NO, IT CAN'T BE! A ZARAGOZA PICSPAM

[jenni_blog]

I can't believe it, even though I saw it with my own eyes. A team of real quality, Real Zaragoza was relegated yesterday in La Liga. This is an extremely sad situation that has affected everyone from fans to sportscasters, who have come to know what an exciting and talented team this was. So what went wrong? Well, I am no expert, but I am aware that the club has had serious problems this year in getting their act together. Last year they finished 6th, with a UEFA Cup spot, and this year everyone was expecting them to get a Champions League berth. However, the team has gone through 4 managers in one year, one of them leaving a mere few weeks after taking the job. Who knows why, except that maybe when he saw the mess the club was in, he figured he couldn't sort it out. They lost an extremely talented but troubled player, Andres D'Alessandro, who has gone back to Argentina to play with San Lorenzo. Speaking of Argentina, this team has no less than three Argentine players of top quality, all of whom have been capped many times by the National Team, and all of whom have become legends. Not only that, but one of their young Spaniards, Sergio Garcia de la Fuente, has just been chosen for the first time to play for the Spanish NT in the Euro2008s. From my perspective, I truly believe that this team simply had too many problems that kept them from playing with true team spirit, and thus winning games. And they had no true leader to help them.

Okay, enough of my broken-hearted ramblings. Here is a picspam tribute to a wonderful team that will be missed.



First, let me honour each player of note, before I post some random game pics from this season past.

Cesar Sanchez Dominguez-Goalkeeper



Carlos Diogo - Defender



Javier Paredes - Midfielder



Pablo Aimar - Midfield/Playmaker





Roberto Fabian Ayala - Defender





Juanfran - Defender



Albert Celades - Midfielder





Ricardo Oliveira - Striker



Francisco Pavon - Midfielder





Matuzalem - Midfielder





Albert Zapater - Defensive Midfielder





Diego Milito - Striker





Sergio Fernandez - Defender



Oscar - Midfielder





Javier Lopez Vallejo - Goalkeeper



Someone whom Jenni truly misses at Zaragoza is Angel Lafita, who is on loan with Deportivo La Coruna. However, maybe that is good for Lafita, because Depor will hopefully buy his contract.

Angel Lafita - Striker









But the player that Jenni loves most dearly on this team is Sergio Garcia, the very talented winger/striker who was just called up to play for Spain. He was born June 9, 1983 in Barcelona, and wears the #9. He was with Levante in 2004-2005 before transferring to Zaragoza.

Here is Sergio with a fan.



Being interviewed by journalists:



And various pics of Sergio and the rest of Zaragoza from various games.

Comments

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

Thanks for info and pics.
It's really sad that we'll not see them playing La Lige next season. I'll miss AYALA!

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

When I think of guys like Ayala, Aimar, Milito and Sergio Garcia, all on National Teams, I cannot believe that a team like this went down. They did not have one weak player, so why, why, why??? :(

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

Sometimes football is strange. I'm so sorry for them, especially for my ever and always first argentine love Ayala!