Chapter 454: Defending the title !
Approaching the decisive battle, there was unrest within the Barcelona team. Despite the team achieving its best-ever league performance in history, they were constantly suppressed by Real Madrid. The cup was lost, league hopes were dim, and was there still a chance to win the Champions League?
If the season ended with nothing, would Guardiola and Laporta leave together? By then, the team would surely fall into chaos, and what would be the future for oneself?
Except for a few players like Messi who remained resolute, others were shrouded in this unsettling thought. Adding insult to injury, the dispute between Eto'o and Guardiola was somehow leaked to the media, occupying the headlines the day after the Copa del Rey final.
"AS" gleefully reported that the team's top scorer and the head coach had fallen out completely, suggesting that Barcelona might surrender without a fight. "After a frustrating defeat, the Cameroonian finally spoke out against Guardiola. The two quarreled with no room for reconciliation."
"It's understandable. They've achieved many victories this season, but they've always failed to beat the Galaxy Battleship. The sense of powerlessness is eroding everyone in the team. With just a little spark, conflicts will continue to arise."
"The Champions League final is approaching, and Barcelona will face their nightmare again. Unable to overcome it even at their peak, how can they talk about winning now? It seems we can congratulate Real Madrid on winning the epic third consecutive Champions League in advance."
On the other hand, "Marca" spoke up for Eto'o, "The Cameroonian has done well enough, but the club doesn't respect him."
"The treatment he receives is completely disproportionate to his performance, and the core of the team is Messi, not him. Yet, he still needs to work hard. Anyone would be angry."
"Barcelona has never truly faced and respected their own stars, hence conflicts and clashes repeatedly occur."
In contrast, Catalan media strongly criticized Eto'o for openly defying the coach and escalating conflicts, suggesting the club should directly silence him and send him away in the summer.
"Barcelona doesn't need troublemakers like him. He's not irreplaceable, and this season's achievements are the result of the collective effort of all players, yet the Cameroonian thinks he's the most important."
The long-silent "Barça father" Cruyff also criticized Eto'o in his column, believing that escalating conflicts at this time is extremely foolish and would render the team's efforts throughout the season futile.
"Yes, we've experienced several painful defeats, but there's still a chance to fight. Don't forget how many strong opponents we've defeated along the way." The Dutch legend tried to motivate the players with his emotional article.
On May 17th, in the 36th round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Villarreal. In the 18th minute of the match, Wang Feng received a long pass from Metzelder on the left, dribbled past the defense, cut inside, and scored with a right-footed shot. Real Madrid took the lead 1-0!
Before halftime, Van der Vaart assisted Saviola to score another goal, further extending the lead for the Galaxy Battleship.
In the second half, coach Schuster substituted Wang Feng, but the players were evidently overwhelmed by the favorable situation, allowing Villarreal to equalize with two goals. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.
In the other crucial match of this round, Eto'o did not appear in Barcelona's squad, but their overall morale was low. They eventually lost 0-1 to Mallorca, widening the gap with Real Madrid to 6 points. However, the difference in goal difference between the two teams was not significant, so only a theoretical comeback was possible.
On May 25th, all theoretical hopes were dashed. In the 37th round of La Liga, Real Madrid defeated Mallorca 3-1 away with a full lineup, and Wang Feng scored another goal.
Although Barcelona won their final match against Osasuna, they still lagged behind Real Madrid by 6 points. Their record was 30 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses, totaling 94 points, setting the highest points record for a La Liga runner-up.
The final round of La Liga ended just before the Champions League final. Real Madrid faced Osasuna at home with a full lineup and won 1-0.
Thus, their final record was 32 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses, totaling 100 points, similar to Wang Feng's goal tally, also surpassing a hundred, creating the historical spectacle of "Double Hundred".
Spanish newspaper "El País" commented that this was the most frustrating record. "No team wants to break this record. This season, the two La Liga giants are on a different level from other teams."
The other two teams qualifying for the Champions League were Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, while the unfortunate relegated teams were Real Betis, Numancia, and Getafe.
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