Here I am among the thunder storms and rain for which Southern Spain is not noted but this February has had the lot with the days of hot sunshine squeezing in between the storms.

While the Spanish weather may be hard to forecast this year no storms are anticipated by the locals when their national team plays Scotland in the Euros later this year.

The very likeable locals in best Bar in Agarrobo, (owned and run by Pepe) have no fears whatever in facing Scotland.

In fact when I first raised the subject the other night they were curious about Scotland’s current team asking if they were all "joven" (young) because when I went through a list of some likely squad members and the Manager by name I got not one thread of recognition- even when I reached Fletcher and his connection to Man Utd.

This of course could be down to my atrocious accent when speaking broken Spanish but in this case I was just listing names.

Ferguson?
Boyd?
Fletcher?
Levein?

All these names and more were all met with a shrug and a lost look- sort of like Berti Vogts in Paris all those football years ago after the friendly with France. The locals here have already dismissed the home and away ties as foregone conclusions but not through arrogance but because of ignorance of current Scottish football, and teams,

Hibernian? Heart of Midlothian? and the other non Old Firm teams received the same vacant expressions as they gave to squad members, indeed one local, Stephan, asked me whether I was making the team names up! Or having a laugh (estoy broeando?)

In an attempt to show I had some grasp on reality and to offer some credibility of current Scottish football I played my ace card little knowing I was in fact playing a Joker! 

NACHO NOVO?

I don’t know the actual translation for what they said in response to the fact that Novo was playing in the top team in Scotland but "tee hee" would not be too far of the mark!

I will frequent Pepe’s Bar in the coming weeks and months (purely in the interests of research of course) and will try to get insights to the individual players the locals rate in the Spanish side.

Do not be surprised if players- even second reserves from Real Madrid are discussed as that is the team all around here tend to favour despite nearer local fairly credible teams….hmmm come to think of it maybe the Spanish are not so different from Scottish football fans after all.

Hasta leugo amigos.