BARCELONA: Two of Spain’s most modest stadiums are set to offer scenes of joy and sorrow on Saturday.
Atlético Madrid can ensure it clinches its first Spanish league title in seven years with a win at Valladolid, while Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman could participate in their last game for Barcelona when they visit the already relegated Eibar.
Atlético enters the final round of the competition with a two-point lead over defending champion Real Madrid.
If Diego Simeone’s side fails to win at Valladolid, Madrid can retain its title by beating Villarreal. Madrid holds the tiebreaker advantage with Atlético in case they finish level on points.
In a provincial city 190 kilometers (118 miles) north of Madrid, Valladolid needs a victory at its José Zorrilla Stadium to have a chance of avoiding relegation.
Elche and Huesca are also fighting with Valladolid to not go down, with two of the three clubs destined for the drop.
For Valladolid defender Kiki Olivas, his team’s desperation could be what it needs to pull off the upset.
“We still have a chance and that is why we must fight until the end,” Olivas said. “We have to forget everything else and face the match with the belief that we can pull it off regardless of the difficulty. Atlético Madrid has something important to play for, but this is our stadium and we have more at stake than they do.”
Olivas will be tasked with helping defend Luis Suárez, whose late goal last weekend secured a 2-1 comeback win over Osasuna that kept Atlético at the top of the standings and in control of its fate.
Atlético will face the finale without its most-used center back, Stefan Savic, who will serve a one-game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. José Giménez, who has been hit by injuries and a bout with COVID-19 this season, will likely take his place.
Besides needing Valladolid to at least draw with Atlético, Madrid must beat a Villarreal side that has played well all season but may be looking ahead to an even more important game.
Villarreal will face Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday in Gdansk, Poland, aiming to win the first major title in club history. If it beats the English powerhouse, it will also qualify for the Champions League.
In the Spanish league, Villarreal is currently in seventh place, a spot that earns a berth for next season’s new Europa Conference League.
But a win over Madrid could allow it to move up into the Europa League spots. Real Sociedad and Real Betis are hoping to lock up those berths with finishes in fifth- and sixth-place with respective wins at Osasuna and Celta Vigo.
“Our most important game is always the next one up,” Villarreal coach Unai Emery said. “The Spanish league has always been our focus and qualifying for European competition for the coming season our main goal.”
Barcelona bowed out of the title fight last round. Its match at Eibar’s Ipurúa Stadium will likely be a sad final appearance for its coach and maybe even its greatest player of all time.
The days of Koeman appear to be numbered after his team’s poor finish and with president Joan Laporta pledging that he will overhaul the team this offseason.
It could also be the last time that Messi plays for Barcelona. The 33-year-old Argentina forward has given no indication what his plans are when his contract expires on June 30. The match will be number 779 for Messi in a Barcelona shirt.
Barcelona’s only interest in the outcome is maintaining third place, which Sevilla could snatch from the Catalan club with a victory over Alavés.
So, a two-decade-long partnership that has taken Messi and Barcelona to the heights of world soccer could finish at a tiny stadium in northern Spain, with practically nothing to play for, and nobody to cheer.
Spanish league ends with title finale, possible farewells
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Spanish league ends with title finale, possible farewells
- Atlético Madrid could clinch its first Spanish league title in seven years with a win at Valladolid
- Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman could participate in Barcelona’s last game when they visit the already relegated Eibar
Nabucco Al-Maury has second crack at glory on Saudi Cup weekend
- French challenger aiming to go one better in the $1.5m Group 1 Al-Mneefah Cup
RIYADH: French raider Nabucco Al-Maury (FR) returns to Riyadh on Feb. 13 hoping to go one better than last year when finishing runner-up to RB Kingmaker (US) in the $1.5-million group one Al-Mneefah Cup, presented by the Ministry of Culture.
Trained in 2025 by Hamad Al-Jehani, the 6-year-old son of Assy (QA) joined the yard of Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte in Mont-de-Marsan last spring where he has continued to thrive.
Although he has not managed to reach the top step of the podium in the last couple of seasons, he has remained consistent. His last run in the group one The President Cup in December in Abu Dhabi, behind local champion HM Alchahine (FR), was particularly eye-catching.
“That was a really good performance,” said the French handler, who will also saddle the mare Lacaro du Croate (FR) in the 2,100-meter turf race.
“I didn’t train Nabucco Al-Maury when he came to Riyadh last year. He arrived in my yard in the spring, and we have progressively worked our way to the top.
“He has improved with each of his runs. His second place behind HM Alchahine was very good. We beat RB Kingmaker quite easily, which we hadn’t done before, so that was a great result.”
The Helal & Tahnon Alalawi-trained RB Kingmaker (US) will again feature amongst his opponents in the Al-Mneefah Cup. “I know that he is in it,” said the trainer.
“We beat him quite easily in Abu Dhabi, but he probably needed that race and we know he runs well in Riyadh.
“Maybe he will transform himself there. And I know that there is the very good mare of Alban de Mieulle, RB Mary Lylah (US), in the field, so we shall see.”
The only French-based trainer with runners in the two events for Purebred Arabians this year, he is also looking forward to saddling the 5-year-old mare Lacaro du Croate in the Al-Mneefah.
A winner of the group one Criterium des Pouliches – Wathba Stallions at La Teste in France last July, she has just made her seasonal reappearance in a conditions race at Pau where she finished second to dual Triple Crown champion Al-Ghadeer (FR).
“It was a good performance,” added the trainer. “She only saw Al-Ghadeer’s behind but that was to be expected. He did his job, she did hers. In fact, she did what we asked her to do.”
With exceptionally heavy rainfalls continuing across the southwest of France, their trainer decided last week to take both contenders to the Pau racecourse for a final blow-out.
“It’s just terrible how much rain we have had. Last weekend I was supposed to go away but then decided, no, I’m taking my horsebox and I’m going to drive to Pau to work them properly.
“Luckily, the jockeys were great and went along with my plan. They enjoyed a good gallop and are in good order.”
While Nabucco Al-Maury and Lacaro du Croate had to brave the difficult weather in France, Moshrif (FR), who is Thomas-Demeaulte’s runner in the $2 million group one Obaiya Arabian Classic, presented by Al-Hammadi Hospitals, has enjoyed the ambient temperatures in Riyadh.
“He has been in Riyadh for a while,” said the trainer. “We took him there for the prep race on Jan. 9, where he finished fifth. I hadn’t worked him a lot since he won his race in Morocco last year, so he wasn’t 100 percent fit yet, but it was still a good performance.”
The 8-year-old is a regular in Riyadh where he was the runner-up to the great Tilal Al-Khalediah in the 2024 running of the Al-Mneefah Cup, but this time he will tackle top-class opposition on dirt.
“He proved when ran in January that he can handle the dirt. He has been in Riyadh since that last run and I went out there 10 days ago to see how he was. He is in good form and I was very happy with him,” added Thomas-Demeaulte.
