La Liga Team Of The Season

Iker Casillas
Victor Valdes might have won the Zamora Trophy this season but Spanish international goalkeeper Iker Casillas remains the best for the season. He didn't have an all-perfect season at all and did commit a few uncharacteristic errors in Bernd Schuster's last games in charge but apart from Gonzalo Higuain and Lassana Diarra, has been the most consistent and best player for Real Madrid in their trophy-barren 2008-2009 season.

Daniel Alves

Daniel Alves might have started all his matches at right-back position but he has finished most of them at right-wing. The Brazilian international has been in deadly form all this season for FC Barcelona both in La Liga and in Europe and has been arguably the best right-back in entire Europe. His defending still leaves some questions but what he lacks at the back he more than compensates in going forward. Alves's linking up with Lionel Messi on Barca's right flank has been tremendously fruitful.

Carles Puyol

Carles Puyol has been a rock at the heart of FC Barcelona and although he is part of a backline that has not been shy of conceding goals, Puyol's strength and leadership skills have saved Barcelona from shipping in more goals than they would have liked to. Puyol has been superb for Barcelona in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League too.

Raul Albiol

Valencia might have endured yet another disappointing season and might have once again failed to finish in the top four but Raul Albiol has been a solid player at the back. The Spanish international has been pretty much consistent and has matured over the course of the season.

Filipe Luis

Filipe Luis might be a Brazilian and play as a left full back but he knows how to defend. He has been a consistent figure for Deportivo la Coruna this season and have been one of the best defenders in entire Spain this season. Luis is only 23 years of age and if his performance is anything to go by this season, then he should be quite some player in the next few years.

Lassana Diarra

Lassana Diarra might have played for Real Madrid only from January but the French defensive midfielder has been the best for them in the second half of the season. He has been the key season why Madrid conceded only 9 goals in their run of 17 wins in 18 league matches and was also one of the better performers for Madrid in their disastrous last 16 tie against Liverpool in the Champions League. Many are saying that Lass is the New Makelele.

Xavi

Xavi has been the best central midfielder in entire Europe this season and is one half of the midfield duo of Barcelona. Never flashy and always calm, the Spanish international has been playing some breathtaking football this season, making his presence felt in his own special quiet way. Xavi has been dominating the midfield in matches and has been pulling the strings and also sending some defence splitting passes all at the same time.

Andres Iniesta

If there hasn't been a certain Lionel Messi in this world, then everyone would have been applauding Andres Iniesta as the best footballer on the player. The other and more dynamic half of the Barcelona midfield duo, Iniesta has been a revelation this season, with his guile, speed, ball possession, dribbling and quicksilver intelligence leaving defences both in Spain and in Europe in tatters. He has been the best player in entire Europe this season, after Messi of course.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi ended the 2008-2009 Spanish league season with an astonishing stats of 23 goals and 11 assists, his most fruitful season to-date. But more importantly, this season Messi has expressed himself as the best player in the world, playing with the rhythm and joyousness of a certain Diego Armando Maradona. His dribbling skills are better than any player in the world as he can beat four or five defenders in one run and can always get past three defenders who are always on his back.

Diego Forlan

Maybe Diego Forlan is not technically the most gifted but when it comes to scoring goals, no one can beat the Uruguayan international striker. At least no one in Spain could this season as the former Manchester United and Villarreal striker won the Pichichi this season with 32 goals in 33 games. He was supposed to finish second going into the last few weeks of the season but then Samuel Eto'o failed to rediscover his scoring touch and Forlan ran away with the trophy, dragging Atletico Madrid to the UEFA Champions League for the second season in a row.

Thierry Henry

It is now hard to imagine that Thierry Henry came so close to leaving Barcelona at the end of last season. The French international has played in his same left channel position this season too but has been enjoying himself this time. Henry ended the 2008-2009 Liga season with 19 goals in 25 starts and 8 assists and was a great joy to watch, linking up with fellow Barca strikers Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi.

Subhankar Mondal