Nota de Prensa
THU 23.05.2024
The LALIGA EA SPORTS 2023/24 season is nearing its end, with no shortage of attention-grabbing storylines which have captured the imagination of fans all over the world. Real Madrid secured their record-extending 36th league title, the fifth season in a row with a different winner from the campaign before. Los Blancos have lost just once all season, and, barring defeat at home in their final match against Real Betis this Saturday (9pm CEST), could wrap up an unbeaten season at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“The key to success is regularity, that’s what decides the LALIGA title,” said LALIGA Ambassador and former Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. “Real Madrid scored the most goals in LALIGA EA SPORTS and conceded the fewest, it’s logical that they should be champions. They’ve done so many things right and really deserve the title.”
One of the standout storylines of the campaign has been Girona FC’s unprecedented march into next season’s UEFA Champions League. The side managed by Míchel Sánchez wrapped up third spot, the highest-ever finish in their 94-year history and will play European football for the first time ever alongside Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid in Europe’s premier international club competition.
“I’ve always been very conscient of the fact that management is a very complex business, and the important thing is to be able to reach players and get them to see how they fit into the unit,” said Michel. “We’ve had to face very difficult moments this season, both internal and external. With the players, we always spoke about reaching the Champions League, never about winning LALIGA. Knowing how to manage that expectation has helped us to reach that goal.”
Basque duo Athletic Club and Real Sociedad will represent LALIGA in the UEFA Europa League. Both sides have put together strong seasons, but this was a campaign that those in Bilbao won’t forget in a hurry. Los Leones won the Copa del Rey for the first time in 40
years and bid an emotional farewell to captain Iker Muniain and club legend Raúl García, the man with the third-most appearances in LALIGA EA SPORTS history behind only Andoni Zubizarreta and Joaquin.
Oscar de Marcos, the man stepping up to take the armband from Muniain and a mainstay at the club since 2009, took part in the event from Bilbao. “Losing finals in the past gave us the experience to avoid those same mistakes again,” he said. “To play for this club is a gift. Those of us who’ve been Athletic Club fans our whole lives, we’ve always dreamed of being here. Sailing on the gabarra after 40 years was incredible, just incredible.”
Real Betis, meanwhile, will represent LALIGA in the UEFA Conference League, thanks in no small part to a sensational comeback season from Isco Alarcón. Isco put together a season unexpected by many, and his nomination for the LALIGA Player of the Season comes as no surprise. Another player who caught the attention of many this season is Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth over at Villarreal CF, who is in pole position to win LALIGA’s Pichichi award for the top scoring player in the league. After a remarkable four-goal haul against Real Madrid on Matchday 37, his season tally currently stands at 24, two ahead of Girona FC’s Artem Dovbyk.
“Sørloth is a very complete striker, and he can play in almost any system,” said Diego Godín, LALIGA Ambassador and former Villarreal CF star. “The club has grown tremendously in a very short period of time. I experienced that first-hand with Diego Forlán, who also won the Pichichi there, and I understand the difficulties that players who play for clubs with fewer resources face.”
At the other end of the table, it was a more difficult season for three Andalusian sides – Cádiz CF, Granada CF, and UD Almería – who drop down into LALIGA HYPERMOTION. The three sides which will replace them in LALIGA EA SPORTS in 2024/25 are yet to be decided; with just two regular season matches left, up to 11 clubs are still in with a shout of promotion either directly or through the promotion playoffs, which will be played throughout the month of June.
The LALIGA AWARDS winners still be announced
While the on-pitch action will end soon, the winners of the LALIGA AWARDS are also still to be confirmed and will be announced together with the KAFD Globe Soccer European Awards, on Tuesday 28th May in Cala di Volpe (Sardinia, Italy).
LALIGA will present four awards in its annual categories: Best Goal, Best Player, Best Coach and Best U23 Player, as well as a special TOTS (Team of the Season, which includes 15 players from different clubs) and the LALIGA EA Sports 2023/24 Champion Award to Real Madrid. The winners will be chosen through a fan voting system, club captains, and a panel of experts, the culmination of the excitement that LALIGA EA SPORTS has delivered this season.
The LALIGA Player of the Year Award, an award presented by EA FC 24, the title sponsor of LALIGA competitions, will go to one of five big names: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid), Artem Dovbyk (Girona FC), Vini Jr (Real Madrid) or Isco (Real Betis).
The LALIGA U23 Player of the Season, presented by LALIGA sponsor Sorare, will be handed out to one of five young, breakout talents: Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona), Javi Guerra (Valencia CF), Savinho (Girona FC), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis) or Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona).
Reflecting on FC Barcelona’s two nominees, former Barça star and current LALIGA Ambassador Javier Mascherano said that “Pau Cubarsí has been an incredible revelation. His is a position that doesn’t allow mistakes. To be a centre-back you have to play with incredibly high concentration, and that’s not easy at his age. Both he and Lamine Yamal have amazing futures ahead of them.”
The nominees for the LALIGA Goal of the Year Award, meanwhile, are Memphis Depay (Atlético de Madrid), Saúl Coco (UD Las Palmas), Jesús Areso (CA Osasuna), Vini Jr (Real Madrid) and Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona).
Lastly, Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Míchel Sánchez (Girona FC), Diego Simeone (Atlético de Madrid), Ernesto Valverde (Athletic Club) and Marcelino (Villarreal CF) will battle it out for the LALIGA Coach of the Season Award. The award is supported by Microsoft as part of the Beyond Stats advanced statistics project together with LALIGA.
© LALIGA - 2024