After defeating Espanyol, Real Madrid won the 35th La Liga title in their history four rounds earlier. From Carlo Ancelotti, who won La Liga for the first time, to Benzema, who set a personal scoring record, to Arabba, who became the core of Real Madrid's defense, they are all the heroes of Real Madrid's victory.
Ancelotti
There is no doubt that Ancelotti's achievements after his return have even exceeded expectations. In the absence of a significant increase in the strength of the squad, Ancelotti once again stimulated the fighting spirit and strength of Real Madrid players, helped young players like Vinicius achieve breakthroughs, and also helped veterans like Benzema and Modric to rejuvenate another spring.
In his second time at Real Madrid, Ancelotti won the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga for the first time in his first season, becoming the first manager in Real Madrid history to win all six competitions. After the unsuccessful experience of coaching Napoli and Everton, the 62-year-old Ancelotti once again proved himself.
Benzema
Who is the number one contributor to Real Madrid's double victory and the final four of the Champions League? Benzema will probably be the answer given by many fans. Before the season was over, Benzema had set a personal single-season scoring record with 42 goals.
In this season, Benzema has scored 42 goals in 42 games, averaging 1 goal per game, while in Ronaldo's final season for Real Madrid, Benzema scored just 12 goals in 47 appearances. Meanwhile, Benzema has also delivered 13 assists this season, which put him at the top of the La Liga goal and assist list.
In the Champions League, Benzema scored consecutive hat-tricks against Paris and Chelsea, and two goals against Manchester City allowed him to surpass Levan in the Champions League top scorers list, and is expected to win La Liga and the Champions League Golden Boot for the first time. With his outstanding performances at Real Madrid, Benzema has become the biggest favourite to win the Ballon d'Or.
Vinicius
This season, Vinicius achieved a real breakthrough. In the 2020-21 season, Vinicius scored only 6 goals in 49 appearances, while this season, Vinicius has scored 18 goals in 46 appearances, which is three times the number of last season.
Not only that, but Vinicius has also delivered 19 assists, compared to just four last season. In the team's La Liga goals and assists, Vinicius is second only to Benzema.
Vinicius' growth has not been smooth sailing, reaching 70 million euros in 2019, but then it has fallen all the way down, falling to 40 million euros in 2020, and by 2022, the Brazilian winger has reached 100 million euros, second only to Haaland among under-21 players.
Modric
Real Madrid were able to win the double in the transition season, with the three midfielders of the ceremony playing the most, and of the three midfield veterans, Modric played the best. Despite being 36 years old, Modric's physical fitness and form have not declined in the slightest, and in the away match against Chelsea, Modric ran 10.95 kilometers, ranking first among Real Madrid players.
This season, Modric has delivered nine assists, equalling the individual single-season assist record set in 2013-14. In the Champions League, Modric delivered four assists, setting a personal single-season Champions League assist record.
According to the media, Modric has reached a contract renewal agreement with Real Madrid, and he will sign a new contract with Real Madrid to renew the contract for 1 year and add 1 year to the optional contract. This means that Modric will eventually grow old at the Bernabeu, and for the Ballon d'Or, it is his dream.
Alaba
In the summer window of 2021, after the expiration of his contract with Bayern, Alaba chose to switch to Real Madrid. La Liga debut against Alaves, Alaba delivered an assist, becoming the first Real Madrid new signing to give an assist in his debut since Kroos in 2014. In the first leg against Barca, Alaba scored his Real Madrid debut and was voted the best player of the game.
After joining Real Madrid, Alaba won his first title (Spanish Super Cup) in just 27 games. Winning La Liga for the first time, Alaba has won the league title for 10 consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, Alaba has won 29 titles in his career.
In particular, the Football Observatory named Alaba the 2021 Player of the Year. Filling the defensive gap after the departure of Varane and Ramos, and winning the double in his first season for Real Madrid, Alaba's performance is worthy of recognition.