La Liga 2011-2012 End of Season Awards

Silverware time.

Here, in the final part of my end of season review, let us hand out some awards.

This La Liga campaign was one of the best and most exciting in recent years. Whether we are talking domestic competition or in Europe, fans were treated to a very memorable season.

Barcelona's reign under Pep Guardiola finally came to a halt, and Spain was dominant in Europe, with five out of eight semifinalists coming from La Liga.

We had a new team finish in a Champions League and Europa League spot. One of the best teams of the last decade saw its great run end.

Records were broken at the individual and team level that may last through our lifetime.

With so much to talk about and so many feats to be rewarded, I will get right to the awards.

Most are positive and praise accomplishments while others make note of not-so-happy events of the last nine months.

Read on to see La Liga's 2011-2012 end of season awards.

Breakout Player: Isco

Valencia will probably regret letting this youth product go for a very long time.

With so many talented players surrounding him, Sheikh Abdullah may have found the man who can turn his club into a competitor for years to come.

Isco has incredible control on the ball, has great vision, and is fearless on the ball.

The 20-year-old is very reminiscent of a young Andres Iniesta. Isco is also not afraid to shoot—as you can see with this goal.

Keep your eye on this youngster. Isco will be a menace to all Spanish teams going forward, including Los Che.

Honorable Mentions:

Adrian Lopez—Diego who? He may have earned a spot in this summer's Euros.

Mateo Musacchio—He will definitely be on the move this summer.

Iñigo Martinez—Yet another great young Basque defender who is attracting some big clubs.

Most Disappointing Player: Nilmar

Where to begin. Nilmar's season was a disaster almost from the start. Injuries surely played a part, to be fair.

There was the small transfer saga where it was rumored that Nilmar demanded an exit. Only after the window had closed did he deny wanting to leave.

This came after Villarreal's other primary forward—Giuseppe Rossi—was lost for the season by the way.

There was his huge drop in output, from 18 goals in all competitions last season to just four this campaign.

Then there was the small problem of him basically disappearing when he even was on the pitch.

When the season began, the Brazilian was expected to help carry a team that was sure to struggle on the defensive end. He needed to take some pressure off the midfield and, most importantly, score goals.

Nilmar did absolutely nothing to help ease the burden from the loss of Rossi or to help the club stay in the first division. At least he will likely get that transfer out of El Madrigal now.

Honorable Mentions:

Pique—We can blame injuries, we can blame expectations, but even when healthy, Pique was only a shadow of his former self.

Ruud van Nistelrooy—Was almost nonexistent in the first half of the season. He made up for it in the final months, though.

Kaka—Very inconsistent and still has not earned his enormous transfer fee.

Worst Manager: Javier Aguirre

What an embarrassment.

Javier Aguirre did nothing more than turn one of Spain's oldest powers into the worst Spanish side in La Liga history.

At the time of his sacking back in November, Aguirre had kept Zaragoza to the lowest point total, fewest goals, and largest goal differential in the history of the club. Statistically, it was the worst performance of any Spanish club—ever.

If not for a miracle by Manolo Jimenez, Zaragoza may have seen its last season in the first division for a long time.

Honorable Mention:

Miguel Angel Lotina—In the last 12 months, he has gotten two of Spain's better clubs relegated. Not exactly a great legacy.

Of course, Lotina was only in charge of Villarreal for less roughly two months so he can hardly take the blame.

Biggest Inury of the Season: David Villa

Lionel Messi will enjoy having one of the greatest single seasons in the history of football, but I bet he would trade that for a Champions League trophy any day.

Part of the reason Messi's numbers were so great was because of the absence of David Villa.

Without Barcelona's second-best scoring threat, Messi had to take on the entire scoring load. The risk of injury and exhaustion was huge. It also severely limited Barcelona's attack.

Villa was out of form even before his injury, but we have to wonder what impact he would have had on the team's late-season matches.

Honorable Mentions:

Giuseppe Rossi—He may not have been the reason Villarreal was relegated, but he was definitely a huge factor.

Jeremy Toulalan—Without his injury, Malaga may have finished in third place.

Sergio Canales—Valencia's midfield was awful this season. A lot was expected of Canales, but his window of potential greatness is closing fast.

Biggest Dive: Angel Di Maria Against Levante

Really? He really thought he would get away with this one?

Angel di Maria is a notorious diver, the worst at Real Madrid and one of the worst in football. But this effort was shameful even by his standards.

It started with a blatant dive that was not rewarded right in front of the judge. He immediately earned himself a yellow card with a rash tackle.

Then, after being confronted by the Levante players, di Maria pretended as though he had been punched in the face and proceeded to writhe around on the ground for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the players on both teams got into a small skirmish and argued with the referee about who started the conflict—of course, di Maria took no part in that.

It also ended up getting his teammate—Sami Khedira—sent off. Pathetic.

Best Transfer: Jeremy Toulalan

When healthy, Toulalan was the best defensive midfielder in the league. There was no more important player for Malaga than him.

The Frenchman made the defense better from day one. He also helped turn Malaga's midfield into one of the very best in Spain.

He has always been criminally underrated outside of Ligue 1 and most casual fans still fail to give the Frenchman his due.

In all of Europe, only Arturo Vidal of Juventus averaged more tackles than Toualalan's 5.3 per game.

The €10 million man will try and help turn Malaga into a contender over the next three seasons.

Honorable Mentions:

Falcao—37 goals in all competitions and a Europa League trophy. Big number, but so is 40 million.

Santi Cazorla—Ask Villarreal how important he is to a team.

Adil Rami—Without the Frenchman, Valencia would not be in the Champions League next season.

Best Loan Move: Raul Garcia

Sometimes a trip back home is all someone needs to be revitalized.

Garcia has been almost a totally different players since returning to Osasuna on loan. He helped guide his former club to seventh place and just four points from playing in the Champions League.

Raul scored 10 goals this season, which gave him more than any midfielder in La Liga. That is also double the number he scored in his best season at Atletico.

He also led Osasuna with eight assists on the year. He may now be ready to be the midfield scoring threat that Atletico needs.

Garcia would also be the comeback player of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Diego—The Brazilian was key to Atletico's second-half resurgence.

Apoño—Unquestionably the best half-season signing in Europe this season.

Carlos Vela—The Mexican helped keep a mediocre Sociedad side near the top 10.

Biggest Loss for Next Season: Pep Guardiola

Whether or not you are a fan of Barcelona or Pep Guardiola's style, any fan of La Liga will miss having such a quality manager in Spain.

Pep Guardiola finished his four-year run at Barcelona by winning his 14th trophy. That already makes him one of the most decorated managers in all of football.

We all hope the attacking football of Barcelona will remain for the fans, but the impact Guardiola had on the team's development and style will surely be missed.

Honorable Mentions:

Ruud van Nistelrooy—One of the few players to leave behind a great legacy at more than one club. He played in Holland, Spain, England, and Germany and retires as one of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation.

Mikel Aranburu—After 16 years at the same club, the Sociedad man shows that loyalty is not yet dead.

Unai Emery—Valencia fans may soon regret being so ungrateful to this great tactician.

Biggest Disappointment: Villarreal Getting Relegated

After Deportivo last season, La Liga fans once again have to watch one of the bigger clubs in the league suffer relegation. After a decade of far exceeding expectations, Villarreal exited left La Liga.

The team that once housed the likes of Juan Riquelme, Joan Capdevilla, Diego Forlan, Santi Cazorla, Rio Yavuba, and countless others will now play in the Segunda Division.

Given how much better Villarreal is run than most clubs, this one hurts a bit more.

At a time when numerous Spanish clubs are in enormous debt, owe unpaid taxes, and cannot even afford to pay their players, the Yellow Submarine getting sunk is a bit unfair.

Villarreal runs a good business. They are debt free. They make smart purchases and then sell talent to keep a balanced book.

They have one of the best youth systems in the league. They always pay their players—and do it on time.

Unfortunately, the nature of today's football does not reward smart business. It rewards unchecked debt as long as owners keep pumping money into a team that wins trophies.

Much respect should be given to players like Marcos Senna who have vowed to stay with the team despite the disappointment of this season.

Here is to hoping we see Villarreal back in 2013.

Biggest Upset: Levante 1-0 Real Madrid

This was when we knew Levante could avoid relegation. We still did not quite realize what the season had in store for the Valencian club.

Real Madrid opened the season by putting six goals on Zaragoza. They scored 10 in their first two games. They went on to break countless scoring records.

But on this September night, Levante would keep the world's best attack out of goal.

Sergio Ballesteros was inspired on the night, but the entire team was united and deserving of praise. It will likely go down as the biggest win in the history of the club.

The club actually used this win to sit atop La Liga for a few weeks—for the first time in club history.

Honorable Mentions: Osasuna-Barcelona, Getafe-Barcelona, Villarreal-Real Madrid

Biggest on-Pitch Controversy: Rayo's Survival

Was Tamudo offside? Why was there no discussion despite apparent protests from the opposing bench?

Very rarely does a single goal represent such joy and such deep sadness at the same time.

Raul Tamudo's last-minute winner for Rayo Vallecano ended up keeping the Madrid club in the first division while also sending Villarreal down.

As a result, one of the best youth teams in the league was almost demoted to the third division.

Honorable Mentions:

Pepe's Stomp—We can hardly be surprised by Pepe anymore.

He has tarnished his would-be reputation as a solid defender. For most non-Real Madrid fans, Pepe's legacy will always be as an overly aggressive thug who could never control his temper.

Super Copa aftermath—This is where we saw David Villa's slap and Jose Mourinho's eye poke. How were there not more suspensions? Ah yes, it was in La Liga and between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Best U-21 Player: Iker Muniain

You will struggle to find a teenager with more potential in all of football. Some people think Muniain could be a Ballon d'Or winner.

At just 19 years of age, the Basque star is already considered the best winger in Spain by many.

He is rapidly becoming becoming a local legend, being Athletic Bilbao's youngest capped player was also the youngest to score a goal for the club.

Muniain is an incredible play-maker who can spread play and create lots of space for his teammates. His work-rate is tireless and his desire unquestionable.

His loyalty is certain to be tested this summer as well as every other summer that he remains at Athletic Club.

Wherever he plays, Muniain may soon be one of the best players in football.

Honorable Mentions:

Isco: I have already sung his praises in this slideshow.

Thiago: Xavi's heir is already one of the best central midfielders playing for Spain. Thiago was the most accurate passer in football this season.

Manager of the Season: Manolo Jimenez

How do we judge the quality of a manager?

Is it by results and trophies alone? Is is by results based on resources and expectations? Is it by getting the most out of players?

However you measure a manager, no one was better in La Liga this season than Manolo Jimenez.

I already discussed how Javi Aguirre drove this club into the depths of despair. Nearly everyone—including myself—had written Zaragoza off by November.

The fans had decided to boycott matches to show their disapproval of the board. When they were present, the atmosphere was similar to that of a rigged presidential election—lots of anger and protests.

Then Manolo Jimenez did the impossible after taking control of the team in November. He took Zaragoza out of relegation, needing the waning minutes of league play to do so.

The Aragonese side managed 31 points in the second half of the season. Those points came against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Valencia. Apoño produced emotional winner after emotional winner.

In the end, Jimenez made Zaragoza the only team in Spanish history to be 12 points from safety, but still avoid relegation.

A lot of questions still surround the nature of the club's transfers and payments while they were under administration, but that reflects poorly on the board, not Jimenez.

Real Zaragoza spent just one day out of relegation. Fortunately for them, it was the final day of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Juan Ignacio Martinez—In his first stint with a first-division club, he led a relegation-battling club to the Europa League.

Pep Guardiola—Pep had to overcome injuries to nearly the entire team, including three of his four starting forwards. Mourinho should take notes on how to rotate a squad and mix youth into a small squad.

He also further instilled the three-man defense as part of his footballing philosophy—and he did that with a back four that was never permanent and that had a defensive midfielder as its best player.

Jose Mourinho—Furthered the argument that he is the best manager in football. He has now won three of Europe's biggest leagues.

Joaquin Caparros—Considering the stars he is responsible for developing and what he has done at the number of clubs he has done it at, we should stop being surprised at what Caparros can do with such limited means.

I dare Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho to turn this Mallorca squad into a top-four contender after finishing one point above relegation last season.

Player of the Season: Falcao

First, let me be clear. This is not about who the best player in the league was. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would of course battle for that honor, as seen in my Top 50 Players article.

This award is given to the player who did the most for his team when taking into account factors such as expectations, squad strength, finances, and results.

Messi and Ronaldo were almost legendary, no question. But they also hundreds of millions of dollars worth of talent around them. They played on arguably the two greatest clubs in the world.

Falcao came to Atletico Madrid in basically a lose-lose situation. Atletico Madrid made him their biggest signing in history after finishing in seventh place, well under expectations.

Not only that, but he would have to replace two of the club's best and well-liked strikers in history. Let me repeat—he would have to replace not one, but two elite strikers in Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan.

Now that the season is over and the dust has settled, Falcao absolutely delivered. He far exceeded expectations and proved that he has the talent to play for any team in football.

He not only scored more goals in his debut season than either of his predecessors ever had in a single La Liga campaign, he also led Atletico to its second Europa League trophy in three years.

Did I mention that he also led his team to within one win of the Champions League? This is a team which has seen three different managers in the last 12 months. 

For all of these reasons, Falcao was the best player in the league this season.

Honorable mentions:

Cristiano Ronaldo—When CR7 has the best season of his illustrious career, it is hard to argue against him for the Ballon d'Or—unless you're name is...

Lionel Messi—Scored the most goals of any player in league history.

Michu—Carried the scoring load for an overachieving Rayo. Even led all Spaniards in goals scored for much of the season.

Team of the Season: Levante

If you watched Levante celebrating after clinching Europa League play on the final match day, you may be confused as to who won the league this year.

When Juan Ignacio Martinez was brought in this season, expectations were low, to say the least. Relegation was predicted for Valencia's 'second club'.

The unproven manager would have to take over for Luis Garcia Plaza—who had built an incredible reputation in his three years with the club.

Plaza had gotten Levante back into the first division for the first time in three seasons. On the other hand, Juan Martinez had never managed a first-division team.

The team 'full of ugly players that plays ugly football' was this season's miracle. Levante's run was a win for football, especially in a time when money talks.

In the last three seasons, Levante has spent roughly $320,000 on new signings. Their biggest move this season was bringing Arouna Kone on loan from Sevilla.

They are the poorest team in the league. Levante have barely 5% of Real Madrid's budget. They earn barely 5% of what the league champions earn.

The average age of the starting XI was in the mid-30s.Their best defender—Sergio Ballesteros—had the second-most minutes of any outfielder in the league.

Before this season, most casual La Liga fans could not have named half of Levante's starting XI. Most casual fans could not even tell you which city the club played in.

Now, thanks to the work Martinez did in Valencia, Levante's story is being praised around the footballing world as a victory over money as the deciding factor for success.

All of these factors—the new, unproven manager, the age, the finances—should have meant disaster for Levante. Instead, it saw them fighting for Champions League qualification for well over half the season.

For these reasons, Levante is La Liga's team of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Real Madrid—Records galore. Real Madrid scored more goals than any team in history and finally ended Barcelona's reign under Pep Guardiola. However, given the resources of the club, this is not entirely surprising.

Malaga—Manuel Pellegrini once again shows that he is one of the best managers in football. Malaga present the best hope of ending the two-horse race in the next five years.

Atletico Madrid—A team with more than half of the starting XI playing in Madrid for the first time was just one win away from playing in the Champions League next season. I have to wonder what would have happened if Diego Simeone had started the season at the helm.

Conclusion

This essentially concludes my La Liga season review series.

If you missed out on the previous work, please see the top 50 players in the league this season, La Liga's starting XI, and the top six performances of the year.

You will also find links to other articles in this series. I may still put out a few other works reviewing the best matches of the season and individual team reviews, but this is really the end.

I hope you enjoyed reading these articles as much as I enjoyed writing them. Please leave your comments below and look out for other La Liga articles starting again next week.

Thank you all for taking the time to be part of these articles.