Before the 2002-03 season, Real Madrid, under the leadership of Florentino Perez, made significant transfer moves, including breaking the world record to sign Luis Figo from Barcelona and Zinedine Zidane from Juventus. Perez also aimed to add Ronaldo to the team as a key center-forward to partner Raul. Valencia, the defending champions, were looking to maintain their title after a successful previous campaign. Real Madrid's transfer strategy, known as the 'Galactico' policy, led to the signing of Ronaldo for €45 million, following their previous acquisition of Zidane. Meanwhile, Barcelona brought back Louis van Gaal as their coach, but struggled to replicate their past success. Valencia failed to strengthen their squad significantly, while Deportivo emerged as surprising big spenders. Valencia started their title defense well, but eventually finished fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification. Real Madrid had a strong start, with Ronaldo making a notable impact on his debut. Barcelona, on the other hand, faced a crisis under Van Gaal's management and finished sixth. Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo emerged as surprise packages in La Liga, with Real Sociedad leading the standings for a significant portion of the season. Ultimately, Real Madrid clinched the championship on the final day, with Ronaldo playing a key role in their victory. Atletico Madrid had a positive season, returning to the top-flight and finishing twelfth, while Recreativo, Alaves, and Rayo suffered relegation. Xabi Alonso was named the Spanish player of the season, Nihat Kahveci was the foreign player of the season, and Raynald Denoueix was recognized as the manager of the season. Roy Makaay was the top goalscorer, and Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid was the most expensive of the season. The key moment of the season was Celta's victory over Real Sociedad, which shifted the title initiative to Real Madrid.
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