With the 2016-17 Premier League season in the books, we now know what the league will look like next year. Relegated to the English Championship are Hull City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. The three promoted sides include newcomers Brighton and Huddersfield and established EPL side Newcastle United.
In anticipation of Sunday night’s Liga MX final second leg at Estadio Chivas, we spoke with Jose Maria Aldrete Gonzalez, Facility and Turf Manager for the building and a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association.
Originally employed as an architect during the construction of the stadium, which opened in 2010, Aldrete has continued in his new role since that time, including overseeing the transition from an artificial playing surface to natural grass at the behest of Johan Cruyff in 2012.
By January of 2004, Barcelona was a club in deep crisis. Since the 1999-00 season, they’d finished further and further down the LaLiga table — second in 2000, fourth in 2001, fourth in 2002 and a disastrous sixth in 2003.
The 2003-04 season looked to be even worse yet. Club president Joan Gaspart had been forced to resign because of the decline, and his young replacement, Joan Laporta, had begun his presidency in farce after promising Barcelona supporters David Beckham only to see him land at Real Madrid.