La Liga returns on Saturday with a fresh cast of superstars as perennial giants Barcelona and Real Madrid seek to put a swift end to Atletico Madrid’s rude and uninvited incursion into the title party.
Buoyed by May’s Champions League triumph, an undeniable sense of optimism – bordering on and often veering into arrogance – is surging around the Bernabeu as Real attempt to regain the league crown they last claimed in 2012.
New additions James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos add another frisson of glamour into an already star-studded line-up, and phlegmatic manager Carlo Ancelotti certainly couldn’t (and won’t) complain about the quality within his ranks as he embarks upon his second season in charge.
Over in Barcelona, there have been drastic changes as former playing hero Luis Enrique returns to lead the process of ushering in a new era at the Nou Camp. Enrique impressed in leading Celta Vigo to ninth place but will need to silence those doubters who question if he has the requisite big-club experience having failed as Roma coach.
A batch of summer signings have inevitably played second fiddle to the capture of Luis Suarez, football’s Mr. Controversy, whose arrival represents a major gamble but also offers the potential for a spectacular forward line also containing Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Atletico, however, will not give up their hard-earned title without a fight and they have undertaken some shrewd work in the summer transfer market, especially with the arrivals of forwards Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann.
La Liga is about far more than just three clubs, of course, and there will be some intriguing storylines to follow over the course of the campaign.
The most romantic of those is newcomers Eibar, who are making their Primera Division debut after surging to last season’s Segunda Division title despite having the lowest average attendance and lowest budget in the league.
The tiny Basque club – the town’s population is less than 30,000 and their Ipurua stadium holds just 5,250 – have no budget to significantly improve their squad and are overwhelming favourites for relegation, but their spirt and togetherness will ensure they are no pushovers and their home games will offer a nostalgic throwback to a bygone era.
Deportivo La Coruna – who finished second in the Segunda, two points behind Eibar – arrive with higher expectations while their Galician rivals Celta Vigo will be seeking to improve upon the progress made last season under Luis Enrique, an entertaining set of Andalusian derbies are guaranteed following the promotion of Cordoba to join Almeria, Granada, Malaga and Sevilla.
If the identity of the top three is easy to guess, the battle for the fourth Champions League qualifying place will be much more closely contested.
Athletic Bilbao won that particular race last season and with the excellent Ernesto Valverde in charge – and roared on by passionate fans inside the splendid and now fully completed San Mames stadium – they will hope to make further progress this year.
Europa League holders Sevilla come into the new campaign with serious intent to launch a top four challenge of their own, and with the support of Barcelona loanees Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suarez, Colombian striker Carlos Bacca could bag a hatful of goals.
Elsewhere, former Champions League regulars Valencia have endured a fall in the last couple of seasons with a pair of mid-table finishes, but the Mestalla club are far too big to stay in those lower reaches for much longer and this season could provide a renaissance – if new boss Nuno is given more time than his predecessors.
Inevitably though, the fate of all those clubs will be almost completely overshadowed by the latest episodes of the Barcelona and Real Madrid soap operas. And with the unmatched calibre of players at their disposal, we can’t really complain about that.
