Podcast Summary: Más de uno

Host: OndaCero
Episode: Edu García: "Aquí se va en calesa y algo destartalada"
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Theme

This episode offers a dynamic and witty sports commentary segment with Edu García, the director of Radio Estadio, focusing on the current state of Spanish football (La Liga) and broader reflections on the challenges facing Spanish sports. Through clever analogies and humor, García examines the struggles of Spain's top-tier football clubs, the league's declining competitiveness, financial discrepancies, and the reality check faced by athletes in less prominent sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ongoing Two-horse Race in La Liga

• Bipartidismo en la Liga: The league remains sharply polarized between Real Madrid and Barcelona, with both teams alternately taking the lead and then losing it quickly.
  • Quote [00:09] (A - Edu García):
    "Es más entretenido el bipartidismo de la Liga que el que a ti te rodea por pura alternancia. Una semana al Madrid, otra el Barça... Punto arriba, punto abajo. Que ojalá se mantenga como tónica hasta la jornada 38."
• Tight Competition and Vulnerability: While the title chase is intense, both giants appear more vulnerable than before, having suffered seven defeats between them and attracting more scrutiny over refereeing decisions than in previous years.
  • Quote [00:09] (A - Edu García):
    "La otra lectura es que los dos titanes son más vulnerables y menos intocables. Siete derrotas entre los dos y más polémicas arbitrales por supuestas ayudas que antes no tenían."

2. Declining Middle Class in Spanish Football

• Teams Caught in the Middle: Beneath the top two, the middle class of Spanish football is shrinking. Clubs like Villarreal, Betis, and Atlético Madrid have moments of proximity to the big two, but quickly find themselves out of reach due to financial limitations.
  • Quote [00:09] (A - Edu García):
    "Ya no hay mucha clase media. Hay equipos que no pueden toser a los dos gigantes, pero que con poco dejan a distancia a los sufrientes por quedarse en Primera."
  • On Atlético Madrid: "Caso aparte ser atlético, que a veces se sienta a la mesa de dos y a veces se autodescarta por el peso presupuestario."

3. The Chaotic Bottom Half

• Frequent Shuffling: Around ten teams oscillate between the top 10 and relegation zones, with just a couple of wins or losses dramatically altering their fate.
  • Quote [01:01] (B):
    "Y luego la gresca que es el totum revolutum. Una decena de escuadras que ganan un finde y se meten en el top 10, que pierden 2 y se queman en los sótanos donde hay codazos por salir."
• Questions Raised: There is a debate as to whether the tumult comes from less talent, fewer references, or deficient youth development policies.
  • Quote [01:06] (A - Edu García):
    "¿De qué se trata? ¿De que hay menos talento? ¿De que hay menos referencias? ¿Que hay peores políticas de cantera? Bueno, pues lo que seguro que hay es una multiplicidad de factores, aunque las cifras nos dan pistas."

4. Financial Gaps and the Metaphor of the “Calesa”

• Transfer Market Disparities: Spanish clubs spent only €75 million in the 2026 winter transfer market, compared to €307 million by English clubs and €239 million by Italians.
  • Quote [01:06] (A - Edu García):
    "Mercado de invierno 2.026, 1.600 millones de euros movidos. Los ingleses acapararon 307, los italianos 239 y nuestra máxima división 75."
• Memorable Analogy:
  • Quote [01:06] (A - Edu García):
    "Aquí no se va en cohete, se va en calesa y algo destartalada."
    (Translation: "Here we're not traveling by rocket, but by a rickety carriage.")

5. Broader Sports Challenges in Spain

• Lack of Facilities and Support: Edu mentions Spanish athletes in lesser-followed disciplines, spotlighting the struggles of Nora Cornell, a rider who, after finishing her law exams, must go to Switzerland to train due to Spain's lack of facilities.
  • Quote [01:40] (A - Edu García):
    "La rider Nora Cornell le decía el viernes a Cantizano en Por Fin que tras sus exámenes de Derecho pone rumbo a Suiza, que aquí no hay ni una sola instalación para entrenarse. Así como suena."

Notable Quotes

• On the league's fluctuating hierarchy:
  "Una decena de escuadras que ganan un finde y se meten en el top 10, que pierden 2 y se queman en los sótanos donde hay codazos por salir." — Edu García [01:01]
• On comparative financial investment:
  "Aquí no se va en cohete, se va en calesa y algo destartalada. Y aún así. Y aún así. Otros deportes flipan con su realidad." — Edu García [01:06]
• On athlete struggles outside football:
  "Aquí no hay ni una sola instalación para entrenarse. Así como suena." — Edu García (about Nora Cornell) [01:40]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:09] - In-depth overview of La Liga’s two-horse race, the vulnerability of top clubs, and the declining middle class.
• [01:01] - Analysis of the unpredictable fate of mid- and lower-table clubs.
• [01:06] - Discussion on reasons for competitive imbalance and hard financial data from the transfer market; delivery of the “calesa” metaphor.
• [01:40] - Reflection on issues facing other sports in Spain, illustrated through the story of rider Nora Cornell.

Conclusion

Edu García offers a snapshot of Spanish football’s current predicament: a league fighting to keep up with European heavyweights, facing dwindling resources and competitiveness, and where the battles are as fierce at the bottom as at the top. Through characteristic humor and sharp observations, García also extends the conversation to the broader context of Spanish sports, highlighting systemic difficulties and the resilience of its athletes.