Netflix Comedy Sport Series Is Perfect For Ted Lasso Fans

Because Spanish is my second language and my husband is from Mexico, we watch a lot of Spanish language films and series, especially those set in Mexico.

We’re also both huge fans of Luis Gerardo Mendez from his Narcos: Mexico days, so we often look up other films and shows he’s been in. When we fell upon Club de Cuervos, we were instantly excited, and we binge-watched this hilarious series in a matter of weeks. 

Club de Cuervos is set in modern day Mexico in the fictional city of Nuevo Toledo, a few hours outside of Mexico City. The show opens with the wealthy businessman and owner of a soccer club, Cuervos F.C., Salvador Iglesias Sr., and his extremely arrogant and spoiled son, “Chava,” spending time together.

Meanwhile, Salvador’s daughter, Isabela, works diligently for the club, managing operations and dreaming of living up to her father’s expectations. 

As we are barely understanding the relationship dynamics in the first episode, Salvador suddenly keels over in a sauna with his son and dies of a heart attack. Chava, helpless, calls for help, but nothing can be done.

Cut to a boardroom, where Chava and Isabela sit and wait to hear who will be named new owner of Club de Cuervos. Of course, because of gender politics in Mexico and the still very masculine culture there, Chava is given ownership of the club despite being completely ignorant of running the business, the club, or even soccer. 

Isabela, of course, is furious. She marches back to her office and vows to make her brother’s life a living hell and regain control of Club de Cuervos, the soccer club she has poured her entire life and heart into for years.

The rest of Salvador’s wealth is distributed fairly evenly between the siblings and his two ex-wives (Isabela and Chava are only half siblings, with different mothers).

Things get complicated when Salvador’s most recent girlfriend arrives at the reading of the will and declares herself pregnant and therefore a rightful inheritor to the estate. Both siblings unite in their distaste for the gorgeous Mary Luz, but what can they do? 

For the duration of the four seasons of Club de Cuervos, audiences are entertained by the ongoing feud between the petulant brat that is Chava and his hypercompetitive driven older sister, Isabela.

We dive into Isabela’s relationship with her supportive husband, Rafael, a former goalie for the club, and we can’t help but crack up at Hugo Sanchez, the very close and personal assistant to Chava. (Hugo Sanchez’ role was so popular in this series that he got his own movie, The Ballad of Hugo Sanchez.)

We also get to meet the players for Club de Cuervos, the actual cuervos (which means crows in Spanish). Some of the players are exceptional and should be playing for bigger teams, and others are mediocre, just feeling lucky to be employed.

Watching this series gives you insight into Mexico’s politics, the way the soccer (or futbol) clubs are run there, and the rich culture. And yet it never feels like a caricature or a telenovela. 

GFR SCORE

As the first full-length Spanish language series on Netflix, Club de Cuervos is a huge hit, with largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Luis Gerardo Mendez is brilliant and entirely believable, and the storyline feels fresh and engaging. Indeed, I would not be surprised to find out the creators of Ted Lasso took notes from this series, as Club de Cuervos began in 2015. In any event, it’s worth watching, even if you speak no Spanish at all. The subtitles will do all the work for you.