Jude Bellingham continues his perfect season, Barcelona are willing to let Robert Lewandowski go for free, and Girona boss Michel makes a HUGE Champions League claim… 10 THINGS WE LEARNED from LaLiga

Real Madrid won the league, but on the same day Girona reached the Champions League and it felt like an even bigger achievement.

Both clubs were allowed to celebrate, while Barcelona could only rage against a mediocre campaign in which they are not only not the best team in Spain, but not even the best team in the Catalonia region.

Striker Artem Dovbyk has had a huge impact for Girona, shocking everyone this campaign.

Meanwhile, a host of stars made key contributions to Real’s title success, including Jude Bellingham.

Mail Sport’s Pete Jenson brings you ten things we learned from a decisive weekend in LaLiga.

Michel wants Liverpool

If you’ve just beaten Barcelona 8-2, you have the license to ask for whatever you want if you’re Girona manager Michel.

He wants Liverpool and Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund to participate in the draw for the Champions League.

He wants to go to Anfield, see the Allianz Arena and the Yellow Wall. Those clubs will not want to go to Montilivi when Girona plays their European matches there next season.

Vinicius celebrates business as usual

Vinicius celebrated the league title by rubbing salt in Barcelona’s wounds with a tweet that referenced Ronald Araujo’s famous rallying cry ‘The beginning of a new era’ after Barcelona won the 2023 Spanish Super Cup.

Contrary to what the optimistic Barça fans believed at the time, this was not the dawn of a new era of Barça domination, but just the same old Madrid, albeit with a new generation of players.

Bellingham’s debut season was perfect

Bellingham was the favorite of those young stars. There was a 10 out of 10 rating for him in Marca’s ratings for the season.

And now that he’s about to finish as the team’s leading scorer and player with the fourth-most minutes, it’s hard to argue with the perfect score. And all this during his first campaign, still only twenty years old.

Laporta should be angry with himself

“This is not enough,” Joan Laporta was heard repeatedly whining after leaving his seat in the Montilivi boardroom. Not for the first time this season he has done little to hide his anger – although this time there were no reports of canapé trays lying around.

The president must also take his share of the blame. He supervised the departure of Jordi Cruijff and Mateu Alemany last summer.

Their signings won the competition last year, this time around Joao Felix. Joao Cancelo, Vitor Roque and Oriol Romeu, brought in by Laporta appointee Deco, were not up to the task.

Roque future between Barcelona and their young Brazilian

Roque cost an initial fee of €30 million when he arrived in the winter window but was barely used by Xavi and was on the bench for Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to Girona.

His wife Dayana Lis couldn’t resist showing her feelings on social media with three emojis. One with her hand over her mouth seemed to say that it was best that she said nothing, even though she said enough about the message.

Roque, 19 years old, has played just 315 minutes since his arrival.

Modric is in a class of his own

Luca Modric’s influence may be fading, but this league title still counts as one of his and he now has 25 trophies at Real Madrid. He equals Karim Benzema and Marcelo.

Winning the European Cup would take him off the field. What a way to go out.

Girona comes in as they finish second

There is a financial reward for finishing second for Girona – a point ahead of Barca with four to play. If they take Barcelona’s place in the Spanish Super Cup, they will earn a significant fee.

It will not be the six million euros that Barcelona would owe, because the Saudi hosts will pay the Spanish Football Federation less if Barça or Madrid do not make it.

But it will still be hoped that they continue to grow and it is moving towards increasing their allowable salary cap, which was only the 15th highest in Spain this season.

Dovbyk the first to 20

Now that the days of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 20 goals before Christmas are over, this was the magic number for strikers in Spain at the end of the season.

Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk from Girona is the first to break the barrier this year. If he can hold off the challenge of Jude Bellingham on 18 and Robert Lewandowski on 17, he will become LaLiga’s top scorer.

Lewandowski free

Barca’s Polish striker could still overtake Dovbyk, but even if he does, Barcelona believe he is worth more to them than keeping him.

They would even accept a no-fee sale for him if it meant they didn’t have to pay his wages for another season – an estimated €30 million gross for the 35-year-old.

Girona are the comeback kings

And the last word about Girona. Along with all the other things we can say about their brilliant campaign, they are extraordinary in adversity.

Eight times this season they have trailed in games and come back to win.