of the Champions League (only to lose to eventual winners Bayern Munich), and won their 28th La Liga crown by a seven-point margin over the previous season's champions, Deportivo de La Coruña; the club's first La Liga title in four years, with McManaman recording eight assists, and making 42 appearances in all competitions that year despite missing the first two months of the season. 2001–02: Second Champions League Eventually, the Board, including Florentino Pérez, relented, declaring that a "man like that would always have a place in my club", adding that "McManaman is in now in the team because his behaviour has been in accordance with the true values of the club". Johan Cruyff described McManaman at the time as the most useful player in the Galácticos because he was el socio del todos ("everyone's best partner on the pitch"). McManaman's partnership role functioned as one of a "perpetual motion style (that) moved defenders out of position and allowed the (Galatico) superstars to flourish". A further honour was also extended on the pitch by the club in December 2002, whereas part of Madrid's Centenary Celebrations, McManaman was made the first Englishman to captain Real Madrid in a game against a FIFA World XI, to the applause of the ultras, with whom he had always been a cult favourite, and where the group is sometimes also known as the Ultra South (or "Ultrasurs"). Another great moment in the white of Madrid took place in the 2002 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on 23 April 2002. In this match of huge proportions, due to El Clásico being a massive game in its own right, but also the fact that it was a Champions League semi-final, McManaman appeared as a second-half substitute to score a critical goal in second-half injury time to secure a 2–0 first-leg advantage, chipping over goalkeeper Roberto Bonano after being played in by Flávio Conceição, after Zidane had scored the first goal on 55 minutes. After the game Jorge Valdano added: "McManaman? McManaman is connected to everybody. A football match is a game of little societies and McManaman is a member of them all." This notable victory, Real's first at the Camp Nou since 1993, helped secure their place in the final of the 2002 Champions League at Hampden Park, Glasgow, where McManaman came on as a replacement for Figo on the hour mark