10 reasons why we're looking forward to this season's La Liga

By Fred Palley in Mirror Football Blog

Published 09:51 27/08/09

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By Tim Bailey

La Liga is back this weekend and the Spanish press are already bragging that this season's campaign will be more action-packed than our very own Premier League.

That may or may not be the case, but here are 10 reasons why we can't wait for it to start...

1: Money, lots of it. La Liga teams have spent €435million so far in this transfer window. Real Madrid alone have spent a staggering €325million - equivalent to nearly ALL of what the Premiership teams have forked out put together.

2: Ronaldo. For €80m, you'd be forgiven for thinking the Portuguese winker would be firing on all cylinders from the word go. But earlier this week, gaffer Manuel Pellegrini said the striker needs more time to adapt to Real's style. "He has experienced a change in style and now lives in a different country," he pointed out. Which is just as well because the commute from Cheshire would have really taken it out of him!

3: We can watch it all. Sky have signed a new three-year deal to bring the best of the Spanish game to our shores. Mark your diary for November 29 - Barcelona v Real Madrid, and the return leg at the Bernabeu on April 11. Tickets are already reportedly changing hands for more than €350. But with Ronaldo, Henry, Messi, Ibrahimovic, Benzema, Raul, Alonso et al on show... it's little wonder.

4: New blood (1). Tenerife are back in the top-flight for the first time in seven years - making it an expensive prospect for away fans. Forget the supporters' club coach, it's air travel all the way. Spare a thought for the followers of  Racing Santander who face a six-hour flight from northern Spain. Still, there's always Playa de las Americas to take their minds of the jet lag!

5: New blood (2). Fellow new boys Xerex will be trying their luck in the big league for the first time ever, but without the able assistance of last year's promotion winning coach, former Barca legend, Vigo. He walked out on them as he couldn't agree on a new deal. No pressure for his replacement Jose Angel Zigandam then...

6: The two Davids. Against all odds, Valencia managed to hold on to their two biggest talents, David Villa and David Silva. Good to see players remaining true to their word, despite the club being perilously close to financial implosion, with a debt of €400m.

7: Balls. Or to be more precise, one particular ball - the Nike T90 Ascente. Claiming a 360 degree sweet spot and improved flight through the air, we can expect another goalfest season.

8: The prodigy . Sevilla's 21-year-old Argentinian star Diego Perotti burst on to the scene in electrifying fashion last year, scoring his La Liga debut goal in the last-minute against La Coruna to secure third spot for his team. Not a bad start to a career - and we can expect more of the same this time around.

9: A tight title race. Although Barca boss Pep Guardiola has said a second treble would be out of the question, I'm sure he won't want anything other than to retain his title after Real Madrid's shopping spree this summer. And what do you reckon Madrid want most of all...?

10: Goals. The competition for this year's Pichichi award for top goalscorer couldn't be more fierce. Last year's winner Diego Forlan (32 goals for Atletico) must be in with a shout. But with the likes of Messi, Henry and Villa strapping on their shooting boots, not to mention new boys Benzema, Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic, only one thing is certain - you wouldn't want to be a La Liga goalie!

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