Football365’s Spanish end-of-season awards

Real Madrid have won La Liga but who has won our end-of-season awards? That’s the real quiz…

 

Player of the season: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Even though Barcelona fell short in the end, this was yet another exceptional season from Messi. It’s easy to go number-blind when looking at Messi’s statistics , and we may have become so jaded that they no longer seem remarkable, but anyone who scores 37 goals in 32 starts in a league season deserves a player of the season accolade in my book. Another remarkable campaign from one of the best players ever to lace a boot.

 

Young player of the season: Theo Hernández (Alavés)
A break-out season for the 19-year-old left-back, on loan at Alavés from Atlético Madrid. His outstanding performances in an overachieving side look set to land him a move to Real Madrid, where he will be Marcelo’s heir apparent.

 

Old player of the season: Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao)
Yet another season replete with goals for Athetic’s evergreen 36-year-old striker. 16 goals in his 27 starts are enough to land the Basque veteran the coveted over-35s award.

 

Manager of the season: Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
This award could only go to one man. Club legend Zidane has delivered Real Madrid’s first title in five years, and has done so in style. Barcelona may have run them close, but Madrid’s irresistible form at the end of the season was down to Zidane’s superb squad management. He boldly rested key players in must-win games to keep them fresh for the run-in, and the faith he placed in fringe players was repaid with interest. The theory goes that the ‘curse of knowledge’ precludes the very best players from succeeding as a manager. Zidane’s performance since taking over from Rafa Benítez goes a long way to debunking this theory.


Worst manager of the season: Tony Adams (Granada)

And speaking of great players rarely making great managers, here’s Tony Adams. Given his questionable managerial record at Wycombe, Portsmouth and Gabala, eyebrows were raised when Granada charged Adams with the task of keeping them up in their last seven games of the season. Eyebrows remained firmly unmoved when those seven games garnered a grand total of zero points.

 

Signing of the season: Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)
Signed from Lyon on the back of his strong Euro 2016 performances for France, Samuel Umtiti has been a model of solidity in the centre of the Barcelona defence. At only 23 years of age, €25million could yet prove to be an absolute bargain.


Worst signing: André Gomes (Barcelona)

Another player signed in the wake of an impressive Euro 2016, Portuguese midfielder André Gomes’ performances have so far not come anywhere the level that persuaded Barcelona to part with €35million last summer.

 

Goalkeeper of the season: Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid)
15 clean sheets in his 30 appearances this season, conceding only 21 goals. The best keeper currently earning his crust in Spain.

 

Defender of the season: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Madrid’s captain has been superb in defence once again, and his goals have directly won his side a crucial nine points in their title-winning campaign.

 

Midfielder of the season: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Another outstanding season from one of the most underrated players of his generation. True genius is rarely recognised in its own time.

 

Attacker of the season: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
37 goals in a season may barely register as an outstanding feat for Messi, such is his superhuman ability, but that in itself is a testament to brilliance.

 

Overachievers of the season: Eibar
The entire population of the Basque town of Eibar could fit into the Bernabéu three times. Their stadium capacity is smaller than that of Cheltenham Town. And yet, they are home to the tenth best team in Spain, finishing higher than Málaga, Valencia and Celta Vigo.


Region of the season: Basque Country

Four teams from the small Basque region in the north of Spain finished in the top half of La Liga – Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Alavés and Eibar.

 

Quote of the season: Tony Adams
“I’m here to give the players a kick up the arse and win games.”

How did that go, Tony?


Game of the season: Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona

The game that had everything. Barcelona coming back from a goal down to lead, Sergio Ramos’ statutory red card, Madrid’s late equaliser followed by Barcelona’s even later winner, outstanding goalkeeping from Navas and Ter Stegen, Messi’s 500th Barca goal. A thrilling game between two great teams that made sure the title race would go down to the wire.

Goal of the season: Kevin-Prince Boateng (Las Palmas)

That chip, that backheel, that finish. Unbelievable.


Assist of the season: Tana (Las Palmas)

See above.

 

Feud of the season: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) and Gerard Piqué (Barcelona)
There’s certainly no love lost between Spain’s first-choice centre-halves. When Catalan defender Piqué claimed that referees’ preferential treatment of Real Madrid had contributed to an eight-point swing in their favour, the flamboyant Andalusian replied “we already know about Pique’s world, where everything’s a plot against him”. A public spat following Ramos’ sending-off in April’s clásico added to the animosity, and it’s sure to be awkward when they next meet up for international duty.

 

Penalty king of the season: Diego Alves (Valencia)
Another five penalty saves this season for Diego Alves, bringing his La Liga total to a remarkable 24 saves from 50 penalties.

 

Dirtiest player of the seaon: Uche (Granada)
An impressive 12 yellow cards and two red cards in 28 starts for the Nigerian midfielder.


Creator of the season: Luis Suárez (Barcelona)

The bitey Uruguayan genius contributed 13 assists to go along with his 29 goals this season. What a player.

 

Diplomat of the season: Abdullah al-Thani (Málaga president)
When asked by a Barcelona fan if Málaga could help them win the title by beating Real Madrid on the final day, al-Thani replied “we will beat them on the pitch, but the scum of Catalonia will not smell the championship”.


Goalkeeping performance of the season: Carlos Kameni (Málaga)

A virtuoso display twixt the sticks for nine-man Málaga to keep Barcelona at bay.


Revisionist historians of the year: Sevilla

Sevilla marked their 110th anniversary in 2015. In January 2017, they celebrated their 127th, after deciding they were in fact founded in 1890, not 1905. Sort of makes a mockery of the famous centenary anthem they had composed in 2005.

 

Own goal of the season: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

There were several candidates for this award, but Sergio Ramos’ gift of a beautifully executed bullet header for his old club Sevilla takes the cake.

 

Tweets of the season: Faustino Asprilla
Rage for Real Madrid from the ex-Newcastle hero. Translation: “No more! No more robberies from @realmadrid. Goals that shouldn’t be allowed, sendings-off. No more robberies, team of rats…”

…followed by this wonderful defence. “What a pity for @realmadrid, my account was hacked and they posted bad things about them, I think it was hacked by @3gerardpique”


Team of the season:

Oblak; Carvajal, Ramos, Godín, Marcelo; Kroos, Llorente, Modric; Messi, Suarez, Griezmann.

 

Dan Bridges