Hello, this is international football commentator Derek Ray, and you're listening to the Ranks FC podcast.

Hello, Ranks, and welcome to Ranks FC.

It's your favourite transatlantic football podcast.

My name's Jack Collins, and I'm joined as ever by the wonderful Mr. Dean Jones all the way from San Diego.

How you doing, mate?

Hola!

How are you, Jack?

I was going to say that in Spanish, but I don't know any other Spanish.

I was wondering.

I was wondering. I had the moment of panic in terms of. I should have learned some. I should have done some better research and learned how to speak. Yeah. Very simple, huh? on the spur of the moment,

it wasn't really there for me.

Yeah, I'm good, mate.

Obviously, a few games have been played now in La Liga,

so... on the spur of the moment, it wasn't really there for me. Yeah, I'm good, mate.

Obviously, a few games have been played now in La Liga, so it gives us a bit more to work with as we preview the season as a whole. I think that, I think La Liga's flown under the radar

a bit and the people up to it. I have to say, like, I don't reckon that many people knew it was even starting at the weekend, to be honest. Like, certainly over here, there wasn't a big promotion for it. I don't know what was like back in England, but it almost felt like this one crept up. With the others starting next weekend, they got to Friday. And I was like, oh, the league is starting as well. Of course it is. But yeah, let's, I imagine as

the season goes on, it will make its impact. Yeah, I mean, I think the fact that basically,

you know, the Friday night game wasn't a blitzer, kind of didn't help.

Obviously, Barcelona played on Saturday and then Athleticameter played on Sunday and then

Real Madrid have played Tuesday today as we record. So it's a bit of a strange one in terms of the way the games are spaced out. I don't like it when La Liga does this. I know there's reasons. I know these games that are basically spread out because basically none can be played in the afternoon in the middle of August in Spain. And that makes sense, sense right but once it's back to one on a

Friday four on a Saturday four on a Sunday one on a Monday I will feel more comfortable with

the schedule also the other thing is that TV rights are a weird thing I know that obviously in the

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