Football Season Guide

It has been all change at Real Betis this summer, in many more ways than one. The most significant new arrival since the end of the last campaign has been in the dugout, with Quique Setien joining from Las Palmas. There are high hopes and plenty of excitement surrounding this appointment as fans believe the possession-loving coach will bring more success and more attractive football than Gus Poyet and then Victor Sanchez del Amo did in what was a fairly dour 2016/17 campaign. Already in pre-season there have been encouraging signs from this Real Betis side who have been playing out from the back and who have defeated AC Milan while also displaying some positive signs against Champions League-calibre sides such as Benfica and Besiktas. In terms of personnel, Real Betis' new directive had added plenty of talent, raising a few admiring eyebrows with the captures of Sergio Leon, Victor Camarasa, Ryad Boudebouz, Cristian Tello and Andres Guardado, who were all also wanted by bigger clubs than the Andalusians. Most importantly, Real Betis are signing players who should fit into Setien's passing system and who are comfortable with the ball so there is plenty of reason for optimism at the Estadio Benito Villamarin. While it's true that they have lost some talent as well, most notably seeing exciting 21-year-old attacking midfielder Dani Ceballos signed by Real Madrid and losing last year's top scorer Ruben Castro to the Chinese Super League, the new arrivals make this a better squad overall and one with far more depth. It may take some time for Setien to alter the style and mentality at the club, considering they're switching from an ultra-defensive 5-3-2 to a back-four and a packed midfield. However, if he gets it right then Real Betis could be a real force to be reckoned with. With their stadium having had its remodelling completed, the atmosphere should be even more electric than usual and no team will enjoy their trip to Seville to play the Green & Whites.