Record-setting Messi hits double as Barca retain title

MADRID (AP):

Barcelona retained the Spanish league title yesterday, crushing Valladolid 4-0 at Camp Nou stadium in their final game of the season to win the championship for a 20th time.

Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half, adding to Luis Prieto's own goal and a strike from Pedro Rodriguez before half-time.

Barcelona finished their campaign with a record Spanish league tally of 99 points from 38 games, with coach Pep Guardiola celebrating the second league title in his two seasons in charge.

"It's true that we got a load of points; Real Madrid have had a good season and have made it really difficult for us. We battled and we achieved it," Barcelona captain Carles Puyol told Canal Plus.

Messi's goals took his league tally to 34 and his total in all competitions to 47 this season, equalling the club record set by Brazil's Ronaldo in 1996-97.

The Argentina international, who was the 2009 World Player of the Year, finished the season as the Spanish league's top scorer and won the Golden Boot, a prize awarded to Europe's top marksman.

Failed to win

Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Malaga to finish three points behind Barcelona. It is the second straight season that Madrid have failed to win a major trophy, despite spending more than €250 million ($309 million) on players.

"We should congratulate Barcelona, a worthy champion. There were two teams who mounted tremendous runs, beating all the records, but one started with a clear advantage today and was able to take advantage," Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano said.

Barcelona celebrated their title with fireworks, light and music at the stadium, with the players introduced individually to loud cheers from ecstatic fans.

Greeting the crowd, Guardiola said Barcelona's triumph was due "above all to the players."

"They are unrepeatable. You've got to believe that they're unrepeatable. They make work easy," Guardiola said.

Second highest

Guardiola later added that Barcelona's points record was the result of the pressure exerted by Madrid, whose 96-point total is the second highest in Spanish league history.

"If Madrid hadn't got so many points, we wouldn't have got so many. Madrid had an exceptional season," Guardiola said.

Valladolid's defeat meant they were relegated into the second division, along with Tenerife and Xerez.

Valladolid and Tenerife finished 36 points, two more than last-place Xerez.

Tenerife went down to Alexis Ruano's late goal at third-place Valencia, which ended the season with 72 points. Antonito Ramiro's 60th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Osasuna could not save Xerez.

In yesterday's other game, Racing Santander avoided relegation by beating Sporting Gijon 2-0 on Mohamed Tchite's goals in the 34th and 53rd minutes.

On Saturday, Sevilla claimed a place in next season's Champions League with a 3-2 win at Almeria, while Mallorca and Getafe won berths in the Europa League after beating Espanyol 2-0 and Atletico Madrid 3-0, respectively. Also, it was: Zaragoza 3, Villarreal 3; and Athletic Bilbao 2, Deportivo La Coruna 0.