La Liga Experience

The match between Valencia and Real Madrid demonstrated the good, the bad, the generous and the bizarre in just one day, writes columnist Rob Palmer

Rob Palmer, Commentator ESPN

Friday, 10 January 2025, 12:43

The "La Liga Experience" is a marketing strategy to introduce folk to the passion and unique culture of Spanish football.

Valencia's new coach Carlos Corberán was given the whirlwind version in one crazy day: the good, the bad, the generous, and the bizarre.

It ... was always going to be an emotional day for a man who had been rejected as a player returning to his hometown club as the one chosen to guide them away from the threat of relegation. There was no greater profile game than the champions, Real Madrid, as the first opponents of 2025.

First the good. Before the game there was a touching moment of solidarity as the team from the capital handed over a donation of €1m to help support those affected in the Valencian region by the floods. Valencia thanked them for their financial generosity and for passing over a giant Senyera flag (the flag of the Valencian region) that had been used in Madrid to show support for the victims.

Everyone inside the stadium and watching worldwide would have been misty eyed. Sadly, thousands of Valencia fans missed this moment between two clubs who've had their issues in recent years. They had decided to boycott the game until the 19th minute as a protest towards the club owner Peter Lim.

It looked like there was a new resolution between the clubs following an unsavoury past game when Vinícius Júnior was racially abused by supporters.

Corberán was about to get the absolute, unadulterated 'La Liga Experience'. His debut was going like a dream when his team took an early lead. But the dream was about to turn into a nightmare.

Firstly, Valancia conceded a penalty, but Jude Bellingham hit the post. Then Kylian Mbappé looked to have equalised, but the 'goal' was disallowed after a VAR review. Just maybe he was the lucky general? Not for long.

His goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski appeared to wind up Vinícius Júnior by tweaking his hair. The short-fused Brazilian reacted by throwing an arm in the direction of the giant Macedonian's face. The keeper went down like a fallen tree: in stages. Viní Júnior was dismissed, but wasn't going lightly. His teammate Antonio Rüdiger needed to use all of his muscle to stop him confronting the referee.

You'd think that was the conclusion of the first-day drama for Corberán. Oh no, he was getting the full experience. Luka Modrić would create history by becoming the oldest-ever Real Madrid scorer. Just as the fans who'd delayed their entry to the stadium were about to vacate their seats, Jude Bellingham pulled off his party piece with a 96th minute winner for the 10-men of Madrid.

You can imagine Mrs.Corberán asking Carlos how his first proper day in the office had gone - just where does he start?

Is it always like this? Yes. Pretty much so. Welcome to the "La Liga Experience."

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