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Ever since the turn of the last decade, Europe witnessed a remarkable dominance established by LaLiga Santander. Since 2010, Spanish teams Barcelona and Real Madrid have won six out of a possible ten UEFA Champions Leagues, while Sevilla alone have won four UEFA Europa Leagues.
Even Atletico Madrid have left a good account of themselves in Europe as they won two UELs and reached the finals of two UCL editions, only to be beaten by their cross-town rivals Real Madrid.
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This era of Spanish dominance has also translated into LaLiga as the top-flight is brimming with a host of quality teams regardless of their statures in the league. Clubs such as Getafe, Granada, and other relatively smaller sides have also impressed profoundly in the league, going toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the world.
The fact that such clubs can compete for spots higher up the table is a testament to their football ability as they are able to do so despite the glaring financial disparities.
On that note, here, we take a look at the ten most valuable clubs in LaLiga Santander.
#10 Getafe | €155.70m
After a mighty impressive fifth-place finish in 2018/19, Getafe failed to replicate their previous achievements with a rather disappointing eighth-place finish this year. The Azulones have quickly become one of the most tricky teams to play against due to their no-nonsense style as they play in a rigid block of either four or five at the back, adopting a pragmatic approach.
Jose Bordalas' men were certainly not on the same level as they were last year, and remarkably, they were the most indisciplined team in LaLiga this time around with a whopping 131 yellow cards and seven reds to their name. Three of those seven red cards came in the space of two minutes against Villarreal after a heated fight between the players saw Allan Nyom, Xabier Exteita, and Damien Suarez get sent off.
After a disappointing exit from the UEL as well as a lack of European football next year, the Azulones would hope for a strong season which could help them return to the competition in 2021/22.
#9 Real Betis | €214.25m
Real Betis have become something of a neutral's favourite in recent times due to their style of play as well as the players they have. Quique Setien made a name for himself at the Estadio Benito Villamarin with his expansive, attacking approach which made his case for him when he was in contention for the Barcelona job.
However, things seem to be going from bad to worse for Betis, who finished tenth last year and a torrid 15th this year. Even after both of Setien and Rubi's departures, Betis have stuck to their values despite their lack of success and looked to play expansive football. In the 2019/20 season, they had the fourth-highest average possession in the league (55.7%), an average pass accuracy only bettered by Real Madrid and Barcelona (83.4%), and possess a host of talented players.
The likes of Nabil Fekir, Marc Bartra, Sergio Canales, and other impressive names on their roster would hope to lift the club to a higher level in the coming seasons. With an experienced manager such as Manuel Pellegrini at the helm, the signs do look promising for Los Verdiblancos.
#8 Athletic Bilbao | €216.30m
One of the most historic club in Spanish football, Athletic Bilbao are currently amidst a terrible run in LaLiga Santander. After an awful 16th-place finish in 2017/18, they made progress by climbing back up to eighth place in 2018/19, only to drop three spots lower this year as they ended the campaign in a disappointing 11th place.
Gaizka Garitano's men will hope to take the positives from this season and hope to return to the higher end of the league table. A lack of goals has really hurt the Basque club this year as they've scored just 41 goals, one more than a relegated Mallorca side. Veteran Spaniard Raul Garcia was their LaLiga top scorer with 15 goals, with no other Athletic player even hitting double figures. Inaki Williams is their next highest scorer with just six goals in 34 starts for the club.
The squad has a right mix of young players such as Unai Simon, who recently signed a new deal with the club, and experienced veterans. Athletic would hope to reach the heights that they did in the past and return to the upper end of the table.
Also read: 10 Greatest free-kick takers of all time
#7 Villarreal | €271.53m
After an impressive fifth-place finish in LaLiga, Villarreal are definitely one of the most exciting clubs to watch out for after a flying start to the transfer window. The change at the helm is also a notable one as former Arsenal manager Unai Emery replaced Javier Calleja ahead of the 2020/21 season.
The Yellow Submarine won the race for the loan signing of exciting Los Blancos prospect Takefusa Kubo after a superb spell at Mallorca in 2019/20. Additionally, they have capitalised on the current predicament that rivals Valencia find themselves in as they snatched Francis Coquelin and Los Che skipper Dani Parejo from them for less than €10m. Emery's side are reportedly also trying to lure Gabriel Paulista to the club as well.
After such a strong transfer window and with Villarreal set to play European football under a manager as experienced as the former Gunners and Sevilla coach, they could be in for an exciting season ahead on all fronts.
#6 Sevilla | €318.00m
One of the most illustrious Spanish clubs in recent times, Sevilla have enjoyed immense success in the second tier of European football over the last decade. Los Palanganas won a staggering four UELs since 2010, three of which were masterminded by new Villarreal manager Unai Emery.
They lifted their fourth UEL trophy less than a week ago in Germany after Julen Lopetegui's impressive unit overcame Antonio Conte's rugged Inter Milan side. The Europa title capped off what has been a genuinely sublime season for Sevilla, accumulating 11 points more than they did with their sixth-place finish in 2018/19. Lopetegui's men finished fourth this year, level on points with Atletico Madrid at 70 apiece.
A lot of Sevilla's players have garnered interest from many European clubs after their scintillating displays this year, including Lucas Ocampos, Jules Kounde, Diego Carlos, and on-loan Real Madrid star Sergio Reguilon. It remains to be seen how many of their crown jewels they can keep, but should they manage to keep them all, Sevilla could be in for a superb 2020/21 campaign.
#5 Real Sociedad | €327.10m
After missing out on European football in 2018/19, Real Sociedad clawed their way back into the UEL spots this year with a sixth-place finish in LaLiga Santander. La Real have been blessed with a group of superbly talented players, including the likes of Alexander Isak, skipper Mikel Oyarzabal, Adnan Januzaj, and many others. The recently-departed Martin Odegaard also impressed profoundly during his loan spell, before being recalled by Real Madrid.
Sociedad were in a heated contest for the European spots with Villarreal and Getafe, and while the former made it to the promised land, Getafe suffered an eighth-place finish despite being in contention for the UEL. Sociedad ended their campaign with 56 points, two more than the Azulones and level with Granada, albeit with a +1 goal difference.
With a host of experienced heads in the squad such as their LaLiga top-scorer Willian Jose, Nacho Monreal, and other veterans along with young and exciting talents, La Real could expect to have a strong UEL campaign in 2020/21.
#4 Valencia | €328.38m
After a superb fourth-place finish in 2018/19, Valencia are one of the most troubled LaLiga Santander clubs at the moment ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. Los Che have reportedly been struck terribly by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to which they've had to host a fire sale at the Mestalla.
Their unfortunate financial circumstances have seen them part ways with some high-profile names including Ferran Torres, Francis Coquelin, and club captain Dani Parejo — who was in tears upon his unveiling at Villarreal due to his inauspicious exit from Valencia. Ezequiel Garay has also become a free agent after his contract expired. Los Che progressed from the UCL group stages this year, but they were humiliated by an aggregate scoreline of 8-4 against Atalanta.
After already losing out on a number of their star players, Valencia's future heading into the 2020/21 season will be defined by how they manage to replace them this transfer window. Regardless, Los Che still maintain their status as the fourth-most valuable club in LaLiga.
Also read: 5 Most baffling transfers conducted by Barcelona
#3 Atletico Madrid | €764.30m
Widely regarded as the best club on the land after Real Madrid and Barcelona, Atletico Madrid are one of Spain's biggest clubs. In fact, in an era dominated by the Blaugrana and Los Blancos, Los Rojiblancos are the only other club to have won LaLiga Santander in the last 15 years.
Diego Simeone's historic 2013/14 remain one of the greatest underdog sides in LaLiga, and they also managed to reach the UCL final in that year, albeit Atleti ultimately lost to Real. Fast forward six years into the future and Atleti are still the proud holders of the 'best of the rest' tag in Spain as they finished third in the league. Atleti managed another CL final just two years after their first, and astonishingly lost once again to the same opposition. They have two UEL trophies to their name as well over the last decade.
Atleti have, however, grown remarkably from a financial perspective since they re-emerged as a threat under Simeone. The Wanda Metropolitano is currently home to one of the most expensive players of all time, Joao Felix. They would hope to put the heartbreak of their UCL elimination behind them and embark on their journey for the upcoming campaign.
#2 Barcelona | €992.20m
A club currently under a lot of duress in the wake of their 8-2 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich, Barcelona are the second most valuable club in LaLiga Santander. The former champions have endured a dismal season across all fronts, having relinquished their Spanish crown to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Despite the situation that they currently find themselves in, Barcelona have been one of the most dominant forces in domestic terms across Europe. They've won six of the last ten LaLiga titles available to them, and won a host of other accolades as well, including Copas Del Rey, two UCLs, and other honours in that period. Barcelona have also spent more than any club in the world on new recruits since 2014/15, having invested just over €1b on players.
The Catalans now face a battle to keep hold of six-time Ballon d'Or winner and captain Lionel Messi as the Argentine is reportedly considering an exit from the club. New manager Ronald Koeman is also hoping to oversee a revamp of the squad and hopes to convince Messi to stay and lead his Blaugrana in the 2020/21 season.
#1 Real Madrid | €1.08bn
Arguably the biggest club on the planet, Real Madrid top this list as the most valuable LaLiga Santander club at the moment. Los Blancos are coming off a historic 34th league title, which was their second under Zinedine Zidane and first since Cristiano Ronaldo departed.
Zidane, who left the club after the completion of Real Madrid's iconic 'three-peat' of the UCL, returned to the club after a horrendous spell overseen by Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. The Frenchman's return coincided with their upturn in fortunes again as his side overcame a two-point deficit to snatch the title from their Catalan rivals. However, given that several of their star players are over 30 and they hope to reclaim the UCL, Zidane and club chief Florentino Perez are reportedly considering a squad overhaul to bring in fresh blood.
Real Madrid have won four Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles over the last six years, making them the most successful club in Europe during this period. The 13-time UCL winners will undoubtedly strengthen in the current and upcoming transfer windows to build further on their European dominance.
Also read: 5 LaLiga players who would be perfect for the Premier League
