Titles and Relegations!

North Americans always say that the maximum day of sports hedonism is the first round of the re NCAA Basketball Tournament. I stand corrected after today’s finales of the Premier League and La Liga.

Manchester City, on the verge of completing a scandalous meltdown in an impotent performance against 10-man QPR, finally produced two stoppage time goals to wrest the title from Manchester United.  Meanwhile, Arsenal saved more than just its season as it came from behind to guarantee a Champions League place, and with it the ability to retain talisman Robin Van Persie.

In Spain, the drama was at the bottom of the table as Rayo, Granada, Villarreal, and Zaragoza faced possible relegation. The drop is a much different animal in Spain than in England. With Spain unable to support a robust pyramid of professional football like England’s, and parachute payments less generous, relegated teams may never be heard from again. Such is the sentiment towards Villarreal, who will be forced to shed assets again this summer having already sold Santi Cazorla and Joan Capdevila last year. Villarreal perhaps deserved relegation after an insipid season but nonetheless have provided Spain with so many fantastic David vs. Goliath moments during their top-flight run.

Having watched teams and their fans experience the range of emotions today, I would suggest that a relegation escape is even sweeter than a title celebration. Titles are sweet; we all want them. When your team misses out on a title, you’re angry. You wonder if the Meester is the right guy for the job. You lambast players for not being fully committed to the cause. But when a team faces relegation, it sees its life flash before its eyes. People feel desperate. They cry. In the end, losing a title is disappointing but it’s not the end of the world. Relegation is. And escaping it, particularly in the manner that Rayo Vallecano did today after being so close to the flame, must be totally exhilarating.  

To summarize some of the other great stories in both leagues:

-          Minnows Levante produced a brilliant end to a remarkable season that saw them finish in the Europa League places. Unlike so many small teams whose sudden rise was due to a massive cash infusion (Villarreal, TSG Hoffenheim, Málaga), Levante simply played beyond themselves for an entire season (and the latter stages of last season). Even as pundits affectionately documented their early-season rise, most expected a swift descent to mediocrity (or worse), making their strong finish all the more miraculous.

-          Zaragoza completed an inspired turnaround with yet another late victory to save thir season

-          Falcao came up trumps yet again for Atlético Madrid, capping a campaign where the €40mn player has been a smashing success

-          Tottenham paid the price for its late-season complacency and will face more difficulty than ever to hold on to treasures like Luka Modric and Gareth Bale if Chelsea qualify for next season’s Champions League by winning the final this week.

-          Madrid celebrated its title with typical pageantry and pomposity in a ceremony that was unnecessarily similar to an Olympic Games opening ceremony.

-          With its demotion, Villarreal is now in the same league as Villarreal B. forcing the youth team to demote as well. Many in the youth squad are, presumably, adequate to the Segunda Level but not ready for the Primera, though the silver lining is that at least Villarreal should be able to avoid sliding down further, like Gimnastic de Tarragona.