It's Barca's Title Again!
(Goal.com) - Barcelona were confirmed as champions of Spain's Primera Liga for the second successive year when Valencia were beaten 2-1 at Real Mallorca.
Barca themselves beat Celta Vigo 1-0 to clinch their 18th Spanish title.
Their remaining challenge this season is to defeat Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris on 17th May.
"It's a prize for spectacle, work and consistency. We're all very happy, it's a reward for hard work and I want to congratulate all the players and staff," said Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
Barcelona's fortunes have soared under Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard and the influence on the pitch of World Player of the Year Ronaldinho.
He has scored 17 goals this season, including a brace against arch-rivals Real Madrid, and is the creative fulcrum around which the team revolves.
Meanwhile, striker Samuel Eto'o - who scored the only goal against Celta Vigo - has netted 25 goals this season.
Barca who now have an unassailable 11-point lead at the top of the table.
They are the first team to defend the title successfully since their own back-to-back titles under Dutch coach Louis van Gaal.
Comments
we all know it was going to be barca. real madrid i think is playing very poorly. they are stacked and they still can't win
Posted by: mat | May 5, 2006 10:36 AM
Here we go again!.
The "merengues" continue to be cursed by the Dutchs. They experienced one of the worst crisis in club history back in the early 70's when Cruyff came as a player to Barcelona and embarrased them with a 5-0 beating in Madrid and a Liga title. Once again in the eighties when Cruyff this time as a coach took Barca to 4 league titles. Van Gaal in the 90's and now is Rijkaard in the 21st century. Message to the Bernabeu guys: "hire the top dutch coach available before the folks at the Camp Nou do!!!".
Posted by: Art | May 5, 2006 08:20 PM