Campeones de la liga!

With three games left in the season, a 2-1 win over Osasuna gave Real Madrid a 10-point lead over closest pursuer Villareal. Arjen Robber, a mid-season acquisition from Chelsea FC and Gonzalo Higuain scored for Los Blancos who held on despite the sending off of defender Fabio Cannavaro.

And more importantly, they are La Liga champions for the 31st time.

Winning the Spanish league title was coach Bernd Schuster's second major accomplishment this season.

The former Madrid player, who won his first major trophy Sunday when Madrid rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Osasuna 2-1, has also managed to keep his job for a second straight season — something his six predecessors couldn't do.

Madrid president Ramon Calderon recently said Schuster would remain as coach next season — unlike Carlos Queiroz, Jose Antonio Camacho, Mariano Garcia Remon, Wanderley Luxemburgo, Jose Lopez Caro and Fabio Capello, all of whom have come and gone since 2003.

"Building a team can take up to four years because there are huge demands," said Schuster, Madrid's 21st coach in 22 years. "The coach should be given the necessary time to win titles and keep working, forming and improving a team."

Well, put coach, you see, Madrid's success this season has largely resulted from the same pragmatic style and defensive play adopted by Capello last season.

But Ramon Calderon is still a wanker.

Wahoo! Congrats Real Madrid. At least one of my football teams won this year.