The Good, the Bad, the Beautiful: Not quite terminally ill, a false sense of security and many full hearts

The Good, the Bad, the Beautiful: Not quite terminally ill, a false sense of security and many full hearts A round-up of some of La Liga’s most intriguing storylines across the week, traversing through the good, the bad and something beautiful. The Good: At least the suffering was worth it – maybe “These have been the six most intense weeks of my life, with a tremendous responsibility on my shoulders to prevent this great club from being relegated,” said Luis Garcia Plaza after Sevilla mathematically confirmed their spot in La Liga. And the truth is, those shoulders have been sagging under that weight.

Two weeks ago, a heartbreaking late loss to Osasuna literally brought the players to their knees, and Garcia Plaza marched onto the pitch, stopping, staring, not quite sure what it was that he wanted to shout. “The team put in a great effort, but we’re empty, empty again,” Garcia commented afterwards, later, describing his players as ‘destroyed’. Did any of you really doubt that he would save Sevilla?

Six jobs Garcia Plaza has had in La Liga over the last 18 years, and while he has been sacked on occasion, he’s never taken a team down. “I’m very happy and very relieved. The patient was very ill ” – he didn’t seem especially well himself.

None of those previous clubs have taken quite as much out of him as what he called the ‘greatest challenge of his career. ’ Garcia Plaza is also the fourth emergency appointment Sevilla have made in the last four years. Jose Luis Mendilibar, Quique Sanchez Flores and Joaquin Caparros have all come in midseason to drag Sevilla, kicking and screaming, back from the brink of the disaster.