If Barcelona win the league on Saturday there will be no open top bus ride through the city the following day to celebrate. Such has been the fatalistic sense of failure that has clouded the second half of the season the absence of a proper celebration seems fitting. The players, manager, directors and supporters gave up on the league long ago. If they win it this weekend it will be by default and after receiving the trophy in the stadium immediately after the match many will leave the city the following day to head to World Cup training camp destinations. LA LIGA: FINAL DAY PERMUTATIONS The final day will see two teams battle it out for only the third time in history. Barcelona will win the title through a better head-to-head record if they beat Atletico Madrid. A draw would be good enough for Atletico to win their first title in 18 years. HEAD-TO-HEAD 21 August: Atletico 1-1 Barcelona (Spanish Super Cup) 28 August: Barcelona 0-0 Atletico (Spanish Super Cup) 11 January: Atletico 0-0 Barcelona (La Liga) 1 April: Barcelona 1-1 Atletico (Champions League) 9 April: Atletico 1-0 Barcelona (Champions League) If Atletico Madrid win it, no-one will get any sleep in the Spanish capital for the following 48 hours. Atletico's ticket allocation for the game is only 447 but they will more than make up for it once back home in the early hours of Sunday morning. The very different celebration plans reflect the way the same title means very different things to these two teams. The Catalans will fire their coach Tata Martino whatever happens on Saturday. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes will join Monaco regardless. Dani Alves will follow him to France signing for PSG. Defender Carles Puyol will join incoming new manager Luis Enrique's coaching staff and the club will look to fund a big summer of transfers with the sale of at least two more top players. Alex Song, Javier Mascherano, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez are all available at the right price and while it's unlikely all four will leave, at least two must go to fund offers for a list of new signings headed by Chelsea's David Luiz. They may even try to persuade to take Song and Alexis in exchange for Luiz. The events of Saturday will change none of these plans. Atletico Madrid in contrast may have a very different summer depending on how their next two matches go. Winning the league and Champions League double could double their resolve to keep key players and increase the desire of those players to stay. There will be offers in the summer for Koke, Mario Suarez, Filipe Luis and Saul Niguez - currently on loan at Rayo Vallecano but very highly rated â but coach Diego Simeone will demand that all stay and if he wins both La Liga and the Champions League his hand will be stronger. He's still got it: Simeone dazzles with keepy up at Atletico... Trophies will also help Atletico attract a better class of replacement for Diego Costa, who looks Chelsea bound. They could even make the headstrong striker dig in his heels and demand to stay in Spain. Costa has scored against every club in La Liga this season apart from Barcelona. On Saturday he will have former Barcelona favourite David Villa alongside him â now public enemy No 1 after his wild celebrations in the Super Cup at the start of the season. How those two fare against a Barcelona defence that is likely to welcome back Gerard Pique after his cracked pelvis may well be the key to the game. If Atletico get themselves in front few can see Martino's side scoring twice against them to win the game and the league. La Liga has been decided on the last day before â most recently in 2010 when Pep Guardiola's Barcelona pipped Manuel Pellegrini's Real Madrid. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there is any truth in this then it shows how classless Barca are... Potential to be a fantastic match with both teams having the potential of taking the title... Surely the Spanish FA should step in however to make sure that a fair allocation is given?
Spanish fans don't travel much. I'm sure 447 is the allocation Barca give to all visitors, is it not? I don't agree that they're classless but they are a bit spoilt and the fans I know are unhappy at the moment, despite the fact they win the league if they win tomorrow!! I'm trying to educate them as to how lucky they are by making them follow the fortunes of our beloved club!
Its the unsportmanship they display. And they are boring to watch when they just keep the ball thus killing the game. Same as pep did at Bayern in the champions league. Can't judge the fans.
