New wrestling rules set to boost game in Spain

If youâÂÂre going to compete with the Premier League and its terrific talents such as Lee Cattermole and Stewart Downing, then youâÂÂre going to have to get very creative indeed.

And this is where the Spanish FA normally come into their own and have done so once again with a slight tweak to the rules for the new La Liga season set to kick off on the weekend of August 18/19.

ItâÂÂs a change that will even see Granada facing Valladolid holding more global interest than the Manchester derby.

As well as abiding by the FIFA-approved traditions of two teams of 11 trying to kick a ball into a net more times than the other, La Liga is going to be a little more... colourful... for the coming campaign with the introduction of some initiatives from American wrestling, after what appears to have been a fact-finding mission to the US by FA big-wigs, or at least an evening spent watching a DVD of The RockâÂÂs finest moments.

On Tuesday, the Spanish FA president, Angel María Villar led the way for this new experiment by giving his official forgiveness to José Mourinho and Tito Vilanova for their respective eye-poking and argy-bargy from last seasonâÂÂs Spanish Super Cup games and rightfully stomping on the bans that would have seen the pair up in the stands for AugustâÂÂs double-header.

While the Spanish game is certainly the winner, Barcelona are not happy at all with the new concept, afraid perhaps of Mourinho going for a set of knee stamps on Vilanova (although not quite connecting), with the club spokesman complaining that the eye-poke needed official sanction.

âÂÂItâÂÂs a bad example for football if such an aggression goes without punishment,â grumbled spoilsport Barça spokesperson, Toni Freixà.

Although the new more violent approach to the Spanish game might take some getting used to, the league and FA have still been working together.

The worst planning possible for the start of the La LigaâÂÂs season has ensured that there is at least some semblance of normality to the campaign to come.

The top sides in La Liga will have a perfect preparation for the kick-off thanks to Spain playing a friendly in Puerto Rico on the Wednesday before the first weekend, a couple of days that sees Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona entertaining Real Sociedad - a side who are contemplating the idea of wearing full-on Mexican wrestling masks to celebrate the new rules coming into play.

The following Thursday and the Thursday after that will see the Spanish Super Cup taking place, the traditional pre-season warm-up now taking place after the season has already begun, just to mix things up again.

However, thanks to those running the game in Spain, itâÂÂs set to have even more spice this season with the prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo doing a chokehold on Leo Messi and an elbow slap-fight between Gerard Piqué and Sergio Ramos, while both are clad in wrestling pants.

English football, you have been warned. Your end is nigh.