What do LaLiga players really think about their fellow professionals? Which player would they sign for their team if they could pick anyone in the world? Which stadiums do they relish visiting? And which coaches wind them up on the sidelines?
ESPN spoke to 30 players in Spain’s top flight to find out the answers to these and other questions for the second edition of LaLiga Confidential, four years after the first. All players offered their responses on the condition of anonymity, and their replies are fascinating, offering an insight not only into who they rate as the best players in the league — Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé, perhaps, or maybe Barcelona’s Pedri or Lamine Yamal? — but also revealing those they believe slip under the radar or are most likely to get red carded.
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PLAYERS AND COACHES: LaLiga players on their contemporaries
The first question provides the most expected answers, although the split between Pedri and Yamal reveals how highly the Barça midfielder is regarded by his fellow professionals. The ensuing questions highlight some of the most underrated players in LaLiga, those perceived to be the least disciplined — look away now, Getafe — and the coach who is the biggest windup merchant during matches.
1. If you ran a team, who would be your first signing?
What they said:
— “Mbappé wins games on his own.”
— “Haaland is a guy who guarantees goals.”
2. Who’s the most underrated player in LaLiga right now?
What they said:
— “Raphinha should have won the Ballon d’Or.”
3. Which player in LaLiga is most likely to get red carded?
What they said:
— “Anyone who plays against Madrid or Barcelona.”
4. Which coach is most annoying on the sidelines?
What they said:
— “Simeone really likes to provoke the opposition.”
— “Bordalás protests everything.”
AWAY DAYS: The best places to play in Spain
Trips to Barcelona and Real Madrid stand out, but even beyond the Clásico rivals, LaLiga is packed with some of the best away trips in European football. However, best doesn’t always mean easy, with teams such as Athletic Club in Bilbao, Real Betis in Seville and Rayo Vallecano in Madrid regularly making it difficult for visiting sides.
5. What’s the toughest away game in terms of atmosphere and fans?
6. When you get the schedule, which city are you most looking forward to visiting?
GOALS AND GAMES: Celebrations, watching football and EA FC
Finally, LaLiga stars were polled on several other issues, including their thoughts on scoring against a former team, watching football, burnout and those all-important EA FC player ratings.
7. Would you celebrate against your former team?
What they said:
— “No, I never score goals, so it would be bad luck if my only goal of the season was against a former team.”
— “Not really, you always have to have the utmost respect for the team that allowed you to be where you are.”
— “I hope to always be on the same team.”
8. Beyond your own team, how many football matches do you watch a week?
What they said:
— “I don’t watch much football. I prefer watching NFL or NBA.”
— “I watch two or three, but mainly Premier League games.”
— “I don’t watch football. I prefer to use my free time to spend time with my family or to disconnect.”
9. Has there been a point in your career when you have felt burnout from playing too much?
What they said:
— “When you are involved in several competitions, you end up exhausted.”
— “No, but I will say that when Christmas comes around, you miss your family and that can be exhausting.”
10. If you play EA FC, do you think the player ratings are accurate?
What they said:
— “I think they are good for the more famous players, but they underestimate the lesser-known ones.”
— “Some are too high [laughing].”
— “They never give us goalkeepers what we think we deserve.”
— “They give us defenders a lower average than we deserve [laughs].”
ESPN’s Eduardo Fernández-Abascal, Sam Marsden, Tony Mabert and Connor O’Halloran contributed to this report
