In a season in which Barcelona have claimed their first La Liga title in four years, it seems grossly unfair to include the Catalan giants in an article outlining the disappointments in the Spanish top flight this term.
Their title triumph, secured in style in their neighbours’ backyard on Sunday night, deserves real kudos.
During a campaign in which Real Madrid were stretched by commitments domestically, in Europe (reaching the Champions League last four and winning the European Super Cup) and the World Club Championship, the door was left ajar for Barca to create La Liga highlights and they duly obliged.
Yet while they are champions of Spain, there is much work to do if they are to become the force they were at home and abroad.
Last summer, it appeared the only way Barca could break back into the big time was by juggling the financial balls, so they did just that.
By signing who is now the league’s top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and young Pablo Torre for more than £140 million, as well as bringing in Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie on free transfers, the Catalans splashed the cash.
The sale of a further 25% of their content production company, Barça Studios, for an estimated €100 million, helped free up finances too as they strived to deal with a situation borne out of the pandemic and massive salaries.
Now they are back at the top table in Spain, they need to ensure they avoid a third successive Champions League embarrassment.
Their group exit this term merely added to the financial pressure and the club will no doubt budget to at least reach the quarter-finals in Europe next season.
It can and should be argued that manager Xavi Hernandez has done a good job in his first season and a half at the club. But it’s also true that he will need guidance.
Two of the chief figures at the club are seemingly heading for the door in Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff, occupying the positions of Director of Football and Sporting Director respectively.
It is being reported today that Alemany, who became known in Spanish football with Real Mallorca and then Valencia as a skilled negotiator, may be persuaded to stay on.
His initial mission in Catalunya’s capital was clear: re-order the catastrophic wage bill following Josep Maria Bartomeu’s reign, and find cheap deals. Bring in scouted recruits, preferably on a free, as the club could not spend much, yet simultaneously was in urgent need of glory and Champions League success.
He has made a start and it would potentially be a blow for the club, and for Xavi, to lose him now.
What happens next will determine whether Barca can finally leapfrog their arch rivals when the SBOTOP La Liga betting odds are announced for next season.
As for disappointments over the course of the season, the obvious names would be Sevilla and Valencia but the former’s revival since the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar rules them out.
As it stands, they are 90 minutes away from perhaps another Europa League Final appearance and could yet re-qualify for Europe via the league after being in a relegation battle little over a month ago.
Of the pre-season predictions I clocked, Girona, Real Valladolid and Mallorca were favourites for the drop – the former two both promoted last summer.
However, Girona have defied the odds and currently hold the final European qualifying spot in seventh place with four league games remaining.
If they achieve that, they should be crowned La Liga team of the year.
Meanwhile, Mallorca are safe in midtable and, while Valladolid are just above the zone, they may also prove plenty of people wrong.
Almeria, the other side promoted from the Segunda Division, are also hanging on in there, along with Cádiz who flirted heavily with relegation last season.
Elche are gone, which is no surprise given their budget, and Espanyol and Getafe occupy the other two spots in the bottom three, although there is time for that to change.
Overall then, I have to say Valencia are the biggest disappointments of La Liga 2022-23 with Eden Hazard the biggest disappointment as a player.
Valencia, twice Champions League finalists, are a proud club which totters from one crisis season to the next, not yet safe from the unthinkable relegation and a venue for regular disgruntled fans making their voices of dissent heard.
Hazard is Real’s highest earner, thought to be on around €14 million per year, and their last-choice forward.
If he could rediscover the form which led them to pay Chelsea an initial £88.3 million four years ago, rising to a reported £142 million, they would have some player.
Logic, though, suggests he has missed his chance.
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