La Liga 2020-21: Atletico Madrid crowned champion, Barca finishes third, Madrid ends titleless
Atletico Madrid was crowned champion for the 11th time, winning its first title since 2013-14. Defending champion Real Madrid had a title drought this season, while Barcelona has failed to win the La Liga title in the past two seasons.
FollowSpanish La Liga saw a new champion being crowned this season, as Atletico Madrid won its 11th title. It was its first La Liga title since 2013-14.
Atletico managed to seal the deal with an edgy 2-1 win over an already-relegated Valladolid, away from home, on Saturday. Although the Indios was trailing in the 18th minute, it was in the second half when twin strikes from Angel Correra and Luis Suarez confirmed the title in just ten minutes.
Following the win, a tearful Suarez said, “The situation I experienced last summer was difficult, the way I was underestimated. Atletico Madrid opened up their doors to me to keep on showing the player I am.”
Meanwhile, club head coach Diego Simeone admitted that the win was highly challenging, especially physically. “We’re knackered. It’s been a really tight season with a lot of games. It’s been tough physically, but in the end, we’ve got this crucial win and we’ve managed to win the title. The togetherness we have has been crucial to achieving this. I’d like to thank the fans. They haven’t been able to be in the stands, but we’ve felt their support in a really tough year,” reports Goal.
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Meanwhile, defending champion Real Madrid managed to finish second in the table following a 2-1 win over seventh-placed Villareal at home in an intense closing-stage finish. As for Barcelona, it secured the third spot with a 1-0 win over Eibar, away from home, without superstar player Lionel Messi.
“My mood is gutted. We didn’t win La Liga. If you ask me that, that’s the answer. We have to congratulate Atletico, who deserve it because whoever is at the top deserves it,” said Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, besides adding that he would hold talks with the club later regarding his future.
Meanwhile, Barca boss Ronald Koeman hinted that his squad needs an overhaul to compete at the highest level. “For me, this squad is not made to have the level that it demands and that we want for Barcelona. There are older players with all due respect. And, there are young players who have to gain more experience to be better. The project is not done. In one season, you can not do everything,” he said, besides asserting his confidence of being in charge next season.
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