Why LaLiga talent factory Real Sociedad face painful season

Graham HunterSep 10, 2024, 05:00 AM ET
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During the three previous European Championships and one World Cup that Spain won prior to this summer, not a single Real Sociedad footballer featured. Those trophy lifts in 1964, 2008, 2010 and 2012 included players from far beyond Spain's big three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, with clubs like Real Zaragoza, Mallorca, Malaga, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Athletic Club and Getafe -- yes, Getafe -- featuring.

But no one from the club in Spain's most beautiful city, San Sebastián, the Basque metropolis upon whose utterly glorious sea-shell shaped beach, La Concha, great football minds like Xabi Alonso, Mikel Arteta, Aritz Aduriz and Andoni Iraola first learned to play their sport.

Then came success at Euro 2024. La Real conclusively made up for lost time with five players in Spain's squad. And thanks to Robin Le Normand's muscular, smart defending, Martín Zubimendi's effortless deputising for the player of the tournament, Rodri, in the final against England, and superb last-minute winners from Mikel Merino (in extra time to knock Germany out) and Mikel Oyarzabal (at the end of that final), they all returned home as European champions.

In fact, only Barcelona's players (3,310 minutes) have given Spain coach Luis de la Fuente more playing time in the matches since he took over in 2022 than Real Sociedad (3,248). For context, Madrid are fourth and Atlético way down in sixth.

Here's another tidbit for you; all throughout last season, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique only once lost his temper with his players. It came at half-time as PSG were drawing 0-0 at home to Real Sociedad in the Champions League -- he was absolutely infuriated by La Real's pressing, which had them dominating his star-studded lineup in spectacular fashion.

Water bottles, white-board markers and swearwords flew around liberally. Kylian Mbappé & Co. ducked, shuddered, and duly responded. But they were told, in no uncertain terms, that Luis Enrique believed Imanol Aguacil's La Real were playing the best football of any club in LaLiga.

During the tortuous transfer market that followed Spain's Euros victory, Zubimendi -- once a ball-boy at La Real's stadium but now their midfield fulcrum and a devoted supporter of the club he plays for -- turned down a move to Liverpool that would have tripled his salary and brought him far greater likelihood of lifting more trophies. Zubimendi told Arne Slot's Anfield envoys that he was happier in blue-and-white, much to the astonishment of most of Europe.

Despite eventually getting knocked out of the Champions League by PSG, Real Sociedad will pull in a minimum €70 million from their exploits last season -- a club record. All of which, having just celebrated their 115th birthday last weekend, should leave the club in great shape and bursting with vigorous confidence when welcoming Spanish champions Real Madrid to Anoeta this weekend (stream LIVE: 2.50 p.m. ET, Sat. 9/14, ESPN+).

You'd think so, anyway, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, things are grim -- far, far more so than they should be.

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Here's the ugly X-Ray view. During that same "anything goes" transfer market, Le Normand was pinched by Atlético and Arsenal levered Merino away from San Sebastián too. Zubimendi is exemplary, Take Kubo thrilling in full-flight and Oyarzabal crucial thanks to his talent and character, but Le Normand and Merino were Real Sociedad's two most important footballers. Both gone.

Real Sociedad's excellent former full-back (and ex-Arsenal star) Nacho Monreal admitted: "These are two important guys to lose. There'll be a footballing impact, but also a psychological one because it'll be a shock for the rest of the squad that leaders like Mikel and Robin are gone." La Real were on the cusp of replacing Le Normand with Champions League finalist Mats Hummels ... but he chose Roma instead.

Then there are the injuries. Serbia kicked everything in a Spanish shirt when the two sides drew 0-0 in their UEFA Nations League tie last week: Oyazarbal was a victim and will be out for a couple of months. Their dashing full-back Hamari Traoré has ligament damage and will do well to play again before April, creative midfielder Brais Méndez has a metatarsal problem -- again -- and won't be playing any time soon. The same is true for 21-year-old Russian attacking midfielder Arsen Zakharyan. All of this would be sufficiently depressing, but when you add context, it gets much worse.

Should La Real lose at home to Madrid on Saturday it will mean four straight defeats in front of their home fans -- including the final home defeat of last season, against Atlético -- which would be their worst record since they were relegated back at the end of 2006-07. This season, already, they've been beaten in San Sebastián by struggling Rayo Vallecano and by fellow Basques Alavés.

It's a very ugly stat -- almost as ugly as La Real's recent 0-0 draw at Getafe to conclude LaLiga's first four matchdays: in 105 minutes of play, one attempted shot -- not one effort on target. Not one.

With Merino gone plus Brais and Oyarzabal injured, that's three of La Real's four top scorers from last season absent. The other guy is Kubo, who's yet to come through Japan's World Cup qualifier in Bahrain and get home unscathed, likely by Thursday's training, but there's a story there, too.

Kubo is the only La Real player to have notched a winning goal this season. But when he did, bringing a 1-0 victory over Espanyol, he angrily shrugged off teammates' congratulations, ran in the direction of coach Alguacil and made a big show of pointing to his name on the back of his shirt.

Alguacil, a fiery character himself, tried to douse the flames postmatch by saying: "Did Kubo tell you he was angry because he was a substitute? He was as angry as everyone else who was left on the bench!

"The celebration wasn't aimed me, and you can ask him. He knows that it's not the way to celebrate a goal and he's apologised. Takefuso's behaviour is exemplary."

Right. Make of that what you will, but I know what I reckon: Kubo was an angry, disappointed player.

La Real's coach also said: "There's a lot of talk about the president and I ... that I'm not happy. Make no mistake: Between the president, the sporting director and me, there is a super good relationship. It's healthy and demanding, but good. The three of us want the same thing: the best for Real Sociedad. Decisions need to be made, we each have our own criteria, our own sections of responsibility."

It's not very complex code for 'I didn't get the players I wanted, the president saw things differently and I'm going to have to make the best of it.' Pure pragmatism, but again, there's some context.

La Real are prudent and conservative. No Spanish club has made as much gross profit over the past 10 years from parsimonious investment followed by excellent, profitable transfers as they have. The total, before letting Le Normand and Merino leave, is €150m: significant outgoings contributing to this are Alexander Isak to Newcastle United and Antoine Griezmann to Atlético. Meanwhile, offloading the two Spain internationals who just won Euro 2024 will bring in close to €70m on top.

In seven of the past 10 years, Real Sociedad have taken in more than they've spent once the annual transfer figures are calculated. It's the kind of behaviour that Financial Fair Play (FFP) in Spain and Profit/Sustainability Rules (PSR) in the Premier League were brought in to enforce on other, more spendthrift, clubs in an attempt to keep them sustainable and viable. But the medicine, even if healthy, has a bitter taste.

For example Umar Sadiq, La Real's low-cost striker recruited a couple of seasons ago, has been a total flop (just four goals in 31 games) and is playing as if he couldn't spell the word confidence, never mind feel it. Monreal said: "The handicap of the last few seasons has been our lack of goals -- time goes by and it feels like the problem remains."

The next on the production line is promising Iceland striker Orri Oskarsson, who looks a lively, smart footballer. However, he turned 20 only a couple of days ago and there's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders right now, starting with facing the Spanish and European champions in a couple of days.

I think that the biggest hint as to what's going on -- and how their absolutely first-class coach, Alguacil, should be judged -- comes from La Real's president, Jokin Apperibay.

When he was presenting two new signings, defender Sergio Gómez (from Man City) and midfielder Luka Sucic (from Salzburg) a couple of weeks ago, Apperibay admitted: "We are closing the book on a successful era and now it's time to write a new book. I could have chosen to sign some 28-year-old players rather than looking for more, talented youngsters, but I don't think that we should be scared of having some worse results for a year or so -- I'd like to win LaLiga with these youngsters ... one day."

You never, ever hear club presidents or owners telling their audience 'things are fine, don't worry, we know what we're doing ... but get ready for worse results.' For that, I admire his honesty.

So, Madrid fans: buy your popcorn and refreshments for Saturday. La Real fans should feel free to do the same, but possibly accompanied by one of those sleep masks to help cover the eyes when Kylian Mbappé or Vinícius Júnior cut loose.

Your club's involved in a clear, intelligent and consistently successful strategy, but in the short-term, it's going to sting. And possibly quite badly.