That summer, Neuchatel spent heavily by Swiss standards to acquire players from the stronger Spanish league.
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Barcelona finished third in the Spanish league, 18 points adrift of their fierce rivals and champions Real Madrid.
The outcome means the leaders must wait another week for a chance to clinch the Spanish league title.
With Madrid, he won one Copa del Rey and one Spanish league title.
Despite Gil's interference, Atletico won the Spanish league and Cup double in 1996.
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He went on to retain the Spanish League title twice more and add another Champions League triumph in 2009-10.
The trio was also in FIFA's team of the year, which consisted exclusively of players from the Spanish league.
He was top scorer in the Spanish League with 26 goals and was instrumental in Barcelona's triumphant Champions League campaign.
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"The addition of good and notorious players such as David Beckham is supposed to improve the Spanish League, " said Soriano.
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Over those two games, against a team that is currently sixth in the Spanish league, PSG averaged just over 35% possession.
As his reputation has grown, so too has the speculation linking him to a Premier League club or a return to the Spanish League.
Also, the motivation from the red and white fans has helped me a great deal with my move to the Spanish League.
And in his first season in La Liga, he scored nine times in 28 appearances and won a Spanish league championship medal.
Its strike trio of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi has 51 goals in the Spanish league and 66 in all competitions.
Toure has already held that trophy aloft, in 2009 when Barcelona completed a treble of trophies also including the Spanish league and cup crowns.
The 30-year-old is playing on in an attempt to help Barcelona hold off Real Madrid's challenge and win a second successive Spanish league title.
Football governing body Fifa ruled on Thursday that the clubs have priority as the Spanish league fixtures were made before the Nations Cup matches were scheduled.
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He has also looked after his body well, moving from the punishing, hectic pace of the English Premiership to the physically less-demanding Spanish league four years ago.
"Both leagues are going to be very good but I think that with Real president Florentino Perez's signings the Spanish league is superior to the English, " added Ronaldo.
Along the way, he has scored more goals for the club in both the Spanish league and European competition than any other player in Barcelona's illustrious 113-year history.
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Not surprisingly, that team won the 2003 Spanish League title.
The Catalan side have won all but one of their Spanish League matches and, in Lionel Messi, possess a player who has scored a record 90 goals in 2012.
Sevilla, currently 15th in the Spanish league, managed to fend off interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs and persuaded Reyes to sign a new seven-year contract in July.
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It is desperate to win the Spanish league, or La Liga, which it lost last year to arch rival FC Barcelona -- and it has high standards for its players.
Eto'o was part of the Barcelona team that won last season's unprecedented treble of Champions League, Spanish league and Spanish Cup and scored more than 100 goals for the Catalan club.
Since making his Barcelona debut in 2003, he has collected three European Champions League crowns, two FIFA Club World Cup titles, five Spanish league championships and two Copa del Rey medals.
The 1992 and 2006 European Cup winner has the most potent strike force in Europe, scoring 71 goals in 24 Spanish league matches this season and 105 goals in all competitions.
Since making his Barcelona debut in 2003, he has collected three UEFA Champions League crowns, two FIFA Club World Cup titles, five Spanish league championships and two Copa del Rey medals.
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Toure feels Barcelona are starting to feel the strain of playing fast-paced football with trying to clinch a third European Cup, win the Spanish league and the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey).
Lionel Messi was as prolific as ever a Wilt Chamberlainesque 60 goals in 50 games in all competitions as the club equaled a Spanish league points record, but he is hardly a classic central striker.
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