Spain may currently preparing for their testing teaser against Tahiti, but that doesn't mean itâÂÂs not busy, busy, busy back in La Liga (except at Real Madrid), with more effusive ins and outs than an episode of Game of Thrones...
Luis Enrique will hope for a happier reign than the one he endured at Roma...
Celta Vigo
Having plucked survival from the salivating jaws of relegation on the final day, Celta are having a prolonged, chin-stroking think about their general direction and future. That process began with a bit of a bump though, after Abel Resino, the coach who kept the coastal club in la Primera, was let go.
At first it had seemed as though Resino was going to renew his contract for another season of barking and scowling, but it seems the former goalkeeperâÂÂs terse, grumpy ways were not finding favour with Celta president Carlos Mouriño.
âÂÂIt was a mutual agreement as we werenâÂÂt on the same page in a lot of areas,â admitted Mouriño in an interview with Marca. Celta have already bagged ResinoâÂÂs replacement though - former 'new Pep Guardiola', Luis Enrique, who is set to take over the helm of the Galician club. An intriguing move, as Celta move into the post-Iago Aspas world.
Deportivo
La Liga Loca is not going to let La PrimeraâÂÂs three departing clubs walk into the light without a helping hand. So for a few more weeks at least, the blog is going to be like the spooky little lady from Poltergeist.
Deportivo have decided that the wonderful enthusiasm and energy of Fernando Vázquez is what is needed in a bleak future in La Segunda. Although the manager was not able to save Depor, there were enough signs to indicate that the former English teacher can be a steady hand for a club around â¬150m in debt, without the income from La Primera and currently with just 13 footballers on their books.
âÂÂI feel very good at Deportivo,â revealed Vázquez at a breakfast with the media that the journalists probably had to pay for themselves. âÂÂIâÂÂm excited about building a team in my manner, â enthused the boss of Destitute Deportivo.
Espanyol
The Barcelona-based club are another team who are quite happy to continue with their manager, so flat-topped Mexican, Javier Aguirre, will be the Perico boss in the season to come - which is great news. Yet Espanyol, another club a little strapped for cash, have received the bad news that playmaker, key man and all-round good egg, Verdú, will not be renewing his contract and staying on in Cornella.
âÂÂI feel they lacked confidence and value in what I think I offered and could offer,â snarked the Catalan, who scored nine league goals last season and thusly can be considered of some use to the team.
Getafe
And so the cycle begins again for the Coliseum club. Another battle for Getafe to finish mid-table, persuade supporters to come and watch games and then blow a chance of European football in the final weeks of the season.
The club have been working on the first two missions by picking up former Celta defender Roberto Lago on a free transfer and announcing a 30% drop in prices for those fan renewing their season tickets. But most excitingly of all, Getafe are set to host Brighton and Hove Albion in a pre-season friendly on 17th July. âÂÂSeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaagullls!âÂÂ
Granada
Copy and paste from last season in terms of the Granada squad. The team in the same ownership structure as Watford and Udinese will see a huge number of footballers coming in and just as many going out, in increasingly complex loan and swap deals. The one straight-forward aspect of GranadaâÂÂs summer so far has been the confirmation that Lucas Alcaraz will be staying on as manager, after what was in the end a relatively stress-free survival battle in 2012/13.
