Valentino Tola
Life is not all about “tiki-taka” football or boasting a prestigious “cantera”. The unfolding story of this season’s La Liga will not tell the same tale for long, but it is thus far a beautiful indication of what is unfolding in Spanish football at present.
The ultra-celebrated Barcelona, until recently, trailed Levante who led the table, a team tipped in pre-season as relegation candidates. Even now, Levante are third and within touching distance of toppling Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings.
The gulf between Levante and Barcelona is in fact a cavern. On one side are one of the richest clubs in world football, while the other was still in receivership over the summer and is still trying to cut their expenses to settle their debts (just as many other Spanish teams).
On the pitch the differences are greater still, especially when it comes to ball possession, with Barcelona’s keep-ball style opposed by Levante’s average of 34%, the lowest in La Liga. Levante have the oldest squad in Spain’s top flight too, as opposed to the Catalans, who bring through wave upon wave of starlets from their esteemed youth academy.
Levante’s defence is their strongest suit, as well as the most experienced section of the side. Before last week, Levante had restricted their opponents to just 25 shots on goal, with only three conceded in seven matches. A 3-2 midweek win over Real Sociedad, combined with a 2-0 loss at Osasuna, may have dented those figures somewhat, but the Granotes still have reason to be proud of a backline that can certainly defend.
Captain Sergio Ballesteros leads the defence and is enjoying the best season of his long career to date. At 36 years old, the former Levante youth-teamer is ridding himself of a reputation as a clumsy and dirty centre half. Ballesteros is surrounded by, in his eyes at least, “youngsters”, with the likes of right back Javi Venta (35), centre back Nano (31) and left back Juanfran (35). Aiser Del Horno, a talent long on the slide since his time with Chelsea and Valencia, is the virtual baby at 30 years old.
Relying on a solid defence, Levante never enjoy too much of the ball and usually prefer to play on the counter attack, launching the blistering pace of Ivorian Arouna Kone, who is trying to change his fortunes after a poor spell, blighted by injuries, at Sevilla. With their box-to-box characteristics, midfielders Jose Bakero, Juanlu and Valdo also aid the cause, despite being in their 30s too.
Coach Juan Ignacio Martinez, the club’s new boss, had a different type of football in mind when he arrived at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. The former defender wished to see more ball possession, operating in the same style as at his previous club Cartagena in the Segunda Division. Yet he appears satisfied with what he team is capable of and cuts his cloth accordingly. There are, after all, many ways to play the game and win. This is why football remains so fascinating, even in Spain, amongst the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly.
