Let the party begin!

After a breathless summer, which saw Kylian Mbappé turn his back on Real Madrid and FC Barcelona chain first-tier recruits, the Spanish championship is preparing to deliver its first truths this weekend.

In this World Cup season (November 20 - December 18), many players will have their minds turned towards this international deadline.

But all of Spain is waiting to see the new faces shine in La Liga first.

Barça, in debt to the tune of 1.35 billion euros a year ago, achieved a tour de force this summer: by selling future sources of income, by multiplying loans and sponsorship contracts, the club Catalan has managed to replenish its cash to attract five new players.

Lewandowski and Benzema, duel of goleadors

And what players!

Headlining, Robert Lewandowski.

The 33-year-old Polish striker, who shone at Bayern Munich for eight years, landed in Catalonia to appropriate the N.9 and serve as a guide to the many nuggets of Barça.

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His remote duel with Karim Benzema, who crushed the Spanish championship with his goals last season and who again offered the UEFA Super Cup to Real on Wednesday in Helsinki (2-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt), s exciting announcement.

In addition to the Pole, the Ivorian Franck Kessié (free arrival from AC Milan), the Dane Andreas Christensen (free arrival from Chelsea), the Brazilian Raphinha (58 M EUR from Leeds), and the French international defender Jules Koundé (50 M EUR from Sevilla FC) came to strengthen the Catalan ranks.

"It's a new era of splendor," said Joan Laporta, the Blaugrana president, in early August.

But the Catalans must first release payroll to hope to register all their recruits with LaLiga before their first match of the season, Saturday (9:00 p.m.) at Camp Nou against Rayo Vallecano.

Atlético and Sevilla in ambush

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Even with all these new faces, it won't be easy to wrest the Spanish crown from Real Madrid's head.

The "White House", impressively efficient since the return of Carlo Ancelotti last year, has won all the trophies possible in 2022, except for the King's Cup.

This summer, the Mbappé snub digested, Real strengthened by attracting Antonio Rüdiger (free arrival from Chelsea), and the young French hopeful and ex-Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, for whom the Merengues spent 80 M d EUR, Real's most expensive signing since Eden Hazard in 2019.

Hazard, precisely, seems to have left his injuries behind him, and promised the supporters, during the celebration of the coronation in C1 last May, to show himself in his best light this season.

And in the shadow of these two giants, other clubs remain in ambush.

Atlético had a quiet summer, but quietly strengthened.

He benefited from the loan returns of Alvaro Morata (Juventus) and Saul Niguez (Chelsea), and attracted the experienced Axel Witsel (free arrival from Dortmund) and especially the Argentinian Nahuel Molina (20 M EUR in from Udinese).

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Antoine Griezmann, pampered by Diego Simeone, will also have to find his level of yesteryear to arrive launched in Qatar.

Finally, Sevilla FC, stripped of its defense during the summer, recorded the arrival of Brazilian defender Marcao (EUR 14m from Galatasaray), the loan of left-back Alex Telles (Manchester United), and above all convinced midfielder Isco, at the end of his contract at Real Madrid, to return to his native Andalusia.

Thirteen thousand people cheered him during his presentation on Wednesday.

The cards are redistributed, the game can begin: between an ambitious Barça, an insatiable Real and other contenders with long teeth, the season promises to be thrilling in Spain.

© 2022 AFP