La Liga feature: From new signings to an emotional farewell

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Bengaluru, August 12: From pre-season preparations and new signings to a truly unique and emotional goodbye, a lot has been happening in La Liga.

With just a days to go for the start of the new La Liga season, the Spanish clubs have been busy finalising their pre-season preparations.

Some Spanish sides have been playing their last few pre-season friendlies. Among the many positive results, RC Celta beat Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cadiz overcame Burnley, Real Betis put five past Roma, and as Athletic Club drew with Liverpool.

On the transfer front, Memphis Depay and David Alaba are the two most high-profile summer arrivals at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively and they have been impressing in pre-season.

Memphis has scored three pre-season goals across four friendlies, while Alaba helped Real Madrid to a clean sheet in their 0-0 draw with AC Milan.

Just ahead of the start of the new season, the La Liga also announced a strategic agreement in principle called Boost La Liga.

This partnership with global investment fund CVC was approved by the league's executive committee and will bring a cash injection of 2.7 billion euros for the competition and its clubs.

As the 2021-22 season is set to start on Friday (August 13), here is all you need to know from a busy week around in La Liga where Lionel Messi bid an emotional farwell to the top flight of Spanish football after almost two decades.

Emotional farewell

Having won all there is to win many times over, Messi is leaving Barcelona, the club he joined as a 13-year-old.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has crafted a unique legacy at the Camp Nou and held an emotional farewell press conference, where he posed alongside the 35 trophies his goals had helped win over the years.

Villarreal still positive

Villarreal's preparations may not have gone the way they wanted as they lost to Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties at Belfast.

Still Unai Emery's squad can take plenty of positives from the annual encounter between the Champions League and Europa League winners.

Silverware

Spain's Olympics (Under-23) squad won silver at Tokyo 2020, reaching the final and ultimately coming up just short against Brazil in extra time.

Luis de la Fuente's youngsters do all return home with a medal, though, with most of the squad bringing their new hardware back to Spain, as 20 members of the 22-man squad were La Liga players.

Gold for Carlos

There was one La Liga player on the very top step of the Olympic podium though -- Sevilla's Diego Carlos --. He was part of the winning Brazil squad in Japan.

The centre-back played every minute of Brazil's journey towards gold at Tokyo 2020.