Reading Roars!

Reading FC’s achievements last season reminded me of Getafe CF’s exploits in Spain’s La Liga.  Indeed, both clubs have a few things in common.

Getafe is a small club just south of Madrid (and Reading is a relatively small club west of London).  Both towns have similar populations - 156,000 in Getafe’s case and there are 144,000 people in Reading.  Both towns have good universities.

Getafe, like Reading, pulled off some stunning results.  Both clubs are managed by relative unknowns (until recently) of a very similar age (48 and 51), though Getafe’s Schuster has just joined Real Madrid (I guess this would be like Coppell going to Man United).  Both managers played for top clubs in their prime - Coppell for Man United and Schuster for Barcelona.  And both clubs achieved good results last season against those clubs - Reading versus Man United and Getafe when they met Barcelona.

Perhaps the two clubs should consider playing each other in a friendly?