Actually it might be fair to say they have experienced a renaissance ever since Joan Laporta became president in 2003, and after him his former chum and now sour enemy, Sandro Rossell.

When Laporta turned up at the club they hadn't won a major title since 1999 and the self-esteem of the squad had plummeted. He brought on board Frank Rijkaard as team coach, who after a slow start started winning matches; and his right hand man (at the time, till they slid out and he resigned from the Barça board) Sandro Rossell used his contacts to sign Ronaldinho.

While the Brazilian player certainly had talent [*COMMA] he hadn't necessarily done much with it. Nevertheless he did show plenty of flare with FC Barcelona even when they weren't making the turnaround required.

That turnabout occurred when Barça signed Edgar Davids for the second 1/2 the season. Whether it was his arrival at the club, or whether his arrival coincided with everything coming together is impossible to claim. What's certain though is that the club started winning game after game. And at last the downtrodden Barcelona rose up again and started to become the team it is today.

The club went from strength to strength after that, though Davids decided to return to his old club after the half season loan. While he may have been missed, the fortunes of the club continued to improve and Barcelona won the second season under Laporta. After that the team has continued to go ever upwards and unde Pep Guardiola were the 1st tea, to win the treble – la liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

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Nevertheless while Madrid started off well and we're simply a few matches in, his dream appears to have started to unravel. He has famously stated that his 2nd season in any club is when he delivers, but with his complete focus appearing to be on arch-rival FC Barcelona he has just had two big problems that he can ill afford.

First Real Madrid was beaten by Levante, a team that is the polar opposite to Real Madrid, with lowly paid players and a barely functional team that's lucky to be in top flight Spanish soccer. And then they drew with Racing Santander, losing some imperative points which they may need in the long haul.

A poll by Sporting newspaper AS which backs Madrid revealed that a lot of its readers laid the blame fully at the feet of Mourinho; while seeking to shift the blame to referees and opposition players he has not managed to accept responsibility himself for what many consider a dismal start. And we're beginning to hear talk about another crisis year at Real Madrid.

Nonetheless how much of a crisis is it really, when a team like Real Madrid comes 2nd in the league after a much superior teams such as Bara? While fans may be disappointed their side is still largely delivering the goods.

Mourinho’s big problem will be the patience of Florentino Perez, Madrid’s president. While he has backed “the special one” so far in his career at Madrid there will come a point when he will snap. Mourinho is Real Madrid’s eleventh coach in seven years, so the club doesn't flinch in making such changes. Can Real Madrid’s fortunes change before that happens?

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While both groups began well, FC Barcelona slipped when what should have been a fairly comfortable win against Real Sociedad turned into a draw. And just when they needed something to show they hadn't lost that special something they once again drew, this time against AC Milan in the Champions League, thanks to an injury time goal before the final whistle.

Critics straight away laid into FC Barcelona, asserting they’d lost their touch; 2 average results is all it requires to call an emergency. Nonetheless they responded with an 8-0 win against Osasuna, their best result since the 90s, straight away silencing their critics again.

Even though it looked rosy for Barcelona, things all of a sudden went really wrong for Real Madrid. While they had won their first 2 matches and sat at the head of the classifications they then lost 1-0 against Levante, a team that should barely be in the 1st division such is its poor state.

This is supposed to be Real Madrid’s year, the second season under Jose Mourinho. However , you cannot stop thinking that his total concentrate on what Barcelona are doing is his best weakness. Fielding an under-strength squad against Levante showed huge audacity, that's not in doubt.

But what will lose Real Madrid the league again this season isn’t what FC Barcelona does or doesn't do. It is down to how many points Real Madrid can gain, making absolutely sure that they beat teams like Levante and all the remainder of the clubs at the base of La Liga. If Mourinho is to bring the success that Real Madrid needs he must shift his focus, fast.

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There are plenty of soccer superstars plying their trade in Spain’s top division, and it is rightly regarded as the number one domestic league in the world. Listed below are the players who are currently regarded as being the best in Spain…

Messi : Spearheading Barcelona’s treble winning team of 2008-09, Argentinean Lionel Messi continually dazzles Europe with his creativity and flair. Even though he is just 22, he is the current “World Player of the Year” and, if he remains injury free, he is likely to chalk up awards, goals and assists for many years to come.

Cristiano Ronaldo : Blistering pace and explosive power are what led to Ronaldo initially being signed by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.Now playing for the mighty Real Madrid, Ronaldo is hoping to make as big an impact for el Madrid as he did in the famous red shirt of Man Utd.

David Villa : Playing for Valencia, who are not one of the most glamorous teams in the league, David Villa Sanchez (to give him his full name) boasts an absolutely outstanding goals to games ratio. He was the winner of the “Golden Boot” for Spain at Euro 2008 (which means that he scored more goals at the tournament than anyone else) and is expected in the near future to become Spain’s all time highest goal scorer. Equally dangerous with either foot, Villa has attracted a host of top clubs, who are all eager to land this prolific striker’s elusive signature.

Kaka : Brazilian midfielder Kaka, is a creative genius. Able to make pinpoint passes across the entire length of the field, or dribble past several players in a row, Kaka was the darling of AC Milan and led them to “Champions League” success in 2007. Now one of the jewels in Real Madrid’s crown, he aims to bring the La Liga title back to the Bernabau (where Real Madrid play their home games) after a few years absence.

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