The Little Club That Could Fights On

By: chris | March 13th, 2008

The UEFA Cup takes a backseat to the marketing behemoth that is the Champions League in terms of coverage. Often times, feel good stories get swept by the wayside in lieu of 10,000 word essays on Lionel Messi being the best thing since sliced bananas or how in the world will [insert random EPL big four team name here] manage without [insert random superstar from EPL big four team here] in their oh-so-thin squads.

Taking the cake lately has been the “crisis” in Madrid - and supposedly Spain - has hit the front pages like a hurricane, making it seems as though Spanish football is “dead” and that this year has been an utter failure on the continent for the country. Yet here’s little Getafe, sitting idly by, not wanting for much attention, and all the while summarily dispatching clubs it has no business dispatching from the UEFA Cup; earning the status as the only club from Madrid still left in European competition. Actually, they’re only one of two Spanish clubs still left on the continent. Not bad, eh?

Getafe, at the very least, has a board which knows how to pick a coach. The man who brought them to La Liga three years ago, rather unexpectedly, was Quique Sánchez Flores, former ~~punching bag~~ head cheese at Valencia. His successor, Bernd Schuster, also spent two years on the job - getting them to this year’s UEFA Cup in the process - before leaving some club, you may have heard of them, Real Madrid. The coach du jour is Michael Laudrup, some guy trying to make his name in this big wide world of football (he’s Danish, or something). Three for three, essentially.

The club from the south of Madrid has earned a reputation as something of a giant killer over the last couple years, with a healthy record against local boys Real (2-1-1, including one in their inaugural year), a win this year over Barca, and an utterly fantastic showing in dispatching both Valencia and Barcelona (including the mind-boggling 4-0 thrashing) last season in the Copa del Rey. Making their way to Europe has shown no let down, beating Tottenham, Belgian giants Anderlecht, AEK Athens, and just this past week, Benfica - the same Benfica which narrowly missed qualifying for the Champions League knockout rounds - in their double legged affair through a 3-1 aggregate.

Last year they achieved the distinction of joint first place with Barcelona for number of goals conceded throughout the year, at 33. Much of the credit going to Alexis, who was at the top of the shopping list of nearly every big club in Europe halfway through the fall. Now he’s gone as well, off to Valencia, like QSF. (This year’s edition has conceded 2 more in 11 fewer games.)

The team of 07-08 is far from a squad of superstars (if you omit the man patrolling the sidelines). In fact, one of the few names casual fans may know is that of Ruben De la Red, former Real property “bought” by Getafe - with Real having the right to buy him back, of course. They do have two Argentine goalies - one on the way out, one on the way in - in current national team starter Robert Abbondanzieri and future starter, Oscar Usteri. Aside from that, it’s a team with more veteran will and guile than mesmerizing talent and names in lights.

Phil Ball, a very smart man of vast Spanish knowledge who can be found at ESPN, said this on January 18th:

The same might not be said for Getafe, despite beginning to look last season like a veteran campaigner in the top flight, in only their second year there. Their epic campaign ended in a cup final and a more than decent 9th position, but also culminated in the departure of big Bernd to the Bernabéu. His replacement, Michael Laudrup, does a good line in fine wines and elegant suits, but so far has not quite convinced as a manager. Getafe suddenly look unconvinced at their approach, trying to play good football but without the resources to carry it out. Güiza has gone, and neither Uche nor Kepa have really looked the part in his place. One point from the bottom three, I smell relegation.

Fast forward less than two months later? Getafe is on their way to the UEFA Cup quarter finals and sit 9th in La Liga, with their safety looking much more likely, sitting closer to a second UEFA Cup appearance than the relegation zone. Laudrup, in line with his predecessors, is being linked to the head coach’s throne up in the west side of London (Chelsea, to be precise). A distant cry from January.

While many of us wait for the big money ticket of Europe to decide the fate of eight larger than life teams tomorrow, the little minnows from the south of Madrid live to fight another day. A club which was never suppose to survive its debut in La Liga, much less scrap for continental glory.

Ole big ears will have to wait another year, this is the story of the 2008 in European competition. And if that’s all Spanish football has going for it at the moment, that’s seems perfectly fine to me.

If you’re a fan of Getafe, or simply a fan of Cinderella stories, and would like to blog on the Spaniards, email daryl [at] theoffside [dot] com with a quick intro and a sample post.