da casino： Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta inspired underdogs everywhere as Barcelona and Chelsea descended further in farce…
da betsson： Real Madrid brought the curtain down on a dramatic 2023-24 season by winning a record-extending 15th European Cup, with the kings of continental competition beating a brave Borussia Dortmund side 2-0 at Wembley on Saturday. Madrid, of course, also won La Liga, while Manchester City inevitably claimed the Premier League title as Paris Saint-Germain's domestic dominance continued in France.
In Italy, Inter ran away with the Scudetto race, clinching top spot in the sweetest possible fashion for their fans – clinching their second star with a victory over city rivals AC Milan at San Siro. There was a massive surprise in Germany, though, as Bayer Leverkusen not only ended Bayern Munich's stranglehold on the Bundesliga – but did so without losing a single game.
Meanwhile, in a season of huge encouragement for the underdogs, Atalanta won their first major European trophy, while Bologna, Brest, Aston Villa and Girona all qualified for the Champions League.
So, who were the big winners and losers of the 2023-24 season? GOAL picks out its favourites below…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Jude Bellingham
When asked about his debut season at Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham said he "couldn't have dreamed it better". It was no exaggeration.
As well as scoring the winner in two Clasico clashes with Barcelona, Bellingham was named La Liga's best player before lifting the Champions League. Has any Galactico ever had a better first year at the Bernabeu?!
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Harry Kane
Did Harry Kane smash a mirror over a black cat while walking under a ladder?! How else could one possibly explain the misfortune of joining Bayern Munich before their first trophy-less campaign since 2012?!
It seems that the Kane curse is not only real; it’s more powerful than anyone thought!
(C)Getty ImagesWINNER: Xabi Alonso
Pep Guardiola knew Xabi Alonso would make a good coach. But not even he thought his compatriot would make the job look so easy.
Alonso has just turned a club synonymous with failure into double-winners, with Bayer Leverkusen winning the DFB-Pokal after becoming the first team in Germany football history to go through an entire Bundesliga campaign undefeated. Had they also won the Europa League, we'd be talking about arguably the greatest season of all time!
GettyLOSER: Napoli
This time last year, Naples was still celebrating a spectacular Scudetto success. Now, they're coming to terms with one of the worst title defences in Serie A history.
The reason why? A falling-out between Aurelio De Laurentiis and Luciano Spalletti that led to the departure of the history-making coach. With sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli also leaving, the project collapsed.
De Laurentiis went through three coaches during a disastrous 2023-24 campaign that ended with Napoli finishing 10th. Antonio Conte is on his way to sift through the wreckage, but he'll have to rebuild without star striker Victor Osimhen, whose imminent exit represents yet another hammer blow for the fans.