 Comments
 Comments  Print
 Print  Mail
 Mail  Large Medium  Small
 Large Medium  SmallFact files of the top contenders in La Liga with the new season to start on Saturday:
Barcelona
Stadium: Camp Nou
Nickname: Barca
Manager: Gerardo Martino
Honors: La Liga (22): 1928-1929, 1944-45, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1973-74, 1984-85, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13
Copa del Rey (26): 1909-10, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1919-20, 1921-22, 1924-25, 1925-26, 1927-28, 1941-42, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1962-63, 1967-68, 1970-71, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1987-88, 1989-90, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2008-09, 2011-12
Supercopa de Espana (13): 1948, 1952, 1953, 1983, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
Copa de la Liga (2): 1982-83, 1985-86
European Cup / UEFA Champions League (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (4): 1978-79, 1981-82, 1988-89, 1996-97
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup (3): 1955-58, 1958-60, 1965-66
UEFA Super Cup (4): 1992, 1997, 2009, 2011
Intercontinental Cup/ FIFA Club World Cup (3): 1992, 2009, 2011
Last season: 1st
In: Neymar (Santos)
Out: Eric Abidal (Monaco), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Marc Muniesa (Stoke City), Bojan Krkic (Ajax), Rafinha, Andreu Fontas (Celta Vigo, loan)
Real Madrid
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Nickname: Los Blancos (The Whites)
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Honors: La Liga (32): 1931-32, 1932-33, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1994-95, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12
Copa del Rey (18): 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1917, 1934, 1936, 1946, 1947, 1961-62, 1969-70, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1988-89, 1992-93, 2010-11
Supercopa de Espana (10): 1947, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012
Copa de La Liga (1):1984-1985
European Cup/UEFA Champions League (9): 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1965-66, 1997-98, 1999-2000, 2001-02
UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup (2): 1984-85, 1985-86
UEFA Super Cup (1): 2002
Intercontinental Cup (3): 1960, 1998, 2002
Last Season: 2nd
In: Dani Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen), Casemiro (Sao Paulo), Isco (Malaga), Asier Illarramendi (Real Sociedad)
Out: Ricardo Carvalho (released), Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Maria Callejon, Raul Albiol (Napoli):
Atletico Madrid
Stadium: Estadio Vicente Calderon
Nickname: Los Colchoneros (The Mattress Makers)
Manager: Diego Simeone
Honors: La Liga (9): 1939-40, 1940-41, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1965-66, 1969-70, 1972-73, 1976-77, 1995-96
Copa del Rey (10): 1959-60, 1960-61, 1964-65, 1971-72, 1975-76, 1984-85, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 2012-13
Supercopa de Espana (3): 1940, 1951, 1985
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1961-62
UEFA Europa League (2): 2009-10, 2011-12
UEFA Super Cup (1): 2010, 2012
Intercontinental Cup (1) 1974
Last Season: 3rd
In: Leo Baptistao (Rayo Vallecano), David Villa (Barcelona), Martin Demichelis (Malaga), Jose Maria Gimenez (Danubio)
Out: Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Cata Diaz (Boca Juniors), Joel Robles (Everton), Sergio Asenjo (Villareal, loan)
Valencia
Stadium: Mestalla
Nickname: Los Che
Manager: Miroslav Djukic
Honors: La Liga(6): 1941-42, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1970-71, 2001-02, 2003-04
Copa del Rey (7): 1941, 1948-49, 1954, 1966-67, 1978-79, 1998-99, 2007-08
Supercopa de Espana (2): 1949, 1999
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1979-80
UEFA Cup (3): 1961-62, 1962-63, 2003-04
UEFA Super Cup (2): 1980, 2004
Last Season: 5th
In: Javi Fuego (Rayo Vallecano), Michel (Levante), Oriol Romeu (Chelsea, loan), Yeray Gomez (Mallorca), Helder Postiga (Real Zaragoza)
Out: David Albelda (retired), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Tino Costa (Spartak Moscow), Nelson Valdez (Al Jazira), Roberto Soldado (Tottenham Hotspur)
Real Sociedad
Stadium: Anoeta
Nickname: La Real
Manager: Jagoba Arrasate
Honors: La Liga(2): 1980-81, 1981-82
Copa del Rey (2): 1909, 1986-87
Supercopa de Espana (1): 1982
Last Season: 4th
In: Haris Seferovic (Fiorentina)
Out: Joseba Llorente (released), Asier Illarramendi (Real Madrid)
Malaga
Stadium: La Rosaleda
Nickname: Los Boquerones (The Anchovies)
Manager: Bernd Schuster
Honors: None
Last Season: 6th
In: Flavio Ferreira (Academica), Bobley Anderson (Wydad Casablanca), Fernando Tissone (Sampdoria), Marcos Angeleri (Estudiantes), Bartlomiej Pawlowski (Widzew Lodz), Roberto Chen (San Francisco)
Out: Manuel Iturra (Granada), Joaquin (Fiorentina), Isco (Real Madrid), Jeremy Toulalan (Monaco), Martin Demichelis (Atletico Madrid), Julio Baptista (Cruzeiro), Ruben Martinez (Rayo Vallecano)
 
 
 Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia
Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia 
 
 Ice cool things down at AYG
Ice cool things down at AYG 
 
 Faces of triumph and defeat at athletics worlds
Faces of triumph and defeat at athletics worlds 
 
 Li Ning stages comeback
Li Ning stages comeback 
 
 Chinese athletes at IAAF worlds
Chinese athletes at IAAF worlds 
 
 Gong Lijiao wins shot put bronze at IAAF worlds
Gong Lijiao wins shot put bronze at IAAF worlds 
 
 Dufner conquers Oak Hill for first major title
Dufner conquers Oak Hill for first major title 
 
 Williams hungry heading towards US Open
Williams hungry heading towards US Open