There was a little magic in the atmosphere, Pellegrino Matarazzo said. Real Sociedad's new coach could feel it; he could hear it too, the sound of drums beating on every street of the city he has embraced and into the stadium that has embraced him back already. When he and his players arrived at Anoeta on Sunday evening, they entered through a guard of honour, a band of soldiers and chefs lined up in the rain, hammering out the club anthem and hoping.
"I was the first to receive offers from Inter Miami," Silva, 39, told the El Camino de Mario podcast. "I met with [Inter Miami president David] Beckham in Manchester, but I told him I still wanted to compete in Europe. Then I had many other offers: Japan, Qatar ... but then I prioritized my personal life and I felt very ready to compete."
Tottenham Hotspur are all set to break the bank to sign Real Sociedad attacking mainstay Takefusa Kubo. While things didn't work out for the Japanese international at Real Madrid, he has certainly revived himself since joining Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022. His consistent performances, along with his massive potential, have attracted a lot of interest. Kubo has been hailed as a future superstar.
Real Betis are a very ambitious club with a strong following who have played in major European competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League, and reached the final of the Conference League last season, which they lost to Chelsea. Los Verdiblancos ended up as high as seventh in the La Liga table in the 2023-24 season and did better last season.
Real Madrid survived a late Real Sociedad onslaught to secure a 2-1 victory at Anoeta, with Kylian Mbappe once again proving to be the difference. The French superstar opened the scoring with a clinical finish before teeing up Arda Guler for Madrid's second, while Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty gave the hosts hope in a thrilling second half. The game exploded into life within two minutes, when Mbappe burst through to set up Guler, only for VAR to rule the Frenchman marginally offside.
When John Aldridge swapped the famous red of Liverpool for the blue and white of Real Sociedad in 1989, he expected fresh challenges on the pitch. What he wasn't quite prepared for was the hostile welcome off it. The move made Aldridge the club's first non-Basque signing in decades. Since their foundation in 1909, Real Sociedad had developed a strong identity rooted in Basque culture, language, and pride. For most of the 20th century, the club adhered strictly to a Basque-only recruitment policy, similar to their fierce rivals Athletic Bilbao.