Football Season Guide

Celta Vigo will return to European football in 2016-17 thanks to a 6th placed Europa League-triggering finish in La Liga last term. Eduardo Berizzo will remain at the helm to deliver his exciting brand of football at Balaidos and the Galicians will be hoping to successfully balance domestic and European commitments this term. The main target for the campaign will to be avoid a similar disaster to that which befell them the last time they qualified for Europe in 2004. That year, the Vigonenses featured in the Champions League but it overwhelmed their under-prepared squad and, after a season plagued by inconsistency, they were relegated to the Segunda Division. A repeat of that rapid decline should be avoided by this squad and it would be a fantastic achievement if they could finish inside the top seven again to repeat the feat of qualifying for the Europa League. They will have to do so without their star player of the past few seasons, Nolito, who was one of Pep Guardiola’s first signings at his new club Manchester City. Nolito chipped in with goals – most of them spectacular – but was also vital to Celta’s attacking build-up on the left flank; he had a hand in so many of their goals. Replacing him is the biggest challenge facing Eduardo Berizzo at the start of the 2016-17 campaign. It will probably be impossible. As it stands, the players Celta have signed don’t fit Nolito’s high profile, although Berizzo will be hoping they can all make a positive impact. Striker Jose Naranjo and defender Alvaro Lemos come in after excelling in the Segunda Division last season. Pione Sisto is perhaps the player with most similarities to Nolito and has pedigree as a Denmark international. Facundo Roncaglia, an Argentinean full back, completes the modest recruitment so far. It is hard to see how any of those players will come straight in and stake an immediate claim to a regular starting berth. Nolito’s absence means that Iago Aspas could fill his role, with the quickly improving Swedish striker John Guidetti playing furthest forward. He impressed when given chances last season and could be the biggest beneficiary of Nolito’s departure. Fabian Orellana, just behind Guidetti in attacking midfield, must carry the play-making threat with Nolito gone and he has the quality to do so. The attacking midfielder, who was proclaimed champion of the Americas with his native Chile over the summer, and former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas, are the key players in Berizzo’s squad. There is still room for extra cover in defence, where they looked very short last season, but don’t expect the starting back four in front of Sergio Alvarez to change.