Real Madrid's meltdown, Valencia's memorable domestic and European double and the revival of Barcelona combined for an enthralling 2003-2004 Spanish soccer season.
The battle for the league title pitted two contrasting visions of football against each other, one based on a Harlem Globetrotter-style collection of the top world names and the other on a skilfully crafted unit full of team players.
It was an easy knockout victory for Valencia, who maintained a ruthless rhythm throughout while Real imploded in the final run-in.
After the much-hyped signing of England captain David Beckham there was rather too much talk at Real of the importance of marketing, image and global expansion and too little about formation, tactics and results.
Valencia, on the other hand, concentrated on matters on the pitch, perfecting a brand of fluent, well organised and highly disciplined football that few other teams could match.
Real flattered to deceive against weaker opposition in the first half of the season, relying on the devastating finishing of Ronaldo at one end and the superb last-ditch goalkeeping of Iker Casillas at the other to keep them in the running.
But in the closing games Real were found wanting, their defensive flaws, unbalanced squad and over-reliance on the so-called "galacticos" all cruelly exposed by supposedly lesser opponents.
PROMISING START
Beckham was just one of several Real players whose reputation was tarnished by a disappointing end of season.
After a good start in which he won admirers more for his preparedness to roll up his sleeves and knuckle down in his new central midfield role than for his individual talent, Beckham faded badly.
Dogged by allegations surrounding his private life, his effectiveness on the pitch diminished and his attempt to disguise his loss of form by being more aggressive, back-fired when he was sent off for abusing a linesman in the penultimate match of the season.
Ronaldo was plagued by injuries, Raul was reduced to a mere shadow of the live-wire forward who had once dominated the side and Zinedine Zidane looked exhausted.
Real's misery was compounded by a revival in fortunes of arch-rivals Barcelona who also had the outstanding player of the season in their ranks.
Ever-smiling Brazilian Ronaldinho paraded his one-man football show around the stadiums of Spain, hypnotising opponents with his dazzling repertoire of ball-skills.
Together with midfielder enforcer Edgar Davids, who was signed mid-season from Juventus, and a rejuvenated Xavi, the World Cup winner was the catalyst for Barca's change in fortunes.
A 17-match unbeaten run paved the way for them displacing Real from second spot in the table and an automatic berth in next season's Champions League.
UNFLAPPABLE
As in England there was gulf between the leading Champions League sides and the rest of the chasing pack. Valencia, Barca, Real and Deportivo Coruna were never seriously threatened by other teams in the top flight.
But that does little to take away from the achievement of Athletic Bilbao in returning to European competition for the first time in six years.
Ernesto Valverde's side succeeded while keeping faith with their policy of fielding players only from the Basque provinces of Spain.
Even more credit must go to modest Albacete who retained their top flight status under the expert guidance of coach Cesar Ferrando who used his limited resources with the skill of a far more experienced professional.
At the other end of the scale both Celta Vigo and Valladolid paid the price for jettisoning coaches who had steered them to success last season.
Celta got rid of Miguel Angel Lotina, who had guided them to a best ever fourth-place finish in the Spanish Primera Liga and a first Champions League participation, and Serbian coach Radomir Antic and club man Ramon Carnero were unable to stop the slide.
Present in the top flight since the early 1990s, both sides will have a tough time adjusting to the distinctly unglamorous surroundings of the Spanish second division.
