Luis Miguel Echegaray
May 14, 2025, 08:58 AM ET
Welcome back to Onside/Offside!
As we say goodbye to European seasons, Luis Miguel Echegaray shares his thoughts on the winners and losers of 2024-2025. From Barcelona's incredible campaign -- which fell short of a remarkable treble -- to Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur's terrible seasons, here are some of the clubs that exceeded expectations as well as a few that disappointed their fans in a multitude of ways.
THE WINNERS
ONSIDE: Barcelona
Oops, Barcelona did it again.
On Sunday, Hansi Flick's side destroyed Real Madrid, coming back from 2-0 down to a magnificent remontada, winning 4-3, thus getting closer and closer to the LaLiga title. That victory also made it a complete Clásico sweep in all competitions this season, with an aggregate score of 15-7 against Madrid.
To me, that's an unbelievable season, especially when you consider the fact that Flick had to essentially create a winning team with young cubs. And for better or worse, he has turned them into lions.
Pau Cubarsí is a giant, and at 18 years old, his maturity as a center-back is beyond comprehension. At 22, I think Pedri is the best center midfielder in the game, while Gavi (20), Fermín López (21), and Marc Casadó (21) are all valuable players who can become true Barça mainstays.
Then there's the 17-year-old phenomenon Lamine Yamal, who is beyond analysis. At that age, I have never seen anything quite like him, and the terrifying thing is that there's much more to come.
1:35
McManaman: I've never seen an El Clásico as chaotic as that
Steve McManaman reacts to Barcelona's 4-3 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga.
All of them are better players because of Flick's philosophy, but the German also did a great job this season in using all the La Masía talent and combining it well with veteran leadership, including Robert Lewandowski and the renaissance return of Wojciech Szczęsny. Then there's Raphinha, who is a Ballon d'Or contender. His trajectory has been nothing short of outstanding. Again, much thanks to Flick.
Their only blip? Had it not been for an electric, unforgettable, all-time classic semifinal in the UEFA Champions League, where they narrowly lost to Internazionale, we could be talking about a treble, and I don't even think you can call the loss to Inter a failure.
It was a gut-wrenching result for them, sure, but not a failure. We have to remember that this is Flick's debut season with the club, and in that timeframe, he took the youngest squad in Spain to the final four of the competition, and they gave it everything.
This is a remarkable squad, and their ceiling is very, very high. When Flick arrived in Barcelona last summer, he totally changed the mindset of training and the way the squad should approach competition. Barcelona are so much fitter than everyone else. They run more. They work more. They fight for everything. Their eating habits, the need to bond more as a team, collective responsibility, and all of this is a requirement from Flick at the club, which the team fully accepted and embraced the changes.
We didn't know what to get from Barcelona this season under the German head coach, but ultimately, it turned out to be a campaign where the Blaugrana drastically improved to championship-winning levels. And the scariest part? I think there's more to come.
ONSIDE: Nottingham Forest
This is not a statement exclusively for Evangelos Marinakis, Forest's owner, but I do hope he reads it.
Back in Mar. 2024, the club was deducted four points for breaking the Premier League's PSR rules. Despite the appeal, the deduction stood, and the Tricky Trees were forced to fight a relegation battle, one they eventually avoided by six points, but it was challenging at times, as this time last year, they were only out of it by a point.
Back in August, therefore, at the beginning of this season, many of us wondered if Forest could once again avoid relegation and perhaps just do enough to stay afloat. Not only have they answered that question, but Forest are in seventh place with a chance -- though frail -- of qualifying for the Champions League. The weekend's 2-2 draw against Leicester City was disappointing, but the result did confirm a spot in European competition.
That, my friends, is a great achievement and throughout the hopeful, dream-like objective of a top-five spot, which was dented by the result against the Foxes, Marinakis couldn't see the forest for the trees (apologies, I couldn't help but add the pun) and decided to publicly scold his manager right after the game.
To be fair to Nuno Espírito Santo, he took it like a champ and showed great diplomacy. But it still doesn't excuse Marinakis' behavior. So let me just remind him: In an extremely competitive season at the top half of the table, Forest played a wonderful campaign, one that rejoiced in an old-school system of physical, counterattacking, no-nonsense football, and the thought of them playing in Europe for the first time since 1995-96 should be fully celebrated by everyone involved with the club.
Champions League or not, there's much to smile about if you're a Forest fan -- or owner.
ONSIDE: Paris Saint-Germain
Winston Churchill once said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
So when Kylian Mbappé left PSG for Real Madrid last summer, their fans felt a proverbial gray cloud hovering over their hopes of continental domination. "What do we do now?" they asked. But what they didn't realize is that their manager, Luis Enrique, had already embarked on a mission to create an opportunity with this difficulty, long before Mbappé's departure.
The Spanish head coach learned a lot from his time with the Spain national team and realized that with PSG -- known for an uber reliance on individual brilliance -- he could flip the script. What if it wasn't just about possession but rather possession with a direct intent? He wanted to transform PSG into a swarm of killer bees, where offensive power came from multiple areas. But for this to happen, there could be no shining jewel, no "star."
1:27
Inter or PSG: Which team is favourite to win the Champions League?
Stewart Robson and Alejandro Moreno preview the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan.
So Mbappé's departure turned into an opportunity, as Luis Enrique could now distribute threats across the board. From Ousmane Dembélé (a Ballon d'Or contender with 33 goals in all competitions) to the magnificence of Désiré Doué, opponents now didn't know where the headaches came from. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's arrival in January was also a genius move. But it's not just about the attackers. Luis Enrique's methods really come out in the midfield, while their full-backs can turn into the best in European football.
So now the French giants, league champions and ready to win the French Cup, are one game away from winning the Champions League for the first time in club history and celebrating a treble. Who knew that all they needed to do was find opportunity in difficulty?
ONSIDE: Liverpool
Be honest. Back in August, there was no way in any possible reality that you envisioned Liverpool as Premier League champions.
I certainly did not expect it, especially since the summer only saw the arrival of a deteriorating Federico Chiesa from Juventus, which didn't exactly show signs of ambition or support for Arne Slot, who was entering his debut season as manager in the Premier League.
But these were not the only challenges. Slot was taking on a job that carried a tremendous amount of emotional baggage because Liverpool fans had just said goodbye to their adopted uncle, Jürgen Klopp.
It wasn't a shocking statement, therefore, to suggest that this would be a season where Liverpool would just need time to find their feet under their new manager, one who is also so different from his predecessor. But my goodness, the Dutch revolution became a beautiful spectacle to witness, especially because Slot calmly transformed the squad from heavy metal into classical music.
1:48
Were Liverpool really good, or was the Premier League really bad?
Mark Ogden and James Olley discuss the critics of Liverpool's Premier League title win in Arne Slot's first season as manager.
Throughout the season, Liverpool kept winning with relatively undisturbed ease, where players like Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister became one of the best midfield duos across all of football this season. Mohamed Salah looked freer and crisper, playing without the need to push anything.
While Virgil van Dijk returned to becoming not just the best center-back in the Premier League, but perhaps cementing his place as one of the best to have ever played his position.
How did Slot do it? Through stability on and off the pitch, and a more balanced approach to rhythm and control. Players now had a better understanding of what they needed to do with and without the ball. While we created narratives about the futures of Salah, Van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Slot made sure his squad remained focused.
The result? Winning the Premier League before the beginning of May, with only three losses to their name. Per Opta, they will end the campaign having led the table for 234 days, showing how, in a season of inconsistency, they were the ultimate consistent machine.
The results since the triumphant league achievement have been sobering, but don't forget about the overall context: Liverpool's Premier League title win is a tremendous achievement, but also, if we're being honest, a remarkable surprise.
THE LOSERS
OFFSIDE: AC Milan
After finishing second last season in Serie A (significantly behind champions Inter) and enduring a lackluster campaign in the Champions League, the Rossoneri had major ambitions for 2024-2025 under Paulo Fonseca, who had taken over from Stefano Pioli. It was quite simple, really: win the Scudetto.
But things didn't go as planned and by the end of 2024, the Portuguese manager left the club, announcing it himself as he left San Siro's parking lot. "Yes, it's true, I've exited Milan," he said. "That's life. Life goes like this. My conscience is calm, because I did everything I could."
Upon his departure in late December, Milan were eighth, 14 points behind the league leaders (at the time, it was Atalanta and Napoli), and as we fast forward to the present, the team -- now managed by Fonseca's compatriot Sérgio Conceição -- are still eighth and 18 points behind the league leader, Napoli.
Never mind the title, Milan are now desperately trying to earn a Champions League place, though it's going to be very, very difficult. With two league matches left to play, Juventus are fourth place with a four-point advantage. It's not impossible as they have just managed four straight wins in all competitions, but Lazio, Roma and Bologna are all above them in the table.
Milan do have a Coppa Italia final against the aforementioned Bologna on Wednesday, and if they win, they'll be in the Europa League next season. It would be a consolation prize in a campaign that has brought much inconsistency and disappointment.
At least for USMNT fans, Christian Pulisic has been very good, taking into consideration he's had to deal with so much managerial inconsistency. The American has earned 17 goals and 12 assists at the time of writing, which is his best season in European football.
OFFSIDE: Real Madrid
Let's flashback to last summer.
Mbappé arrived in the Spanish capital from PSG, ready to join a star-studded squad that includes Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior.
The Santiago Bernabéu was packed upon his arrival, and the initial sentiment was that the 2024-25 season was meant to be a continuation of Madrid's dominance as defending champions of LaLiga and the Champions League.
Barcelona were pretty much an afterthought because they were still deemed as a circus. If Xavi couldn't fix them, thought Madrid fans, then no one can. Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez was casually building another Galáctico era with the French World Cup champion as the latest arrival. With all their tools, Carlo Ancelotti just had to show up to training. Everything else would fall into place.
But as the campaign developed, cracks began to surface. It hasn't exactly been one major problem but rather a series of minor problems that have accumulated as a gray cloud hovering throughout their season.
2:18
The questions Xabi Alonso needs Real Madrid to answer
Gab Marcotti says Xabi Alonso should be asking questions of Real Madrid before he commits to replacing Carlo Ancelotti.
There's been a lack of discipline (11 players have missed games due to suspension), defensive vulnerability (33 goals already conceded compared to 2023-24 when it was 26 in total), and a lack of Ancelotti's favorite value: collective commitment.
You can't start Mbappé, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Bellingham in an starting XI and expect solidity when losing the ball, and many teams have taken advantage, including Barcelona, who -- in four Clásicos in all competitions -- have thrashed the club 15-7 on aggregate, including this past Sunday's loss, which essentially gave the title to Barça.
They also need a lot of help at the back, even with the pending arrival of Alexander-Arnold.
From an individual perspective, Mbappé has had a brilliant season. In his debut campaign with Los Blancos, he has scored 27 goals in 31 league games, which leads the Pichichi race, but overall? He has netted 39 goals in all competitions, which is a Real Madrid record, passing Iván Zamorano's 32-year-old record of 37.
So the issues of Madrid are not because of him, but he has been part of the tactical problem. There were times this season, when Madrid was going forward, that you felt that there were too many cooks in the kitchen.
I expect a lot of changes this summer, including Ancelotti's departure, which is already official as the Italian manager will join the Brazil national team setup later this month.
Xabi Alonso waits in the wings alongside an aggressive push to strengthen in many areas (Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen to join TAA from the Premier League?) as the most valuable club in world football will look to forget this season and come back with a vengeance in 2025-2026.
OFFSIDE: Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur
Last Sunday, both these teams lost at home to the same 2-0 scoreline and in the same manner. It was dreadful football, devoid of solidity and creativity, falling at the hands of West Ham United and Crystal Palace, respectively.
As a result, and because of everything I have seen this season, I'll place these two in the same category for the simple reason that in the Premier League, they suffer from the same problems. Granted, this is Ange Postecoglou's sophomore season, whilst Ruben Amorim only arrived last November, so it would be unfair to measure their own progress based on time at the club. But as I said, I do think their faults are a result of the same prognosis.
Here are two clubs (16th and 17th in the table) with auteur managers who are very stubborn about the way they want to play. They are talented head coaches with a clear passion and vision for the game, but sometimes their philosophies get in the way of the team's objectives and often fail to see what they don't have.
They don't know what they don't know, and in the Premier League, that can kill you. United and Spurs are also in a continued, desperate search for a squad culture that wants to support the identity they want to apply, but it has failed miserably. Postecoglou's gung-ho, never-ending pressing and running campaign is good for the first few months of the season, but by Christmas, the injuries and inconsistencies surface.
There is also no stability on the pitch. I think they need to find another Luka Modric, someone who can create calmness amongst the chaos. But really, they need so much more because 20 losses in a Premier League season is simply terrible.
For Amorim, I have no idea where they would be without Bruno Fernandes and their desire to push hard on the counter, open the wings, and rely on a clinical, dependable striker can't happen because -- well, they don't have one. They are now in their worst-ever Premier League campaign and the worst in top-flight history since 1973-1974, a season where they also lost 17 times and faced relegation.
It's quite the poetic irony, however, that they will face each other in the Europa League final, and I guess it makes sense because in a knockout competition, their strategies can work.
But if you want to succeed in the marathon environment of the Premier League and once again become a top five club -- never mind that, a top 10 club -- you have to be more pragmatic and offer more consistency. A trait neither have shown this season.
Will winning the Europa League save their respective campaigns? It's not as black and white as that because a trophy -- as vital as it is (especially for Tottenham) from a historical and financial standpoint -- it only gives you temporary fulfillment. It is the football equivalent of finding a bottle of water in the middle of the desert: It will satisfy your thirst momentarily, but in the end, you still have to keep walking in the sand under the hot sun.
United and Spurs, therefore, have a trophy to win on May 21, but most importantly, they have a bigger need: a future to build. To be honest, the fact that one of these two will play in the Champions League makes me feel a bit squeamish.
