Barcelona President Joan Laporta has resisted the urge to repeat his unfortunate comments from the summer ‘06. And for good reason. After winning the double in the ’05-06 campaign, Laporta boldly predicted that Barça would go on to win six titles the following season. Instead, the Blaugrana went on a 2-year title drought that effectively ended Frank Rijkaard’s tenure at the Camp Nou.

In Laporta’s relative silence this summer (save for a few jabs at Madrid and a declaration that he is ‘triply-calm’), Pep Guardiola has again emerged as the voice of reason. When asked what he would do for an encore after a rookie season that resulted in the first-ever treble in Spanish soccer, Guardiola responded: "I’m not trying to win three more titles. Just the next one."

It’s that sober mentality that makes this season’s Barça every bit as dangerous as the last. That, plus the incorporation of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and some added motivation from the capitol city. But first things first: Samuel Eto’o will be missed. Over the past half-decade, his goals – usually the first of the match – have allowed Barcelona to do what it does best: maintain possession and frustrate opponents. Few clubs in the world are as dangerous with a one goal lead.

That said, Ibrahimovic is a more complete player than Eto’o. His touch and vision make him a dangerous weapon to bracket with Leo Messi and Thierry Henry. Ibra has a rare skill set for a striker his size and he appears to be as comfortable running at defenders as he is holding the ball up. The ability to play in tight spaces makes him an ideal compliment to Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. Simply put, Barcelona’s offense is more versatile with Ibrahimovic.

On Defense, newcomers Maxwell and Dmytro Chyhrynskyi will try to wedge their way into a talented backline. The Brazilian full-back was brought in to compete with Eric Abidal for a spot on the left side, which was widely considered the weakest position on the squad. Maxwell is better going forward than Abidal, but the Frenchman is a more solid defender. Having both gives Guardiola some flexibility.

Chyhrynskyi is a more compelling case. Guardiola adamantly wanted the 22 year-old and Barça agreed to pay the retail price for his services. Like Ibrahimovic, the Ukranian center-back adds technical skill to the squad. Barcelona likes to build its attacks from the back and its ability to monopolize possession depends on being able to reset to the back-line. This is where Chyhrynskyi has thrived with both Shakhtar and Ukraine. Not only is he calm on the ball, but he can distribute from range, sending long, accurate passes to the wingers.

Guardiola did not get everything on his summer wish list. The manager also wanted to reinforce the left wing and center midfield positions. With La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup ahead, the squad is a bit thin at 20 players. (There were 22 last season). Guardiola will have to make up the difference with players from the youth squad, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Sergio Busquets jokes that he and Pep needed to come up from the third division in order for Barça to win anything.



Winning the treble requires a great deal of talent and organization, but also a good measure of luck. There’s a reason Barça is only the fifth team to do it. In a season as jam-packed with league, cup and international matches as this one, Barça will need some luck to stay healthy. If they get it, there’s no reason why Guardiola’s side shouldn’t win the next title… and the next one… and the next one.



Special Thanks to Andrés Cordero. Andrés is the anchor of GolTV News. He is also a frequent contributor to the Barcelona Supporter's Group- Miami site. You can also read his material on the Gol TV website.