The Big Two Football Clubs in the La Liga: Real Madrid and Barcelona
When we talk about La Liga, the names of only two clubs ring a bell: Real Madrid and Barcelona. These clubs are not only the biggest clubs in Spain; they have enjoyed supremacy in Europe as well. All the big players in the world have a desire to play for these two clubs. Also, these clubs have given the world many big players, who have dominated the world of football.
There is no doubt about the capabilities of Real Madrid. They have enjoyed most of the superiority in Europe, as they have won eight UEFA Champions League titles. Real Madrid, without a doubt, is also the biggest club in La Liga, as they have won a record number of 31 league titles in their long stay in the Spanish Primera Division. Barcelona, however, are not very far behind, as they have won 20 La Liga titles. Also, they have won the UEFA Champions League trophy three times, and have also won the UEFA Cup four times. Apart from these big competitions, both these clubs have won many other trophies, including the Copa Del Ray. Both these clubs have shared the number 1 and number 2 positions for the most number of times in any domestic competition. Naturally, both these clubs have developed a rivalry that is second to none in the world.
In the recent decade, once again, these two clubs have continuously dominated the football scene in the Spanish Primera Division. The decade started with the Galácticos of Real Madrid in full action. That team won two of the league titles, and twice they won the Champions League. The Galácticos was a team of world class players like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luis Figo. These players ruled Europe for at least three years of their stay in Real Madrid. Also, these players were responsible for their National team’s successes, as Zidane led the French side to victory in the Euro Cup in 2000, while Ronaldo led his Brazilian team to victory in 2002. After the end of Galácticos’ reign in Europe, Real Madrid had their problems, but they still won two La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008.
Barcelona has also enjoyed a lot of success in the current decade. They won two La Liga titles in 2005 and 2006, under the leadership of Frank Rijkaard. At that time, Barcelona’s star player was Ronaldinho, whose game of football was second to none in the world. He was also the one who led his team to victory in the Champions League in 2006. After that, Barcelona was re-established under Josep Guardiola, who led the team to a record treble in 2009, winning the La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa Del Ray. After that incredible season, Guardiola continued to shine, as his club won an incredible six trophies to completely whitewash the whole season. In 2010, he won another league title with Barcelona. Also, like Madrid, Barcelona’s players were responsible for the success of their National teams, as the Spanish side won the Euro Cup in 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the final of the World Cup (against Netherlands), seven of the starting players were from FC Barcelona.
During this whole season of superiority in Europe, these two clubs won 8 league titles and 4 Champions League titles between themselves. During this time, only Valencia, under Rafael Benitez, had the chance to win two of the titles. Otherwise, no single team in the Spanish Primera Division has been able to challenge the superiority of these Spanish giants.
Once again, these two teams look the best in the League, as well as in Europe. They have the best squads in the world, and there is no chance that other teams would be posing any threat to their superiority. The battle for the top spot would be between these two teams once again, especially as the squad of Valencia is now weakened, as their two best players, David Villa and David Silva, have left their team. Thus, the team that got the third spot last year would not be posing any threat for a place in the top two. Even in Europe, there is a good chance that one of these two teams will win another title in the next season. The next La Liga season is expected to be one of the best ever in the history of the Spanish Primera Division.
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