Tuesday 31 May 2016 08:24, UK
As the sun sets on another dramatic La Liga campaign, Sky Sports' Spanish expert Guillem Balague hands out his season awards.
Barcelona claimed their 24th title with a 3-0 win at Granada on Saturday, pipping Real Madrid by one point, while Atletico Madrid and Villarreal made up the top four.
But in Balague's eyes, who was the best player in the league, who is most-improved, and which team has flopped?
Not only for the 40 goals this season, but for the fact he turned up during Barcelona's worst time. There were doubts around the club in late March, early April; physically they were not at their sharpest, the football they created was not causing much danger, and they actually lost three out of four La Liga games. In the last five games he scored 14 goals, and has also provided four assists.
While Barcelona have been struggling to create the football the club is used to, Suarez has helped them get the points needed.
This is a season where we've seen a different Lionel Messi, one that has dropped deeper and obviously helped Luis Suarez. He definitely was another big reason, along with Suarez, as to why Barca's season got back on track.
This was a year that consolidated what he had been building up to. Last season he didn't have a guaranteed place in the line-up, but he's the first name on the team sheet now.
He has done it in a way that keeps in line with Diego Simeone's philosophy; he works hard without the ball, and with it he has been key in breaking up defences. He is on the verge of being in the top five players in the world.
He's negotiating a new contract with Atletico Madrid, and although he has left the door open to other offers, I think his intention is to stay.
There are two; Eibar, who finished 14th with the help of Borja Baston, the striker on loan from Atletico Madrid, who scored 18 goals.
But I would also give it to Celta, who managed to jump up the table by nine points, still with wonderful football. Eduardo Berizzo has been able to keep the team competitive despite losing Michael Krohn-Dehli in the summer to Sevilla and Augusto Fernandez to Atletico Madrid in January, as well as the injury to Nolito.
It has to be the Clasico at the Bernabeu. It was the return of Messi after two months injured, while Neymar and Suarez had been scoring the goals for Barcelona in that period. Suarez scored two, Andres Iniesta was probably the best player on the park, and Barca played so well that Real managed only one shot on goal in the first half, as well as keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet.
I said after the game that these kinds of defeats have consequences, and as we saw, Rafa Benitez never recovered, and it was only a matter of time before Florentino Perez looked elsewhere.
It has to be Cejudo. It's a nice build-up, and as the ball arrives to him, he manages to shoot in an awkward way and beat Keylor Navas, one of the best goalkeepers in the world with a wonderful strike.
Barcelona had just lost three of their last four games in the league, before going to Deportivo and winning 8-0. Luis Enrique has not rotated very well this season, the defeats came around the international break and he never trusted his bench.
They would play the same 12, 13 players, but with Real Madrid and Atletico making life difficult for them, Luis Enrique trusted his favourite players and Barcelona came out and managed to get a superb result when they needed it. It was a message for La Liga.
But I feel that next year, to avoid the same drop at the end of the season, Luis Enrique will have to return to more rotation and a few signings that will make the bench stronger.
Flops of the season - Valencia and James Rodriguez
As a team, Valencia. They have come from having 77 points, their joint-highest tally ever, to 44 points, the worst in 30 years.
As a player, James Rodriguez. He has not accepted the fact he has to fight from the bench, his physical condition has not been perfect, and he is not strong enough mentally for Real Madrid. The club want to get rid of him now.
(4-3-3): Jan Oblak; Mario Gaspar, Diego Godin, Pepe, Marcelo; Andres Iniesta, Bruno Soriano, Antoine Griezmann; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo
For a man who started his career as manager at Villarreal with a 5-0 thumping away to Real Madrid reserves in a second division match in January 2013, his progress since then has been nothing short of remarkable.
Just five months later, the Submarine were back in the top flight, and in their first season back they finished high enough to gain a place in the Europa League.
Despite falling just short of a Europa League final place after a defeat by Liverpool this season, Marcelino can console himself with the thought that his side have done enough to secure fourth place and a spot in the Champions league play-off round. It is also worth noting that Villarreal have never finished lower than sixth in the table since gaining promotion under the guidance of the canny Asturian tactician.
It was disappointing how they performed at Anfield, but Marcelino has maintained a good level of performance throughout the season, and has improved on last season.
