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La Liga is widely regarded as one of the best leagues in the world and it is home to two of the most followed clubs on the globe, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
While the league might be lacking in the marketing and financial windfall of the Premier League, La Liga makes up for this with superior technique and skill.
Some of the greatest players to grace the game have plied their trade in Spain's top-flight. Proof of the league's exceptional talent over the years lies in the fact that it is the league with the most Ballon d'Or winners in history.
Some players who have graced La Liga are among the most iconic to ever play the game and regularly rank highly on lists of the greatest footballers of all time.
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What were the standout moments in La Liga in the decade between 2011 and 2021?
The decade between 2011 and 2021 was eventful in La Liga and provided us with plenty of thrills and excitement.
Expectedly, Barcelona and Real Madrid reigned supreme at the summit. But Atletico Madrid also rose to prominence and became a bonafide superpower domestically and continentally.
Los Rojiblancos morphed into an elite side under the astute management of Diego Simeone and won two league titles in the decade under review.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were by far the standout players and continued their exclusive battle for supremacy for seven of the 10 years in the decade.
Some players also excelled with their knack for creating goals in La Liga and their creativity helped fire their respective teams to glory.
Here are the top five assist providers in La Liga in the decade between 2011 and 2021.
#5 Koke (Atletico Madrid) - 60 assists
Koke is one of the most underrated but effective players in the world. In many ways, the Spain international is emblematic of the ethos instilled at Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone.
The 29-year-old progressed through the Atleti academy for 11 years before making his first-team debut in 2011. Since then, he has gone on to make 502 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club. He has been an ever-present as they became a mainstay at the top of European football.
Koke has been one of the most consistent midfielders in La Liga over the last decade, with his pristine vision and technique helping Atletico Madrid to two league titles.
He was blooded under the guidance of Gabi in midfield for his first few years as a professional before captaining his club to league glory in 2021.
Koke is one of the most complete footballers in the world and is as effective in launching attacks as he is in stopping them. He has provided a total of 60 assists in the last decade and is already a bonafide legend and symbol of Atletico Madrid.
#4 Luis Suarez (Barcelona / Atletico Madrid) - 66 assists
Luis Suarez put his troubled but spectacular Premier League sojourn behind him when he joined Barcelona in a mega move in the summer of 2014.
The Uruguay international initially struggled in his first season at Camp Nou but recovered in a remarkable second half of the season that saw him help the club to a treble.
Over the next few years, he was one-third of the famed 'MSN' forward line alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, who tore La Liga and European defenses to shreds.
He continued to lead the line with aplomb after Neymar departed but soon faced criticism for his reduced output in front of goal.
It did not take long for Suarez to become a club legend, with his goals and tenacity helping the Blaugrana to several major trophies.
He, however, faced criticism over his reduced output and was forced out of the Camp Nou in a shroud of controversy in 2020.
But the former Ajax man made a mockery of those who suggested his time at the top was over. He he fired Atletico Madrid to La Liga glory at the expense of his former employers in his very first season at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Luis Suarez has contributed 66 La Liga assists in the last decade, despite only joining the league midway through the 2014-15 season, which serves as proof of his effectiveness.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 69 assists
Cristiano Ronaldo departed La Liga in 2018 but is still the third-highest assist provider in the league over the last decade.
The Madeira native spent nine immense years with Real Madrid and departed the Spanish capital as the record goalscorer and greatest player in the club's illustrious history.
Cristiano Ronaldo is famed for his incredible goalscoring output but his immense assist ratio is somewhat underrated.
The Portugal international provided 69 league assists for Los Blancos between 2011 and 2018, which helped the club to two La Liga crowns in that time.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - 83 assists
Karim Benzema's legacy has been reviewed more positively in recent years and that is down to his increased importance at Real Madrid.
The France international had been overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo in earlier years and this rubbed some sheen off his immense contributions in front of goal.
Benzema's tireless work rate has played a key role in the successes enjoyed by Real Madrid since his arrival at the club in 2009. He is adept at both finding the net and creating chances for teammates.
The 33-year-old has finished as the club's top scorer in each of the last three seasons, while still showing his creativity by providing assists for his teammates.
In total, Karim Benzema has provided 83 assists in La Liga over the last decade and was one of the few Real Madrid players that emerged from last season with any credit.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 136 assists
There was only going to be one man to top this list and there would have been no prizes for guessing who.
Lionel Messi is by far the most creative player in the history of La Liga (or anywhere else for that matter) and proof of this lies in the fact that he has almost double the number of league assists as anybody in the last decade.
The Argentina international has been nothing short of exceptional since making his professional debut 17 years ago and is widely regarded as the best player to ever lace a pair of boots.
Lionel Messi leads the way in terms of goals in La Liga's history and also sets the pace for assists provided.
The 34-year-old has been Barcelona's driving force over the last few years and has been the difference between success and mediocrity for the Catalan outfit.
Messi's best displays have come in La Liga where he has been immense, guiding the Blaugrana to 10 league titles in the last 17 years.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has provided a whopping 136 assists in the last decade, with his standout display coming in the 2019-20 season when he provided an incredible 21 assists.
Also See: Seven European clubs to win a treble
