Mourinho's Return, Groundbreaking Tech, and the Title Race: What Will the New La Liga Season Bring, Featuring Hancko?

The 2026/27 La Liga season kicks off on Saturday, though Barcelona and Real Madrid won't be in action this weekend. With many of their players featuring in the World Cup finals, the Spanish giants will play their opening fixtures a week later. Hansi Flick's Barcelona, two-time reigning La Liga champions, will visit Elche on August 23rd.

A day earlier, Mourinho will make his competitive debut in his second stint as Real Madrid manager, facing Espanyol in Barcelona.

Much of the pre-season attention focuses on whether the Portuguese coach can revitalize the "White Ballet" after two seasons without a major trophy. The impact of new signings Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, and Denzel Dumfries also remains a question mark.

Barcelona's most prominent acquisitions include Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, while Robert Lewandowski has departed. Ronald Araujo has gone on loan to Liverpool, and Marcus Rashford and Joao Cancelo have returned to their respective clubs after loan spells.

Forward Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's winning goal in extra time of the World Cup final against Argentina, is unlikely to return to the squad. According to media reports, he is in talks for a transfer to PSG.

Barcelona is also reportedly interested in Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid, who will start their new campaign later, on Wednesday against Malaga. However, the "Rojiblancos" insist they have no plans to sell the versatile Argentine forward to the Catalan club.

Alvarez wants to leave but has returned to training with his teammates. Diego Simeone's side finished last season without silverware, placing fourth in La Liga.

Slovak international Hancko is expected to be a key defensive player for them again, entering his second season at Atletico. In his first, he made 30 La Liga appearances, plus another 13 matches in the Champions League, scoring two goals. He also netted once in the cup, where he featured in 5 games.

Last season, Villarreal impressed, finishing third under Marcelino Garcia Toral. However, he departed after the season and was replaced by Inigo Perez. The 38-year-old coach earned acclaim for his work at Rayo Vallecano, leading them to the Conference League final, which earned him the opportunity to take charge of the "Yellow Submarine."

Three historically significant clubs are returning to La Liga after a long absence: Racing Santander, Deportivo La Coruna, and Malaga. Many remember the latter two from their Champions League campaigns.

Deportivo reached the semi-finals in 2004, where they fell to Mourinho's Porto. Malaga made it to the quarter-finals in 2013, but like Deportivo, subsequently dropped to the Spanish third division. Racing returns to the top flight for the first time since 2012.

During their promotion season, their squad included Suleimana Camara, who has recently become a key player for Slovan Bratislava.

American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo turned Real Sociedad's fortunes around after replacing Sergio Francisco in December. The New Jersey native was a refreshing presence in San Sebastian, leading the team to a Spanish Cup triumph while significantly improving their league position to 10th, well clear of the relegation zone.

"I've never walked on water, but it must be something similar," Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal, another central figure in the competition, reportedly told AFP after the cup victory.

Among La Liga's most-watched players will again be Barcelona stars Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, as well as last season's top scorer and 2026 World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe from Real Madrid. His teammate Jude Bellingham also shone at the World Cup.

"The World Cup was a very good experience for me and my England teammates, but now I'm ready to come back and compete again with my Real Madrid teammates. I hope we can win. I feel like we've already built a certain connection, and it's a dream come true for me to work with a coach like Mourinho. I've only had one opportunity to meet him, but I'm really looking forward to what he'll be like," the English midfielder told Real Madrid's website.

La Liga, according to AP, has announced it will become the first league in the world to widely implement "connected ball" technology. The ball contains a radio-frequency sensor that "continuously and accurately" transmits real-time data on the ball's position and the precise moment of every contact.

Data from the sensor is captured by a network of approximately 12 antennas installed in each stadium. The system is integrated into the technological ecosystem used by the league.

The first kick-off of the new La Liga season with this ball is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 PM, when Alaves hosts Getafe.