling, as their heroes (and the rest) return to pre-season training...
Osasuna
Mood â Violent
Pretty much the only thing Osasuna supporters get excited about this time of year is the thought of the three promoted teams joining la Primera, and with it the chance to intimidate and then run out of town some fresh sets of supporters.
Aside from that, the close season is a bog standard one for the Osasuna mob. As usual they have no cash in the coffers, and their debts mean that their half-decent players have left, with the sales of Javier Camuñas and Nacho Monreal to Villarreal and Málaga respectively raising â¬8.3 million - enough to keep the wolves from the door, for now...
FFT Travel Guide to Osasuna
Arriving at the club are the usual freebies. This year that group includes Rubén González, a defender who did the most un-Osasuna of things in his spell at Real Madrid by crying after being repeatedly made to look like a bit of goose by José Antonio Reyes. Osasuna fans will not forget that in a hurry, especially when this big girlâÂÂs blouse of an arrival is balanced with the departure of the wonderfully thuggish front two of Carlos Aranda and Walter Pandiani.
"Green and white? Not really my cup of tea - cheerio..."
Racing Santander
Mood â About to start walking into the sea
The debacle that was the âÂÂbuy-outâ of the club by Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed has left Racing Santander entering the process of administration. This has left debts to players past and present outstanding, which has in turn meant zero signings.
This leaves the average Santander fan contemplating ending it all. The front pair of Giovani dos Santos and Markus Rosenberg have returned to their clubs after their respective loan spells, while the rest of the team presumably have their agents on redial, desperately trying to get out of Racing as fast as humanly possible.
FFT Travel Guide to Racing Santander
In a recent friendly game against the wonderfully-titled German outfit Wacker, 19-year-old former âÂÂBâ team player Julián Luque and 87-year-old Pedro Munitis were the clubâÂÂs forward line. No goals were scored, although Racing didnâÂÂt lose. ThatâÂÂs the best news the club has had all summer.
Rayo Vallecano
Mood â Right behind the Racing fans on the beach
It should have been a summer of merry excitement and mass binge-drinking for Rayo supporters following JuneâÂÂs promotion back to the top flight. But instead, hardcore fans have started camping outside the stadiumâÂÂs main entrance in a protest against the club falling into administration, failing to pay its players (although this is starting to be rectified after the squad went on strike - amazing coincidence that), and huge price hikes for season tickets.
FFT Travel Guide to Rayo Vallecano
In fact, the situation is so desperate that a despondent Rayo supporter that LLL knows confessed that he would even accept a loan deal for Fernando âÂÂLadyâ Gago, things are so grim down in Vallecas.
The best Real Madrid team ever? No.
Real Madrid
Mood - The most excited theyâÂÂve ever been ever. Apparently.
Judging by ramblings of Marca this week, Real Madrid supporters must be vibrating with so much positive energy that they could slip through the cracks of space-time into a parallel dimension. The website poll on Tuesday asked fans whether the current squad was the greatest in MadridâÂÂs history, after a 4-1 friendly victory over LA Galaxy where Fabio Coentrao looked fairly decent as one would expect for a â¬30m player.
FFT Travel Guide to Real Madrid
However, considering 77% answered âÂÂnoâ to that particular poser, it seems José Mourinho still has some work to do on the transfer market. Besides, what is happening at the Santiago Bernabeu over the summer is less of a concern this year. Instead, itâÂÂs BarçaâÂÂs ongoing failure - at time of writing - to land Cesc Fabregas or Alexis Sánchez thatâÂÂs more of interest in Mordor this month.
Real Sociedad
Mood â Jimmy Hill contemplative chin-rubbing
The Basque club may be boasting 600 more season ticket holders than last season, but itâÂÂs a sign of some doubts over the year to come. Unknown Frenchie, Philippe Montanier, has taken over as coach from the sacked Martin Lasarte, and Atlético Madrid have had a â¬7m offer for the clubâÂÂs brightest star, Antoine Griezmann, turned down.
FFT Travel Guide to Real Sociedad
The Rojiblancos will surely be back with another bid, and losing the 20-year-old Frenchman would be a bitter blow to la Real. With little activity on the transfer market, the club's supporters are very much in screen saver, stand-by mode at the moment.
The mood of the La Liga nation:
Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Betis, EspanyolGranada, Getafe, Levante, Malaga, MallorcaOsasuna, Racing Santander, Rayo Vallecano, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad
Sevilla, Sporting, Valencia, Villarreal, Zaragoza
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