Barcelona clinched its 28th LaLiga title, capping off a season in which the Catalan club won three domestic trophies under first-year manager Hansi Flick.
Thursday’s 2-0 win over local rivals Espanyol ensured Barcelona would finish ahead of Real Madrid in the standings with just over two weeks left in the season.
It’s also the third time this season that Barcelona clinched silverware at Madrid’s expense. The Blaugrana had already won the Copa del Rey on April 26 — a 3-2 win over Los Blancos in Seville — as well as a 5-2 win in the Supercopa de España final on Jan. 12 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Along with two wins in league play, Barcelona won all four clashes against its Clásico rivals this season.
Flick now adds a Spanish title to his managerial résumé in his first season at Barcelona. The German had previously led Bayern Munich to two Bundesliga crowns and the 2020 Champions League trophy.
Barcelona were led by playmakers Robert Lewandowski (25 goals) and Raphinha (18 goals), but the team’s revelation this season was arguably Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old sensation who was also part of Spain’s Euro 2024 championship team. In 52 games across all competitions this season, Yamal scored 24 goals for the Catalans.
The only blemish to Barcelona’s season was falling short in the Champions League, bowing out to Inter Milan in the knockout rounds. Despite a return to the competition’s semifinals for the first time since 2019, Barça has not lifted Europe’s preeminent club trophy since 2015.
Madrid entered this season with lofty expectations after winning a 36th LaLiga title and 15th Champions League crown (both records) last May. The club followed that up by signing Kylian Mbappé but will finish the campaign without a major trophy. The club will also see the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, who’ll take over as the Brazil men’s national team manager ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
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