2010–11 La Liga
Introduction The '''2010–11 La Liga''' season (known as the ''Liga BBVA'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011.A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División. In addition, a new match ball – the Nike Total 90 Tracer – served as the official ball for all matches.Defending champions Barcelona secured their third-consecutive and 21st La Liga title after a 1–1 tie with Levante on 11 May 2011.The result gave Barcelona a 6-point lead with two matches remaining which, combined with their better head-to-head record with Real Madrid, ensured that they finished top of the table. Barcelona led the table since defeating Madrid 5–0 on 23 November 2010.Since then, they lost only one match en route to winning the title. It was the third straight title for Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. Lionel Messi won LaLiga Award for Best Player, which marked his third consecutive win.The season was again dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid, with second-place Madrid 21 points ahead of third-place Valencia. Having encountered each other in the Champions League semifinals and the Copa del Rey final, the top two teams met four times in 17 days, for a total of five times this season.The most significant managerial change prior to the start of the season was two-time Champions League-winning José Mourinho taking over at Real Madrid.
Teams Real Valladolid, CD Tenerife and Xerez CD were relegated to the Segunda División after finishing the 2009–10 season in the bottom three places. Tenerife and Xerez made their immediate return to the second level after just one year in the Spanish top flight, while Valladolid ended a three-year tenure in La Liga.The relegated teams were replaced by 2009–10 Segunda División champions Real Sociedad from San Sebastián, runners-up Hércules CF from Alicante and Levante UD from Valencia. Hércules returned to the highest Spanish football league for the first time after 13 years, while Real Sociedad and Levante terminated their second-level status after three and two years, respectively.=== Stadia and locations === Team Club home city Stadium Capacity Almería Almería Estadio del Mediterráneo 22,000 Athletic Bilbao Bilbao San Mamés 39,750 Atlético Madrid Madrid Vicente Calderón 54,851 Barcelona Barcelona Camp Nou 99,354 Deportivo La Coruña A Coruña Riazor 34,600 Espanyol Barcelona Estadi Cornellà-El Prat 40,500 Getafe Getafe Coliseum Alfonso Pérez 17,700 Hércules Alicante Estadio José Rico Pérez 30,000 Levante Valencia Estadi Ciutat de València 25,534 Málaga Málaga La Rosaleda 28,963 Mallorca Palma Iberostar 23,142 Osasuna Pamplona Estadio Reyno de Navarra 19,800 Racing Santander Santander El Sardinero 22,271 Real Madrid Madrid Santiago Bernabéu 80,354 Real Sociedad San Sebastián Estadio Anoeta 32,076 Sevilla Sevilla Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán 45,500 Sporting de Gijón Gijón El Molinón 29,800 Valencia Valencia Mestalla 55,000 Villarreal Vila-real El Madrigal 25,000 Zaragoza Zaragoza La Romareda 34,596=== Personnel and sponsorship === Team Head Coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAlmería Roberto Olabe José OrtizRasánUrcisol.comAthletic Bilbao Joaquín Caparrós Pablo OrbaizUmbroPetronorAtlético Madrid Quique Sánchez Flores Antonio LópezNikeKIABarcelona Pep Guardiola Carles PuyolNikeUNICEFDeportivo La Coruña Miguel Ángel Lotina Manuel PabloLottoEstrella GaliciaEspanyol Mauricio Pochettino Iván de la PeñaLi-NingInterwettenGetafe Míchel Javier CasqueroJomaBurger KingHércules Miroslav Đukić Paco PeñaNikeComunitat ValencianaLevante Luis García Plaza Sergio BallesterosLuanviComunitat ValencianaMálaga Manuel Pellegrini Francesc ArnauLi NingMallorca Michael Laudrup NunesMacronbet-at-home.comOsasuna José Luis Mendilibar Javad NekounamAstoreRacing Santander Marcelino Pablo PinillosSLAMPalaciosReal Madrid José Mourinho Iker CasillasAdidasBwinReal Sociedad Martín Lasarte Mikel AranburuAstoreGipuzkoa Euskararekin BatSevilla Gregorio Manzano Andrés PalopJoma12bet.comSporting de Gijón Manolo Preciado Rafel SastreAstoreGijón / AsturiasValencia Unai Emery VicenteKappaUnibetVillarreal Juan Carlos Garrido Marcos SennaPumaAeroport CastellóZaragoza Javier Aguirre GabiAdidasProniñoBarcelona makes a donation to UNICEF in order to display the charity's logo on the club's kit.=== Managerial changes === Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Mallorca  Gregorio Manzano End of contract 19 May 2010  Michael Laudrup 2 July 2010 Pre-season Real Madrid  Manuel Pellegrini Sacked 26 May 2010  José Mourinho 28 May 2010 Pre-season Málaga  Juan Muñiz Sacked 16 June 2010  Jesualdo Ferreira 17 June 2010 Pre-season Sevilla  Antonio Álvarez Sacked 26 September 2010  Gregorio Manzano 26 September 2010 7th Málaga  Jesualdo Ferreira Sacked 2 November 2010  Manuel Pellegrini 2 November 2010 18th Zaragoza  José Aurelio Gay Sacked 17 November 2010  Javier Aguirre 17 November 2010 20th Almería  Juanma Lillo Sacked 20 November 2010  José Luis Oltra 24 November 2010 19th Racing Santander  Miguel Ángel Portugal Sacked 7 February 2011  Marcelino 9 February 2011 16th Osasuna  José Antonio Camacho Sacked 14 February 2011  José Luis Mendilibar 14 February 2011 18th Hércules  Esteban Vigo Sacked 20 March 2011  Miroslav Đukić 23 March 2011 20th Almería  José Luis Oltra Sacked 5 April 2011  Roberto Olabe 5 April 2011 20th
League table
Results
Awards === LaLiga Awards ===La Liga's governing body, the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, honoured the competition's best players and coach with LaLiga Awards.RecipientBest Player Lionel Messi (Barcelona)Best Coach Pep Guardiola (Barcelona)Best Goalkeeper Víctor Valdés (Barcelona) Best Defender Eric Abidal (Barcelona)Best Midfielder(s) Xavi (Barcelona)   Andrés Iniesta  (Barcelona)Best Forward Lionel Messi (Barcelona)=== Top goalscorers ===This is the list of goalscorers in accordance with the LFP as organising body. Rank Player Club Goals1 Cristiano RonaldoReal Madrid402 Lionel Messi Barcelona313 Sergio AgüeroAtlético Madrid20 Álvaro NegredoSevilla205 Fernando LlorenteAthletic Bilbao18 Giuseppe RossiVillarreal18 Roberto SoldadoValencia18 David VillaBarcelona189 Karim BenzemaReal Madrid1510 Salomón RondónMálaga14* Source:  LFP,  ESPN  and  Liga BBVA==== Pichichi Trophy ====The Pichichi Trophy is awarded by newspaper ''Marca'' to the player who scores the most goals in a season, according to its own rules (different from the ones used by FIFA) to determine the goalscorer. Rank Player Club Goals Penalties1 Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid4182 Lionel MessiBarcelona3143 Sergio AgüeroAtlético Madrid201 Álvaro NegredoSevilla2035 Fernando LlorenteAthletic Bilbao180 Giuseppe RossiVillarreal184 Roberto SoldadoValencia181 David VillaBarcelona1809 Karim BenzemaReal Madrid15010 Salomón RondónMálaga140* Source:  Marca === Assists table ===RankPlayerClubAssists1 Mesut ÖzilReal Madrid181 Lionel MessiBarcelona183 Dani AlvesBarcelona154 Xabi PrietoReal Sociedad135 Juan MataValencia126 Ángel Di MaríaReal Madrid117 Cristiano RonaldoReal Madrid10 Santi CazorlaVillarreal109 ValdoLevante8 Borja ValeroVillarreal8* Source:  ESPN Soccernet === Zamora Trophy ===The Zamora Trophy is awarded by newspaper ''Marca'' to the goalkeeper with least goals-to-games ratio. A goalkeeper must play at least 28 games of 60 or more minutes to be eligible for the trophy.RankNameClubGoals  AgainstMatchesAverage1 Víctor Valdés  Barcelona16320.502 Iker Casillas Real Madrid32340.943 Daniel Aranzubia Deportivo La Coruña36321.134 Diego López Villarreal44381.165 Ricardo Osasuna46381.21* Source:  futbol.sportec=== Fair Play award ===This award is given annually since 1999 to the team with the best fair play during the season. This ranking takes into account aspects such as cards, suspension of matches, audience behaviour and other penalties. This section not only aims to know this aspect, but also serves to break the tie in teams that are tied in all the other rules: points, head-to-head, goal difference and goals scored.RankTeamGamesYellow cardDouble Yellow Card/Ejection Double Yellow Card/EjectionDirect Red CardGames of Suspension (Player, only when +3)Games of Suspension (Club's Personnel)Audience BehaviourTotal PointsBarcelonaMallorcaRacing SantanderHérculesReal SociedadDeportivo La CoruñaReal MadridVillarrealAlmeríaAthletic BilbaoGetafeSporting de GijónAtlético MadridEspanyolMálagaOsasunaSevillaLevanteValenciaZaragoza* Source: 2010–11 Fair Play Rankings Season. Sources of cards and penalties:  Referee's reports,  Competition Committee's Sanctions,  Appeal Committee Resolutions and  RFEF's Directory about Fair Play Rankings=== Pedro Zaballa award ===Real Madrid
Season statistics === Scoring ===* '''First goal of the season''':   Fernando Llorente for Athletic Bilbao against Hércules (28 August 2010). * '''Last goal of the season''':   Kennedy Bakircioglu for Racing Santander against Athletic Bilbao (21 May 2011).=== Hat-tricks === Player For  Against  Result  Date  Reference Cristiano Ronaldo4  Real Madrid  Racing Santander  6–1 (H)  23 October 2010   Lionel Messi  Barcelona  Almería  8–0 (A)  20 November 2010   Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  Athletic Bilbao  5–1 (H)  20 November 2010   Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  Villarreal  4–2 (H)  9 January 2011   Luís Fabiano  Sevilla  Levante  4–1 (H)  22 January 2011   Lionel Messi  Barcelona  Atlético Madrid  3–0 (H)  5 February 2011   Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  Málaga  7–0 (H)  3 March 2011   Roberto Soldado4  Valencia  Getafe  4–2 (A)  2 April 2011   Diego Costa  Atlético Madrid  Osasuna  3–2 (A)  3 April 2011   Gonzalo Higuaín  Real Madrid  Valencia  6–3 (A)  23 April 2011   Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  Sevilla  6–2 (A)  7 May 2011   Cristiano Ronaldo  Real Madrid  Getafe  3–0 (H)  10 May 2011   Emmanuel Adebayor  Real Madrid  Almeria  8–1 (H)  21 May 2011   Sergio Agüero  Atlético Madrid  Mallorca  4–2 (A)  21 May 2011  4 Player scored four goals(H) – Home ; (A) – Away=== Discipline ===* '''First yellow card of the season''':  Noé Pamarot for Hércules against Athletic Bilbao (28 August 2010)* '''First red card of the season''':  Matías Fritzler for Hércules against Athletic Bilbao (28 August 2010)
See also * List of Spanish football transfers summer 2010* List of Spanish football transfers winter 2010–11* 2010–11 Segunda División* 2010–11 Copa del Rey
References
External links *