This writer has not fallen off the face of the earth after the season concluded in mid-May.  I am writing this as I leave on a boat from Napoli en route to Palma de Mallorca.  I have been traveling through Europe these past weeks, and I was in Barcelona to cover the FC Barcelona presidential elections, and that report will be disseminated once I return to the United States next week along with columns about the Spanish national team in South Africa.

After a self-imposed hiatus from a long but thrilling La Liga season, La Liga Talk will be the home for the Spanish national team in FIFA World Cup 2010.  After a couple of friendlies against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Korea Republic, where La Furia Roja did not play as well as expected, Spain still holds the co-favorite title with Brazil to win the World Cup.  These international exhibitions before the tournament only matter if a player or players suffer injuries that will affect their health status for any official game time (ask Ivory Coast about Didier Drogba).

As well as covering Spain throughout their excursion in South Africa, La Liga Talk will host many articles and columns about transfer rumors (including the overanalyzed and overwritten Cesc Fàbregas saga) and other news related to the twenty teams in Spain’s first division this summer.  For example, the FC Barcelona presidential elections will take place on June 13, and the man that will lead from the top will have a major role in the future direction of one of the top club teams in world football.  The success of outgoing president Joan Laporta heaps more pressure on the next president to continue these successful, trophy-winning seasons.

While there are no matches played on the pitch during the close season, the constant battles waged by the clubs off the pitch can sometimes determine final placement in La Liga more than what the players do on the field.  So keep updated with summer Spanish football news with La Liga Talk, as it will be out on the forefront on the top stories emanating from Spain.