A compilation of some of the most interesting La Liga stories of the week, we go through the good, the bad and the good.
Pros: Braulio Vazquez appreciation community
Osasuna’s Sporting Director Braulio Vazquez is not the most heralded name in international media, but if he had been laid back enough to watch football this way, he might have allowed a mischievous smile at Raul Garcia de Haro’s back post win against Celta Vigo. After the years of Jagoba Arrasate, the second most successful run of the 21st century in Pamplona, Vicente Moreno was brought in to take his place. Osasuna was in the race for Europe until the last day of the season, but Moreno and Los Rojillo parted ways. Something wasn’t quite right, there were two teams that were willing, but there was an undeniable lack of chemistry.
It is difficult to call Braulio the idea of the appointment of Alessio Lisci, who wrote the miracle of Netflix in Mirandas, but what he has done since then deserves credit. In the first half of the season, Osasuna struggled for consistency, and after a bad break, they went on an eight-day run where they dropped from midway to 18 games, picking up just one Liga win in 10 games. With just the consistency of gravity, the pressure on Lisci began to mount.
𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | a noun
1: the quality or state of being perfect: as ⬇️ #LetsGoRojillos | #CeltaOsasuna | #LaLigaHighLights pic.twitter.com/6jagfZfESR
– CA OSASUNA (@osasuna_zu) February 10, 2026
At that time, Braulio not only supported Lisci, but found a very effective pressure valve, telling the press that he it had left him short of resources. His business was as deserving of criticism as Lisci’s management – and it would be dealt with. In January, Braulio signed Raul Moro for 5 million euros from Ajax, and Javi Galan for 500k euros from Atletico Madrid. Against Celta, both started, as did summer additions Victor Munoz (€ 5m), one of the revelations of the season, and Valentin Rosier (free), making it Braulio’s five additions this year on the field.
Moro flicked the ball over the head of La Liga’s most reliable Ante Budimir and it flew into the top corner in the pouring rain in Vigo. With 10 minutes to go, Munoz found Alejandro Catena in the box and there was Garcia to slot home, just in time. The victory at Balaidos, against one of Spain’s in-form teams, lifted Osasuna to 9th place, four points behind Celta, and a potential European spot. It’s their third win in four, extending a losing streak to one in seven. Run the numbers, whatever you like, they all come with Braulio right now.
The Bad: 17 days to wipe the smile off Manolo Gonzalez’s face
Espanyol manager Manolo Gonzalez and Sporting Director Fran Garagarza have done a great job, and nothing can take away from their first half of the season, but their start in 2026 is a good attempt to make people forget about it. Los Pericos were outplaying Villarreal, and arguably the more dangerous side with 10 minutes left in the first half (0-0) on Monday night. Ten minutes into the second half, they went 4-0.
Ahead of Espanyol’s 4th match of 2026 and from 23 January, Gonzalez was at the event as his team prepared to face Valencia. Asked about the growing pressure following the defeat to Barcelona (0-2), the draw with Levante (1-1) and the defeat to Girona (0-1), Gonzalez answered with a smile. “I told the players to win, otherwise I’ll be fired. Please win. I think I might be out if we don’t win against Valencia. If not, I’m done.”
17 days later, Gonzalez had the following after their 4-1 defeat against Villarreal.
“We were soft in all aspects of our game, we have been talking about it for days. Every time they go for a 50/50 ball, they all come out, and we have to recover quickly. Otherwise, we will have real problems; it is very difficult to win games. Either we reorganize quickly or it will not be enough.”
Gonzalez’s first answer was the right answer, the answer of a manager who was in charge of a limited team with much bigger problems at the same time last year. However, their point against Levante (19th) remains their only reward after six games in 2026. The sense of humor is gone, the problems are real.
Good: Gift of the Bad Rabbit
It’s a great week to have a Bad Bunny song dedicated to you, but Orri Oskarsson was the lucky recipient of such an honor at Anoeta. After his win against Alaves in the Copa del Rey, Real Sociedad fans repeated ‘Cafe con Ron’. [Coffee with rum] in words In the morning coffee, in the afternoon, take me to Sevilla, Orri Oskarsson’ with wonderful rhymes in Spanish.
🔊 It looks like a sonar.
LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/zoecGmhS20
– Real Sociedad Fútbol (@RealSociedad) February 10, 2026
The less said about his fiery back-and-forth over the bar the better, but Real Sociedad fans were given an excuse to use their vocal chords to the beat of Puerto Rico’s best for the second week in a row. Slinging to protect the seconds remaining in Pellegrino Matarazzo’s 6th win in eight games, Oskarsson’s finish was smooth and confident, a move right out of the playbook. As he did to Alaves.
☕️ LLÉVAME A SEVILLA ORRI OSKARSSON
The goal. The song. El momento. Así lo hemos vivido with Onda Vasca. 📻#OndaVasca #Connect pic.twitter.com/PJuOkoKrWp
— Onda Vasca Gipuzkoa (@OVGipuzkoa) February 7, 2026
Oskarsson, who signed for 20 million euros, has had a painful time since arriving at Donostia-San Sebastian, struggling to settle, score, start, look the part. He smiles for the first time again. The song is a sign that the Txuri-Urdin are determined to make him theirs. There is hope that he can be resurrected from the nine graves of Real Sociedad.
— Real Sociedad Fútbol (@RealSociedad) February 11, 2026
