Something is brewing in southern Spain. As the country’s two top teams prepare to do battle off the pitch in the summer transfer market, the remainder of La Liga’s sides seem content with picking their way through the wreckage left behind after the duo have crossed swords – and of these none seem to be doing a better job than Malaga CF.
Under the ownership of Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, an empire is being built at Malaga, a club whose history remains bereft of any considerable silverware. The Sheikh’s millions have ensured arrivals of the likes of Dutch defender Joris Mathijsen, exciting winger Joaquin Sanchez, highly rated French midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and former Real Madrid and Manchester United hitman Ruud van Nistelrooy, with the signs being that Al Thani’s funding for the 2011/12 campaign has not dried up yet.
But as these established superstars prepare to make their bow – some for the first time in La Liga – another diamond in the rough has been undergoing a thorough polishing at La Rosaleda, making progress even in the shadows of Barcelona and Real Madrid’s domination last season. As such, Jose Salomon Rondon ensured that seasoned Spanish football watchers would remember his name the next time it cropped up in Monday’s sports papers.
Part of a multi-million euro project aimed at elevating Malaga towards the upper reaches of the European game, Salomon Rondon – as he is more commonly known – was signed by Los Boquerones for a club record fee of €3.5M last summer.
Born and bred in Caracas, Venezuela, Rondon made the transition through various youth teams in the country before pitching up at Aragua FC. After breaking into the first team there at the tender age of 17, Europe came calling in the form of Segunda Division side UD Las Palmas, with Rondon making the move to Gran Canaria as Venezuela’s latest jewel.
Rondon’s first year with Las Palmas was a disappointment, as he managed not a single goal. Willing to stay and continue his adventure with the island side however, the Venezuelan broke his personal duck in a Copa del Rey meeting with Cadiz – in the process becoming the youngest foreign player to score for the club. Rondon’s good streak continued, as he added ten goals in 36 league outings, proving to be a key man in Las Palmas’ successful battle against relegation to Spain’s third tier.
The forward had done enough during his short stint in Spanish football to convince a number of sides that here was a talent that could be developed and nurtured. And it was little surprise when Malaga chose to move first, breaking their own record to snatch Rondon from Las Palmas and catapult him up to La Liga. Despite his obvious ability and that of those around him, Rondon found himself in a Malaga side struggling near the foot of the table for a considerable chunk of the season.
In front of goal the Venezuelan found the net first in September, in a 2-1 defeat against fellow Andalusian club Sevilla, before keeping the streak going with strikes against Getafe and Villarreal, all in the space of a week. But even as Rondon’s stock improved, Malaga’s performances did not. In fact, Los Boquerones could not manage to escape from the haunting spectre of relegation before the 31st matchday. And had it not been for the heroics of Rondon and his team-mate Julio Baptista’s rediscovered form, the club could have been looking forward to a 2011/12 campaign in the second tier.
For Rondon, in addition to survival, there was a personal feat to celebrate too. Getting on the scoresheet against relegated Hercules not only handed him a fourteenth strike of the season, it was also a record for a Venezuelan player in Spain’s top flight.
The revolution is continuing apace at Malaga. The arrival of veterans like Joaquin and Van Nistelrooy will add experience and no shortage of skill to the team’s spine. For Rondon, this can be no bad thing as Dutch goal-getter Van Nistelrooy especially is a role model for the young hitman to follow. One of the last in a dying breed of penalty box poachers, Van Nistelrooy’s arrival was welcomed by Rondon with open arms. “It will be nice to be next to elite players and to learn from players like Julio Baptista and Van Nistelrooy”, commented the 21-year-old, adding, “I want to mirror them”.
Blessed with a fine physique and shooting ability, Jose Salomon Rondon had laid a justifiable claim to being considered Venezuela’s best player since the legendary Juan Arango. With Malaga, a club on the up, the youngster has the perfect springboard to fulfil his potential and shine as one of La Liga’s stars of the next decade.
