Points are dropped every season, but it's the nature of those that Barcelona have dropped this year that will haunt them throughout the summer. After losing the league to Real Madrid on the final day of the campaign, Barca will cringe at some of the moments that ultimately cost them a third consecutive title.
The problem has been the unexpected nature of their dropped points. Madrid's three defeats have come away at Sevilla and Valencia and at home to Barcelona. All three of those fixtures would be rated as tricky before kickoff. They're the games in which you are expected to occasionally have an off day or come up short.
It's not been the same story for Barca. Far from it, in fact. They have gone the season unbeaten against the sides who make up the top eight. They have also won away from home at Real, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol and Valencia. If you'd told them that at the start of the season, they would have presumed they would have been toasting a seventh title in nine years after beating Eibar on Sunday.
Instead, Barca have come unstuck when the motivation may not have been as high. The defeat to Alaves at Camp Nou stands out above all others, but there have been plenty of below-par performances from the team this season. Some -- such as Leganes at home -- they have got away with, others they haven't.
The question the new coach will have to ask is why? Some complain it's to do with Luis Enrique's rotations, but the counter argument is that the teams he has put out should still have been capable of beating the opposition.
Others suggest it's to do with motivation. When there's something tangible on the line -- Paris Saint-Germain at home or Madrid away -- Barca have come up with the goods; other times, they've slacked off. Maintaining that same desire week in, week out, especially after a decade of success, is one of the hardest things in sport.
With that in mind, ESPN FC takes a look at five moments that have combined to cost Barca the title.
Barca 1-2 Alaves, Sept. 10, 2016
No one saw Barcelona's first defeat of the season coming, not even when Luis Enrique named a heavily rotated team for their first game back after the international break. Newly promoted Alaves took a surprise lead, but Jeremy Mathieu's second-half equaliser looked to have Barca back on track. However, Ibai Gomez fired the Basque side back in front and not even the introduction of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta could change things. It's the only game Barca lost at Camp Nou all season, and if they had won it, they would have been crowned champions on Sunday.
Barca 1-1 Real Madrid, Dec. 3, 2016
The image of Messi celebrating his stoppage-time winner against Madrid in April is one that will live long in the memory, but it was another late Clasico goal this season that effectively decided top spot. The first meeting between Barca and Madrid this campaign at Camp Nou was far from a classic, but Sergio Ramos' late headed equaliser provided a three-point swing, earning Madrid one point at the same time as taking two away from Barca.
Real Betis 1-1 Barca, Jan. 29, 2017
One of many La Liga matches this season shrouded in controversy, Barca had a perfectly legitimate goal ruled out at the Benito Villamarin. Trailing by a goal to nil, Aleix Vidal's deflected cross was desperately cleared off the line by Aissa Mandi, but replays showed the ball had actually crossed the line by some distance. Until that point, Barca had been poor, but they eventually got on top and Suarez rescued a point late on. They were left to wonder if they would have snatched a winner, though, if the ghost goal had been given.
Deportivo La Coruna 2-1 Barca, Mar. 12, 2017
A Champions League hangover from hell. After their heroics against PSG in midweek, a jaded Barcelona forgot about their responsibilities in the league the following weekend. Having scored 12 goals on their previous two visits to the Riazor, Luis Enrique's men were stunned by a Deportivo side who had been rejuvenated by the appointment of Pepe Mel as manager. At the time, the performance wasn't overly criticised, and many were happy to take it as a consequence of the PSG win. However, with hindsight, it's proved a significant defeat.
Malaga 2-0 Barca, Apr. 8, 2017
Antoine Griezmann's late equaliser for Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu moved the title back into Barca's own hands. Win their final seven games and they would be champions. Later that same Saturday, though, they were well beaten by Malaga. It was the second time this season Barca failed to score against the Andalusian side. Real Madrid, meanwhile, have completed the campaign scoring in every one of their 38 matches. Barca went on to win their final six games, but the damage was done at La Rosaleda -- and by a striker, Sandro Ramirez, whom they let go for free last summer.