The Spanish season reaches its finale on Sunday with three clubs still hoping to clinch the title. Beware of the usual twists. La Cibeles, an imposing monument to the goddess of fertility, sits in the heart of Madrid and used to suffer the ignominy of invasion by hundreds of Real Madrid fans every time there was cause to celebrate. On Sunday, only the club captain, Raul, will be allowed to clamber on it if, as everyone expects, the Merengues put an end to a four-year barren period and clinch the Spanish title. The Spanish league programme comes to a belated conclusion, almost a month after the curtain came down on the other major European leagues. Any one of Barcelona, Sevilla or Real Madrid could still be champions, but Real are clear favourites following the well-documented and dramatic finale to last weekend’s games. All that stands between Madrid, who were six points behind Barcelona just seven games ago, and a record 30th league title is victory over Mallorca at the Bernabeu, which most fans and pundits regard as a foregone conclusion. On closer inspection, this assumption may be unfounded. After all, Mallorca held Sevilla to a goalless draw last Sunday, almost certainly ending the Andalucians’ title hopes. More pertinently, Mallorca boast an astonishing record at the Bernabeu since the turn of the millennium. In the last six years, they have won three times in the capital, including a jaw-dropping 5-1 win in the 2002-2003 season and a 3-2 victory the following year with Samuel Eto'o, now of Barcelona, scoring twice. Eto'o has an obsession with scoring against Real Madrid, his one-time employers, either in Mallorca or Barcelona colours. But he must now rely on his former teammates to keep their side of the bargain and prevent Madrid taking all three points. It’s an open secret that Mallorca will receive a three-million euro bonus, courtesy of the Catalan club, if they either win or draw at the Bernabeu. Barcelona would, of course, have to win their game at the already relegated Gimnastic, but a scenario where both Real Madrid and Barcelona drop points on Sunday for Sevilla to be crowned champions seems too far fetched. Moreover, Barcelona fans are clinging to the hope that history will repeat itself when it comes to last-day turnarounds. Mention Tenerife to anyone connected to Real Madrid and watch the blood drain from their face. In the 1991-92 season, with Madrid needing only a point to secure the title, they travelled to Tenerife and within 30 minutes were two goals to the good. What happened next is part of Spanish football folklore as Tenerife pulled one back before half-time and scored two bizarre goals in the second half to complete an historic turnaround and hand the title to Barcelona. Unbelievably, the scenario was identical 12 months later with Tenerife prevailing 2-0 this time, and the Catalans were the beneficiaries once again. Incredibly, Barcelona won a third consecutive title the following season courtesy of Deportivo La Coruna missing a last-minute penalty against Athletic Bilbao when the score was 1-1. It was all the more galling for the Galicians as victory would have given them their first league title, and because Bebeto, La Liga’s player of the season, who would go on to score five goals for Brazil a month later in the World Cup and lift the trophy, refused to take the penalty. Now that David Beckham has confirmed that he will honour his contract with Galaxy in the USA and not stay on, and with Roberto Carlos signing for Turkish champions Fenerbahce, Sunday sees the departure of the last of the Galacticos. The 34-year-old Brazilian hopes to end 11 glorious, trophy-laden years with the club on a high note, whilst for Beckham it represents his last chance to join the rest of his former Galactico teammates Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in lifting at least one major trophy for the club. At Thursday's press conference, the former England captain, whose contribution the past two months has been invaluable, spoke with passion about wanting to win the title, and of his utmost respect for Raul and all his achievements at the club. For Raul, a home-grown Galactico whose own future is still uncertain, it may also represent his swansong, and he will be hoping that this interminable season of last-minute goals and late surprises culminates with him sitting atop of La Cibeles.
