Two seasons ago, Valencia won their first Spanish Primera Division title in 31 years, largely thanks to Rafa Benitez's appointment. In the 2003-04 season, they secured their second title in three years, beating Real Madrid to the championship. Real Madrid had a disappointing title defense, finishing fourth behind Deportivo, Barcelona, and Valencia, despite having the Galacticos. The transfer window saw high-profile moves, including David Beckham joining Real Madrid and Ronaldinho joining Barcelona. There were also notable departures from La Liga, such as Claude Makelele to Chelsea and Juan Roman Riquelme to Villarreal. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona had strong starts to the season, but Barcelona struggled in the first half, while Valencia and Real Madrid had mixed results. Barcelona improved in the second half, but it was Valencia who ultimately claimed the title. Real Madrid's season ended poorly, resulting in the dismissal of their manager Carlos Queiroz. Other notable events included Zaragoza's successful season and the relegation of Valladolid, Celta, and Murcia. Valencia's Vicente was named Player of the Season, while Ronaldinho was the Foreign Player of the Season. The top goalscorer was Ronaldo with 24 goals, and the most expensive transfer was David Beckham to Real Madrid for €38m. The key moment of the season was Ricardo Oliveira's goal for Valencia against Barcelona, which set the tone for their successful campaign.
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