Atletico Madrid are La Liga champions for the first time in 18 years after picking up a point at the Nou Camp despite a calamitous first half that looked to have put Barcelona back in control.
Both Diego Costa and Arda Turan were taken off injured in the first 45 minutes and a lightning strike from Alexis Sanchez beat Thibaut Courtois to put Barça 1-0 up but even the half-time advantage could not wake Barcelona from their slumber.
Joy and pain: Atletico Madrid's defender Diego Godin celebrates his equaliser as Lionel Messi looks on
Joy: Atletico's Diego Godin (left) celebrates his goal against Barcelona
Courtois is another who has now surely played his last league game for Atletico with Jose Mourinho unlikely to sanction more Champions League heroics for a club other than Chelsea next season.
But both have signed off as league champions.
It was always going to take something special to beat Courtois and it came towards the end of the first half from Sanchez. The Chile winger's rocket shot found the Belgian keeper's top corner after Leo Messi had chested down Cesc Fabregas' long ball. It looked then like being the goal that would decide the league.
It had not been a typical Barcelona goal – fitting for what has not been a typical Barcelona season.
Their passing football has deserted them and they started this game without Xavi – the veteran midfield maestro left on the bench.
High jump: Atletico Madrids's Diego Godin scores equaliser against Barcelona
High jump: Atletico Madrids's Diego Godin scores equaliser against Barcelona
Having taken the lead surely Barcelona would produce a second half worthy of champions but they came out sleeping for the second period.
First David Villa hit the post and then Diego Godin powered a header past Jose Pinto from Koke's corner to put Atletico Madrid level. Barcelona's achilles heel had come back to haunt them again and this time it would cost them the league title.
With the introduction of Neymar the home side improved and the change seemed to inspire Messi, who had the ball in the net only for an off-side flag to rule out the effort.
A title-winning goal from Messi would have been the perfect way to celebrate a new £16.3million contract but neither in this game nor the other 37 of the season has he looked like the four-times Balon d'Or winner of old.
Rocket: Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez breaks the deadlock against Atletico Madrid
Jumping for joy: Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring at Nou Camp
Barcelona striker Alexis Sanchez celebrates after scoring a goal
His season has been as flat as Barcelona's. Around 2,000 of their supporters had gathered outside the team's hotel two hours before kick-off and as the team coach made the half-mile crawl to the stadium their fans lined both sides of the road to cheer them towards the Nou Camp.
But no amount of last-day euphoria could reignite their campaign.
Tata Martino's pre-match comments had set the tone when he said that he would gladly swap places with Atletico, preferring to need an away point, to a home win. Surely emphasizing Barca's home record over the course of the season – having dropped just four points – would have been a better message to send out.
Fever pitch: Atletico celebrate winning the Spanish league title at the Nou Camp
Emotional: Striker Diego Costa hugs goal scorer Diego Godin after winning the league title
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