Barcelona are champions of Spain for the 24th time, while Real Madrid finished the strongest team under new manager Zinedine Zidane and were only a point behind their greatest rivals after 38 games.
Barcelona, who play Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final on Sunday, failed to retain the Uefa Champions League, but this remains a golden age for Spanish football and both Madrid giants will contest the Milan final next week.
• To see Andy Mitten's La Liga 2015/2016 Team of the Year, click on the arrows to view the next photo or just swipe on your mobile device.
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Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico had by far the best defence in Spain and the goalkeeper who seamlessly replaced Thibaut Courtois is one reason why. The Slovenian, 23, conceded only 18 times to win the Zamora award for best goalkeeper. The next best defence was Barca’s which let in 29 goals. In Europe, Atletico would not have reached the final without their goalkeeper being on form.
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Barca’s two most disappointing regulars were Daniel Alves at right-back and Adriano at left-back. Madrid swapped their right backs around, but Marcelo, 30, was first choice on the left. The Brazilian can surge forward, he’s aggressive and always energetic.
Jose Gimenez (Atletico)
The Uruguayan, 21, showed why he could become football’s best central defender in his 37 games for Atletico. With 25 Uruguay caps already to his name, the former Danubio player has improved significantly in his three years in Spain. Aggressive, fast and good in the air, he’s learning at the right place under Diego Simeone and alongside Diego Godin.
Diego Godin (Atletico)
Gimenez’s defensive partner for club and country, Godin, 30, is the best defender in Spain. He only scored one goal this season, but when he only made the bench at Levante for the penultimate game of the season, Atleti lost and with it were eliminated from the title race. Embodies the fight of Simeone’s side.
Javier Mascherano (Barcelona)
The former defensive midfielder should now be regarded as a fully-fledged centre-half, and it has been another impeccable season for the Argentine in his new position. What he may lack in height he more than makes up for anticipation, tenacity, and bravery. A crucial cog in the Barcelona winning machine.
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Barca’s central spine of Javier Mascherano, Sergio Busquets and Iniesta all performed superbly this season, but the consistent Iniesta raised his game most when Barca needed it after an April wobble. Xavi was always going to be missed, but Iniesta stepped up to create and supply the front line who’d win the league.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Messi has changed. He’s still the best player in the world, but his passing has improved and he’s less obsessed with getting goals. With Neymar and Luis Suarez so effective at taking the pressure off him by occupying other defenders, Messi often drops deeper or move to either wing to influence play. Still a game changer.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Madrid’s best non-goalscorer, the former Tottenham player passes the ball beautifully and helps creates the chances for Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema in front of him. As James Rodriguez and Isco have become more peripheral in Zidane’s Madrid, Modric and Toni Kroos have become key players in their heart. They’re still likely to recruit a holding midfielder to play behind them.
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico)
The best player outside of the big two, the 25-year-old Frenchman had the best season of his career as Atletico’s talisman. The top scorer in a team which focuses on defence and doesn’t boast the firepower of the better funded rivals Atletico have done so well to disrupt, Griezmann is versatile, prolific and consistent. Easily in the top ten players in the world, probably in the top five.
Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
The first man to break the Messi-Ronaldo Pichichi duopoly for six years, the Uruguayan became only the third player (after the aforementioned pair) in Spanish football history to score 40 league goals in a season. The more aggressive, warrior like foil to Neymar and Messi, his lethal finishing makes him the best centre forward in the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid’s talisman scored more than 50 goals for his club for the sixth successive season and pushed Suarez on the league’s final day towards a Pichichi. Reports of his demise have been exaggerated for while Gareth Bale continues to improve, the Portuguese remains the main man at the Bernabeu.
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 + VAT and Dh166,464 + VAT
On sale: now
PETER PAN & WENDY
Director: David Lowery
Stars: Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Joshua Pickering
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90'+4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
How champions are made
Diet
7am - Protein shake with oats and fruits
10am - 5-6 egg whites
1pm - White rice or chapati (Indian bread) with chicken
4pm - Dry fruits
7.30pm - Pre workout meal – grilled fish or chicken with veggies and fruits
8.30pm to midnight workout
12.30am – Protein shake
Total intake: 4000-4500 calories
Saidu’s weight: 110 kg
Stats: Biceps 19 inches. Forearms 18 inches
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
Kanye West
Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — has seen his net worth fall to $400 million in recent weeks. That’s a precipitous drop from Bloomberg’s estimates of $6.8 billion at the end of 2021.
Ye’s wealth plunged after business partners, including Adidas, severed ties with him on the back of anti-Semitic remarks earlier this year.
West’s present net worth derives from cash, his music, real estate and a stake in former wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims.
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90+1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
pakistan Test squad
Azhar Ali (capt), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Yasir Shah, Usman Shinwari
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
2024 Dubai Marathon Results
Women’s race:
1. Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2hrs 16min 7sec
2. Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:18:09
3. Dera Dida (ETH) 2:19:29
Men's race:
1. Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:05:01
2. Lemi Dumicha (ETH) 2:05:20
3. DejeneMegersa (ETH) 2:05:42
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Inside Out 2
Director: Kelsey Mann
Starring: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri
Rating: 4.5/5
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
