La Liga is the term commonly used for top division of soccer in Spain. Each season, twenty Spanish clubs compete to win the championship for La Liga. The teams play each other twice for a total of 38 games during each season. After the season is complete, the team with the most points is awarded the championship. The top three teams advance to the UEFA Champions League. The fourth place team has a chance to qualify as well, but must go through a playoff. The bottom three teams are relegated to a lower division. Let's look at the history.
La Liga began play in 1929. There were ten teams that competed, including Barcelona and Real Madrid. Over the years, a total of 59 teams have competed in the top division. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Bilbao have played in the top division every season. They have played a total of 79 seasons in La Liga. Valencia and Espanyol have played 75 seasons each. Barcelona won the first title in 1929. Real Madrid and Barcelona have been the most prominent teams in the league. Real Madrid has won a total of 31 championships. They have finished in second place 19 times. Barcelona has won 20 league titles. The two teams have combined to win the Champions League crown 12 times. During the Spanish Civil War, the league was briefly disbanded.
Different teams have had strong eras. In the early years of the league, Atletico Bilbao was the dominant team. They won four championships in the 1930's. Valencia and Barcelona were the dominant teams of the 1940's, each winning three titles during that decade. Real Madrid and Barcelona were the dominant teams of the 1950's. Real Madrid won four championships during the 1950's. In the 1960's, Real Madrid became the most dominant team in La Liga. They won a remarkable eight championships in the 1960's. They remained strong in the 1970's, winning five championships. During the 1990's, Barcelona began establishing themselves as a major force. They picked up six championships. The two major clubs have mostly dominated the 2000's, although Valencia did win two titles in 2002 and 2004. Barcelona is the two time defending champion.
La Liga has seen some amazing players over the years. Being one of the top leagues in Europe, many superstars flock to Spain to play for one of the dominant teams. Raul Gonzalez, Hugo Sanchez, and David Beckham are among the major stars that have played with Real Madrid. Barcelona has also featured many of the best players in the world. Lionel Messy, Ronaldinho, and David Villa are among the formidable stars that have played for Barcelona. Other teams have featured some talented players as well.
With so many powerful teams, La Liga rivals the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A as the top leagues in Europe. Their teams constantly perform well in the Champions League and other European competitions. The status of La Liga doesn't figure to change any time soon.
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