Spanish Inquisition: Top 10 Most Memorable Moments Of The Decade In Spanish Football

10. Sevilla’s Back-To-Back UEFA Cup Triumph

A lot of people would argue that the UEFA Cup was nothing more than a mickey-mouse competition in Europe. But not for a side like Sevilla. The Andalucians may be one of La Liga’s most important clubs at present, but back in 2006 and 2007, winning a major continental crown became the launch pad for the team’s mercurial rise and popularity today. Coached back then by Juande Ramos, Sevilla won over the critics by playing breathtaking attacking football and not only that, the Blanquirrojos became the first side since Real Madrid back in the mid-80’s to successfully defend the UEFA Cup. The also went on to claim the UEFA Supercup in 2006, the Copa del Rey in 2007 and the Spanish Supercup that same year.

9. La Liga de las Estrellas

After the departures of players such as Ronaldinho, Deco, Robinho, David Beckham, Dani Guiza and Fernando Torres, just to name but a few, there was an eerie feeling that La Liga had lost its lustre and star attraction. But following the emergence of Barcelona in 2008 and the resurrection of the Real Madrid empire in the summer of 2009, the biggest football stars in the world came flocking back to Spanish shores. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Xabi Alonso comprised of the superstar arrivals, while others such as David Villa, Sergio Aguero and Luis Fabiano found no reason to leave Spain despite the lure of lavish contracts from bigger clubs abroad.

The star quality was further highlighted when the top 7 players in the 2009 Ballon d'Or rankings either currently play their football in Spain or did so at some stage in the year, while the top 5 of FIFA's World Player of the Year all ply their trade in La Liga. The league had once again become the ‘League of Stars’.

8. SuperDepor

Deportivo La Coruna’s emergence as one of Spain’s top flight heavyweights began in the mid-90’s, but it was in the first half of this decade that they really became one of Europe’s elite. They won their first and so far only domestic league throne in 2000 as they finally broke the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly. They may not have followed up that title success subsequently, but between then and 2004, they never finished any lower than third in La Liga. They were regulars in the Champions League and some of their scalps included Juventus, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, as well as an epic comeback against AC Milan when they rallied from 4-1 down in the first leg to win 4-0 in the return tie at the Riazor.

On the home front, the Galicians beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou for the first time in their history in 2001 and in May 2002, they gatecrashed Real Madrid’s centenary party by beating the Merengues to the Copa del Rey, at the Santiago Bernabeu no less.

7. 2006/2007 La Liga Title Race

It was without question, the most pulsating title race in the last decade and certainly one of the most thrilling in the history of the Primera Division. Real Madrid won the crown on the final day of the season on head-to-head record when they found themselves levelled on 76 points with Barcelona. But it was the journey to the finish line that had La Liga fans on the edge of their seats.

Los Blancos, under the guidance of Fabio Capello, were so far off the pace at one stage they were sitting in fourth spot. However, after a series of biblical remontadas [comebacks] from Madrid and unexpected slip-ups from a nervy Barca, the tables were turned and with five games remaining, the capital giants led the standings for the first time that campaign, a position that they would not relinquish.

But it wasn’t just that. Heading into the final few rounds, two other teams, Sevilla and Valencia were also very much in the hunt and on the penultimate day, just two points separated Madrid, Barca and Sevilla. The Andalucians crumbled in the end, the Merengues mounted two fightbacks against Real Zaragoza and Real Mallorca, while the Blaugrana conceded a 90th minute equaliser against Espanyol. Hollywood could not have written such an ending.

6. All-Spanish Champions League Final

The decade kicked off with a bang for Spain. It was the first time two teams from the same association had contested the final of the Champions League/European Cup, a milestone that would soon be followed by Italy and England. Real Madrid emerged 3-0 victors in Paris over Valencia after a memorable performance by Steve McManaman and a wonder solo goal from Raul. It was indeed an all-conquering year for Spanish football as three of the four semi-finalists in that season’s competition all came from La Liga, Barcelona being the other side.

5. Zinedine Zidane’s 2002 Champions League-Winning volley

It was a goal worthy of winning any tournament, and certainly one worthy of crowning off the centenary celebrations at FIFA’s Best Club of the 20th Century. Real Madrid were under pressure to bring home the Champions League trophy having failed to capture the Primera Division title or the Copa del Rey in their 100th year anniversary. All was going according to plan when they went ahead early on against Bayer Leverkusen, only for the Germans to peg them back after just five minutes.

But right at the stroke of half-time, cue Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman, who had yet to lift the European Cup, looked up into the heavens, calmly waited for Roberto Carlos’ speculative lobbed cross to drop waist-high, leaned back towards his right, slingshot his left foot forward and with deadly precision, arrowed a stunning volley into the top corner. Who more fitting to score the winning goal than the world’s most expensive footballer at the time.  

What was even significant was that the victory was achieved in Glasgow’s Hampden Park, the scene of one of the greatest football matches ever played when a Ferenc Puskas-Alfredo di Stefano inspired Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the final of the 1960 European Cup.

4. Ronaldinho Leads Barcelona To The Double

Real Madrid’s triumph in 2002 was indeed the last time a Spanish team had won or even made it to the final of Europe’s blue ribbon club competition. But in 2006, the trophy returned to Spain after Ronaldinho helped Barcelona beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Champions League final to accompany the club’s La Liga triumph that same campaign.

‘Dinho had already become the unrivalled best player in the world the two years prior, having won almost every major honour except for the Champions League winner’s medal. Although he failed to score in the final, that was the season where he confirmed himself as one of the greatest players of all time, especially after his majestic showing against Chelsea in the last 16.

Barcelona’s ‘double’ itself was nothing overly sensational, but it was a season littered with memorable moments. Frank Rijkaard became the first Blaugrana coach to win at the Santiago Bernabeu twice, Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation at that very same venue by the Real Madrid faithful, and Barca were being hailed for their scintillating football.

3. Birth Of The Original Galacticos

Love them of hate them, it’s hard to argue that Florentino Perez and his chequebook brought unprecedented excitement and exhilaration to Spanish football from the summer of 2000 onwards. Starting with the arrival of Luis Figo, followed by Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham after that, Real Madrid slowly began shaping a team full of the best players in the galaxy by signing a megastar one year after another. The team started playing champagne football and quickly earned the nickname the Harlem Globetrotters.

It wasn’t a 100% fullproof transfer policy that guaranteed success on the pitch, as the Galacticos empire crumbled in 2006, but it made signing the biggest footballers in the world a necessity for Europe’s superpowers if they had any ambitions of enhancing their status and image around the globe. And love it or hate it, it also changed the way football transfers would be conducted, turning it into a sport – and a business – of its own.

2. Barcelona Sextuple

Many had thought Barcelona were on the descent when the Frank Rijkaard era disintegrated in 2008. Little did anyone know that that was just the beginning of a more illustrious, more spectacular dynasty. Pep Guardiola, who had never coached a senior football team before, took over the Camp Nou hot seat and in his first full season in charge, he had guided the Blaugrana to an unprecedented ‘triplete’. But that was nothing compared to the next six months that followed as Messi, Xavi and co. carved their names into footballing folklore by becoming the first team ever to win six trophies in a calendar year: the Copa del Rey, La Liga, the Champions League, the Spanish Supercup, UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Catalans also drew massive praise for the team that they built that delivered them the success. From Victor Valdes in goal to young Pedro in attack, the Blaugrana boasted countless players who were either born and raised in Barcelona or came through their La Masia academy. And while Guardiola became the third youngest coach to win the Champions League, Pedro became the first Barcelona player to score in six separate competitions in a single season.

1. Spain Winning Euro 2008

After years and decades of underachievement and utter disappointment, the Spanish national team finally delivered the goods when they lifted the Eurocopa in the summer of 2008. La Seleccion arrived at Austria-Switzerland without much fuss or hype, unlike previous tournaments, and with the nation still gripped in the debate of whether Raul should’ve been included in the squad. But Luis Aragones’ men turned a deaf ear to the rumblings of discontent as they dominated the championship from start to finish, wowing fans around the world with their brand of attractive tiki-taka football.

It wasn’t just a singular triumph. It was a victory that completely changed the landscape and mindset of fans and players alike in Spain. La Furia Roja would go on to set a number of records post Euro-2008, including a 15-game winning run, a (joint) 35-game undefeated streak, 13 consecutive wins for an international coach on debut (Vicente del Bosque) as well as amassing a record 30 points out of 30 in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. Spain topped the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in their history in July 2008 and fittingly ended 2009 - and the decade - on top of the world after reclaiming the summit from Brazil.

KS Leong, Goal.com