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After a rollicking 2019/20 edition of the La Liga drew to a close last week, let us look back at some key moments from the recently concluded Spanish top-flight season.
We've already seen how the best players from the La Liga season would line-up in a combined XI. We also had a look at the best XI featuring only Spanish players, while also shedding light on the bright up-and-coming talents in the La Liga.
Let's now have a look at the other end of the spectrum - the ones who promised much but delivered little. These are the players who came into the La Liga campaign with tremendous anticipation from their respective clubs and fans alike but flattered to deceive.
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Without, further ado, let us meet the five players who disappointed the most during the 2019-20 La Liga season.
Five players who disappointed the most during the 2019-20 La Liga season:
#5: Jasper Cillessen (Valencia)
Deprived of first-team opportunities at Barcelona, Jasper Cillessen joined Valencia last season for €35 million, making him the most expensive guardameta in the club's history. The switch brought the regular game-time he was looking for, but Cillessen didn't impress enough during the 2019-20 La Liga campaign.
His passes were of poor quality and he registered only five La Liga clean sheets. Cillessen was also erroneous at times - most notably on his return to the Camp Nou in September when a horrendous clearance allowed Gerard Pique to strike.
Perhaps, the enduring image of his La Liga season is the guard of honour he received on the opening day for the Copa Del Rey final which he lost with Barcelona.
If rumours are to be believed, the Bats are now trying to offload him, with a return to Ajax very much on the cards.
#4: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
The Rojiblancos were the envy of world football last year after capturing Joao Felix from right under the noses of mightier European sides.
Costing Atletico Madrid an eye-watering £113 million, Felix was supposed to be the replacement for Barcelona-bound Antoine Griezmann. But it didn't take long for the move to go pear-shaped as the Portuguese star failed to light up the Wanda Metropolitano.
He struggled to adapt to Diego Simeone's philosophy, with ankle and leg injuries further taking a toll on his performances.
Felix's eventual tally of six goals from 27 La Liga games isn't too shabby for a 20-year-old who is still acclimatising to new surroundings. But when you're the reigning 'Golden Boy' winner and also the fifth-most expensive player in history, the expectations riding on your shoulders are high, perhaps a bit too high at times.
#3: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
Right from turning up at Real Madrid five kilos overweight to missing a large chunk of the campaign with recurring injuries, Eden Hazard's debut in the Spanish capital was ill-fated. And yet, he was somehow overlooked in Marca's 'disappointing XI' of the La Liga season.
Hazard registered a tally of six assists and a goal from 14 La Liga starts, but that certainly wasn't enough to convince the unforgiving fans who had lofty expectations from the Belgian.
At 29, he's currently in the prime of his career, and should he keep himself in fine fettle next season, then we might see the Eden Hazard we've come to know from his Chelsea days.
#2: Luka Jovic (Real Madrid)
Luka Jovic was dubbed as one of the most exciting young prospects last year after an emphatic breakthrough with Eintracht Frankfurt that saw him net 17 times in the Bundesliga. So naturally, the Bernabeu faithful were left utterly disappointed to see Jovic struggle the way he did during his debut La Liga campaign.
A grand total of two goals from 17 top-flight games is a far cry from the lofty standards of his 2018/19 season. But that was also because injuries inhibited him from realising his true potential.
Midway through the 2019-20 La Liga campaign, Jovic was diagnosed with hip problems before he missed almost half of the season post-restart with a foot injury.
#1: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
Plenty was expected after Antoine Greizmann's mega-money transfer from Atletico Madrid, but his debut La Lika campaign with Barcelona didn't quite go according to plan.
His paltry return of nine goals in La Liga, the lowest return of his career since 2012, left a lot to be desired. Greizmann looked completely devoid of confidence and apart from the odd game, appeared out of depth too.
To be fair to him, though, it wasn't completely his fault either. Barcelona were ropey as a collective unit and were plagued with a bevvy of issues on and off the field. Maybe the 29-year-old's arrival was seriously ill-timed. If that's the case, the fans will hope to see something better from him next season.
