Íñigo Pérez had nothing to offer the Premier League, they said, so he returned to Spain and revived La Liga and a people instead. The man from Navarre with the gentle voice, privileged mind and impeccable manners should have spent this weekend sitting on the Bournemouth bench at St James’ Park, taking on Newcastle United – trophies since 1955: zero – but the Home Office and an FA panel declared him incapable of competing, a man who couldn’t contribute to English football, even as an assistant. So he spent it back in the barrio, the new head coach of Rayo Vallecano taking on Real Madrid – trophies since 1955: 85 – and matching them too, making this a better place for everyone.
“There is a league,” ran the front of one of the country’s sports dailies on Monday morning, an old favourite dusted off for the day. It might have been an exaggeration, it may prove just 24 little hours, and it was “only” a draw, but if there is, it’s thanks to Pérez’s Rayo team, who on Sunday afternoon, his first ever in the job, managed to do what only Atlético Madrid have done in 2024 – get something from Carlo Ancelotti’s side. In the other Madrid derby, out to the east of the city where worlds collide and the best seats in the house really are in the house, Raúl de Tomás equalised Joselu’s opener to leave Madrid just six points clear. With Girona playing on Monday, there’s a title race again, a week after there wasn’t, or so it goes.
