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.

2009/10 Guest Preview- Barcelona

The 2009-10 La Liga season is nearly upon us and we here at Mad About Futbol will breakdown the chances and player movement of all 20 teams in Spain's 1st division for the 2009-10 season. This time we will breakdown Club Atlético Osasuna.


LAST SEASON (2008-09):
The team from Pamplona finished in 15th place last season just 1 point above the relegation zone. Los Rojillos beat Real Madrid 2-1 on the final day to avoid the drop. Their defense saved them as they only allowed 47 goals all season. That was tied for the 3rd best in the league. Only Barcelona and Sevilla gave up less goals.

KEY PLAYER ADDITIONS:
Last season Osasuna's problem was scoring goals. Los Rojillos were the 3rd worst scoring team in 2008-09. They scored 41 goals last season so they acquired Javier Camuñas from Recreativo. The attacking midfielder/forward was Recre's leading scorer last season scoring 10 of the team's 21 La Liga goals for the relegated side.

Carlos Aranda was also signed to Osasuna from Numancia. Aranda is a striker and product of Real Madrid's youth system and will be needed to score as someone will have to take some of the goal scoring burden off of aging super-sub Walter Pandiani.

KEY PLAYER SUBTRACTIONS:
Jaroslav Plašil was Osasuna's most consistent offensive threat and lone creator in the midfield. The Czech midfielder was sold to French champions Bordeaux and his versatility as a left wing and in the center of attack will be missed for Osasuna.

PLAYER TO WATCH
This must be the breakout season for Javier Portillo. The ex-Real Madrid striker has to have a big year for Osasuna to stay in La Liga. Portillo has to start showing the goal scoring instincts that led to him braking Raul's Real Madrid youth system goal scoring record. Portillo is 27 years old, in his prime years and needs to become Osasuna's most dangerous goal scoring threat.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
Coach Jose Antonio Camacho's side should expect a mid table finish. Osasuna on paper looks good enough not to be worried about relegation. If their defense performs the same as last year then their 1st division survival will rest solely on to their offense.

2009-10 LA LIGA PREVIEW: OSASUNA

The 2009-10 La Liga season is nearly upon us and we here at Mad About Futbol will breakdown the chances and player movement of all 20 teams in Spain's 1st division for the 2009-10 season. This time we will breakdown Real Club Deportivo Mallorca.


LAST SEASON (2008-09):
The team from the Islas Baleares looked like a team headed for relegation but Ensaimada Mecánica turned it around in the 2nd half of the season. Mallorca earned 37 points in the 2nd half of the season (only Barcelona & Real Madrid earned more in that span) as Mallorca came from 19th place to finish in 9th.

KEY PLAYER ADDITIONS:
Last year Mallorca ended their season with a -7 goal differential. They were the 5th worst defense in terms of goals allowed in 08-09, so they addressed their defensive issues by acquiring Rubén from Celta De Vigo. The central defender from Real Madrid's youth academy helped Racing to a top 10 finish in 06-07 and should be energized in returning to Spain's first division.

In front of Rubén cleaning up the midfield is Portuguese midfielder Bruno China. Mallorca bought the ex-Leixões SC midfielder for 400,000 Euros following a season when Bruno China was chosen as the best defensive midfielder of the Portuguese League for 08-09. He was signed even though coach Gregory Manzano admitted that he wanted the club not to sign the 27-year old ex-Leixões SC captain.

KEY PLAYER SUBTRACTIONS:
Mallorca lost playmaker and long-time face Juan Arango to Borussia Moenchengladbach. The Venezuelan international was sent to Germany for 3.6 million Euros and missed only 1 La Liga game from 2004-08. He was the heart & soul of Mallorca for the last 5 seasons. The exit of Atlético Madrid loanees Jurado & Cleber Santana make Mallorca's offensive void even larger. Juan Arango, Jurado, and Cleber Santana accounted for 22 of Mallorca's 53 league goals.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Juan Arango's departure leaves a massive void for Mallorca but they hope that it can be filled by Sergio Tejera. The 19-year old was on loan from Chelsea last season but Mallorca worked out a deal for the U-15 & U-17 Spanish international to stay permanently. He is seen as a #10 and a replacement for Arango as a playmaker.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
The additions of Rubén & Bruno China should improve their defense but where will they get goals without Arango, Jurado, and Cleber Santana? Aduriz, Pierre Webo, and Alhassane Keita will each have to score at least 10-15 goals each for Mallorca to improve from last year. If Mallorca can carry over the momentum from last season's late charge & get consistent goal scoring, La Liga's Islanders will challenge for a Europa League spot.

2009-10 LA LIGA PREVIEW: MALLORCA

Well, the Galácticos 2.0 era is underway.

Real Madrid were able to overshadow the treble-winning rivals off the pitch by spending unheard of amounts of money. Just to give some perspective, the money that they spent on Kaká, Ronaldo, Benzema, Albiol and the rest of their transactions was the equivalent of the payroll of the New York Yankees. The results will have to be immediate and

There are lots of answers, but yet a ton of question marks with this generation of players. On the attack, there could have not been a group of players more lethal than the group that Florentino Pérez has assembled. To have Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso added to a Raúl, Guti, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Arjen Robben could translate to goals. But there is still a distinct possibility that they will have goals scored on their net as well.

Iker Casillas will have to perform to his Superman-type level this season again as there are several doubts cast on the Merengue backline. Raúl Albiol replaced Fabio Cannavaro in order to shore up that team's Achilles' heel. Still that unit is paper thin, and an injury could see Manuel Pellegrini in dire straits. Madrid does not have the depth there and their youth side has not been given the chance to shine due to the lack of interest shown by Madrid presidents past and present with regards to their "Pavons". This will place players like Ezequiel Garay and Alvaro Arbeloa into the spotlight, their success in helping out would mean the difference between winning and losing. Pepe and Sergio Ramos will be important, but they have to remain on the pitch in order to be effective. Both of these players have been on a penchant for getting carded and leaving their team at a disadvantage. Ramos, once considered one of the best young defenders since Paolo Maldini, truly slipped in 2008-09 and will have to find himself again. That form also showed in the Confederations Cup which was summer up in one play- Clint Dempsey's goal.


Biggest Issues:
Locker Room- This will be Manuel Pellegrini's greatest challenege. The tactics part is going to be simple; the camaraderie in the dressing room is not. Pellegrini will not have dealt with the egos that he will at Valdebebas. For the guys that start, all is fine and dandy. Competition will be fierce for ten starting spots, because Casillas is the only untouchable. There are players like Raúl and Guti who can poison a dressing room and have done so as was the case in Spain. This was part of the reason why both Luis Aragonés and Vicente Del Bosque have looked in a different direction.

Do they have the potential to win it all? Absolutely, they have all the ingredients in place. Can they fail? No doubt, they have all the ingredients in place. One thing is for sure, if they are not playing in the Champions League final come May (it is at the Bernabéu) then will be cataloged as one of the greatest flops ever. I don't think neither one will happen, I go for the middle of the road. But remember they do have to beat their eternal rivals, who are at the height of their powers.

Player to watch:
Xabi Alonso- Besides all the glitz and glamour of the big money acquisitions that they got over the summer transfer period, it will be one of the lower-key newbies that will make a difference for Los Blancos. If there was a lesson that Florentino Pérez learned during his first term as president was that he needs that midfielder that destroys on defense and is that first pass on offense. Without a good first pass and crisp pass to Ronaldo, Kaká, or Benzema up top, Pérez could have spent billions and his team would not be successful. He realized that the loss of Claude Makélélé was the biggest problem that he was never able to recover from.

Players In
Cristiano Ronaldo
Kaká
Karim Benzema
Xabi Alonso
Raúl Albiol
Granero
Alvaro Arbeloa
Ezequiel Garay


Players Out
Michel Salgado
Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus)
Julien Faubert (West Ham)
Javier Saviola (Benfica)
Javier Negredo (Sevilla)
Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan)

La Liga Preview: Real Madrid

The 2009-10 La Liga season is nearly upon us and we here at Mad About Fútbol will breakdown the chances and player movement of all 20 teams in Spain's 1st division for the 2009-10 season. This time we will breakdown Getafe Club de Fútbol, the Madrid side known as Azulones


LAST SEASON (2008-09):
Getafe barely stayed up in the 1st division last year. They needed a run of 8 points in their last 4 matches to stay in La Liga. Ultimately, Getafe remained in the League Of Stars by 1 goal over relegated Real Betis.

KEY PLAYER ADDITIONS:
Getafe's midfield was a big part of their struggles last year and they addressed that weakness with the acquisitions of central midfielder Derek Boateng of FC Cologne and left winger Nacho back from a loan spell at Malaga. Boateng & Nacho were brought in to provide toughness and speed to Getafe's midfield.

KEY PLAYER SUBTRACTIONS:
Getafe was a team that struggled to score goals and this season they will be without 2 of their top scorers from last year. Esteban Granero is back at Real Madrid and Ikechukwu Uche will be doing his thing for Real Zaragoza. Combined they scored 12 goals last season so its not a major loss.

PLAYER TO WATCH:
The man to watch could be Dani Parejo. The product of Real Madrid's youth system should get some major PT with Getafe and could be the key player to their midfield success.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
Getafe should be much improved but other than Roberto Soldado, where will the goals come from. Getafe will finish in the bottom half of the table. If they get into the Top 10 it will be a mild surprise. Getafe made some quality moves so they shouldn't have to worry about relegation.

2009-10 LA LIGA PREVIEW - GETAFE

The 2009-10 La Liga season is nearly upon us and we here at Mad About Futbol will breakdown the chances and player movement of all 20 teams in Spain's 1st division for the 2009-10 season. This time we will breakdown the team also known as Los Che.



LAST SEASON (2008-09):
Valencia was the only team other than Barcelona to be on top of the La Liga standings for more than 1 week. The strong start turned into a massive midseason slide as injuries and poor form saw the club hit a surprisingly low 8th place. A late season charge and a Malaga collapse in the last 3 weeks of the season allowed Los Che to sneak into a Europa League spot and finish 6in 6th place.

KEY PLAYER ADDITIONS:
For the 2009-10 season Valencia will be looking for Serbian forward Nicola Zigic to show the same form he showed for Racing Santander on loan. The 6 ft. 6 inch striker scored 13 goals for Racing last season. He should provide the big body in the box for Valencia's aerial attack and should have a lot of space to operate along side star striker David Villa.

Jérémy Mathieu is another big man acquired during the summer transfer window. The 6ft. 3 inch Frenchman helped Toulouse to a surprise 4th place finish in France's Ligue 1 as TFC finished with the best defense in the league. He is a left back and will replace Italian Emiliano Moretti who was sold to Genoa.

KEY PLAYER SUBTRACTIONS:
Raúl Albiol's sale to Real Madrid helped ease some of the club's financial burdens but the 23 year old was a versatile & durable performer in defense. Albiol's place as a defender & sometimes holding midfielder now falls to Hedwiges Maduro. The Dutchman's performance will be critical in Valencia's success as coach Unai Emery will look to him to display the same characteristics that made Albiol a valuable commodity.

PLAYER TO WATCH
When you talk about Valencia, it is always about David Villa but this year Nikola Zigic is the one to keep an eye on. Villa scored 28 of his team's 68 La Liga goals. That's 41%, one person scoring 41% of the goals will not fill your trophy case with any silverware. Zigic must score 15-20 goals to take pressure off Villa if they are to win any silverware this season.

FINAL ANALYSIS:
Despite the transfer speculation surrounding Juan Mata, David Silva, and David Villa they are all still wearing the Valencia shirt. The core of Valencia's attack is intact and should continue to terrorize defenses in La Liga and Europe. If Hedwiges Maduro can fill the role of Raul Albiol well and they can avoid major injuries, Valencia is a Top 4 team. Los Che are the best threat to challenge Real Madrid & Barcelona for a Top 2 place.

2009-10 LA LIGA PREVIEW: VALENCIA

The surprising team of last year's league was Málaga, but now this club will being their 29th season in the Spanish top flight with expectations they have never had up to now. Their youth and experience made them a team that was a threat until the tail end of the season for a spot in European Cup places in only their first season back from second division. What made it more amazing was the fact that they were the team that did the most with the least as far as budget was concerned.
2009-10 will be a season where the Boquerones will have to try and top their previous performance with the same theory.

Although Nabil Bahawill still be up front, lost one of their offensive sparkplugs in midfielder Eliseu to Lazio. The Brazilian was key in generating offense and was one of the club's leading scorers.

Free Players vs. Loaners

Málaga have been able to have a good eye and find players from other teams' reserve sides and sign them. One of the more interesting ones was Xavi Torres who was given his freedom by Barcelona B. Xavi was a starter on Barcelona´s first team last season and happened to start in the game against Mallorca after the team had won the second of three titles past season.

There was a great deal of changes on the team during the off-season as ten players left because their loan condition ended. The only exception was Albert Luque who was able to part ways with Ajax.
Although last year´s succes has gone down in team lore, the long term is virtually non-existent. The biggest loss coming into the season will be that of Duda, who returned to Sevilla after a loan stint.

Tunisian international and former Qadsia Sports Club midfielder Selim Ben Achour was signed to shore up the Málaga midfielder.

One bit of good news was the possibilty of signing former Ajax forward Albert Luque and he is formally able to return to Málaga officially. Luque was a formal cog of the puzzle and as he contributed to the club with eight goals in 32 matches last season.

Coiffeurs The Same
There was little change in the budget for Malaga as they earned a net €100,000 during the summer transfer market. Eliseu´s sale to Lazio allowed Málaga to obtain the services of Portuguese international Edinho, who arrives from AEK Athens.

Watch Out With...
Italian U-21 player Fernando Forestieri could make a splash by the time the season ends. The young man from Rosario, Argentina could have a breakout season and may turn Marcello Lippi´s head when he is given the chance. The former Boca Juniors youth player was going to have a tough time getting laying time when Hernán Crespo, Rodrigo Palacio, Roberto Acquafresca, Luciano Figueroa, and Rafaella Palladino over him, Fernando has the opportunity of a lifetime to play for a team like Málaga and be able to give himself a chance to etch a place for himself with Genoa for the future.


Players In
Xavi Torres
Mtliga
Gustavo Munúa
Valdo *
Alcalá
Omar
Milan Stepanov *
Fernando Forestieri*
Albert Luque
Jordi Pablo
Edinho
Juanito

*- loan

Players Out
Goitia*
Duda*
Pablo Barros*
Lolo*
Adriano*
Nacho*
Adrián López*
Calleja
Rossato
Miguel Ángel
Cheli
Eliseu
Silva

*- loan

La Liga Preview- Málaga

Two seasons ago, Zaragoza surprisingly had that trap door open up under them and they fell into the netherworld that they call second division. Forty two matches later the celebration was on as Zaragoza fans filled La Romareda and the project to make this club a force in Spain that seemed to have failed miserably might be back on track for now. He will also have former 1860 Munich and Rayo Vallecano midfielder Gerhard Poschner ready to do his part as sporting director with the Aragonian side.



Now the celebration and the talk is over, the job is simple and the task is at hand- find a way to stay up. Marcelino García Toral added yet another accomplishment to his resume by bringing Zaragoza up after only a year in Second Division. He was also key in leading Racing Santander to sixth place in La Liga in 2007-08; helping them earn a spot in the UEFA Cup. Now his next mission is to keep Los Maños up and that is a task in and of itself.

Players to watch:
Juan Pablo Carrizo (Lazio): The former Lazio goalkeeper wants to find a way back to the form he had back in his River Plate days. He had to find greener pastures in order to not feel the pressure of the Roman fans who had him on their most wanted list. His acrobatics are sometimes overshadowed by his eccentricity and that can cause for Zaragoza fans to come to the stadium with their own defibrillator. His welcome mat is nice and short as he will have to compete for the starting job against Javi López Vallejo, who allowed 33 goals in his 29 appearances. So for the Argentine international it will be a fight on two fronts this coming season; a crucial one for the Argentine goalkeeper.

Jermaine Pennant (Portsmouth): The former Liverpool man will be able to take advantage of his speed and skill on the right wing. The style of play in La Liga could allow him to once again obtain the type of recognition that drew comparisons to John Barnes once again. Expect this the player to really fall into place in Aragón if he is capable of doing what he does best. Maybe he never drew the interest of a person like Steve McClaren, but maybe Fabio Capello will be a different case, but it is up to him. Hopefully he will be able to have some type of mirror image on the left with former Betis and Hertha Berlin man Marko Babic on the left. Jorge López will also be key in generating offense for Zaragoza as well. The midfielder was able to score seven goals in 38 matches last season.

Abel Aguilar: Many considered Aguilar to be one of the top players in the Spanish Second division after loan stints with Xerez and Hércules. Yet again, Aguilar will see himself on loan again, but this time with a top flight side where he could truly shine. His role will really be important playing as distributor in the middle of the pitch. He could make a big splash although that will have to be seen as the only legitimate scorer up front for for Los Maños is Ewerthon who seemed to have found his scoring touch last season, filling up opposing nets 28 times in 38 matches. If he continues that run of form, he will once again become one of the most feared strikers in La Liga. He will also have Ike Uche ready to break out. The Nigerian international has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but he puts it all together, this could be an explosive scoring duo. Based on Uche's preseason, there is reason to think that a supposition such as that could come true. Another offensive threat would be former River Plate midfielder Leonardo Ponzio.

Zaragoza have a good team to contend one of the middle to lower table spots in the first division, but there will be a question mark- defense. If Zaragoza depend on a 36-year-old Roberto Ayala to be their big horse in the backline, they are going to be in big trouble. Although he was fundamental to García Toral's scheme during Operation Return, he is no longer the player that he was when he was heralded as one of the best centerbacks in the world. Many thought that he would go back to Argentina to close out his career after Zaragoza were relegated, "El Ratón" stayed put and he showed his commitment to the club. The least the club can do is to keep him on board, but the question will be for how long. He did show frailties in his last season in top flight, so let's see how long he will be on. He will have the also Madrid youth player Francisco Pavón and young up and comer Victor Laguardia who will be debuting with the first team this season.

Injuries Already
Zaragoza will start the season with some important injuries. Peter Luccin and Carlos Diogo will be out of the squad for an extended period of time. The Frenchman Luccin suffered a serious injury while still playing for Racing and will not play for the rest of the calendar year. The Uruguayan international Diogo is also under wraps after once again tearing his ACL.

The cruciate bug also hit Los Maños with Raúl Goni whose absence will make the team's backline even thinner.

Add to this list players like Braulio (ankle) and García Toral was left with no choice but to expect to see what the youth divisions can contribute with in the meantime.

Pending?
Zaragoza are hoping to sign Real Madrid forward Álvaro Negredo. He would be the ideal candidate to be able to lead an attacking duo. The bad news for president Eduardo Bandrés is that Hull City might want him to pair up with Villarreal loanee Jozy Altidore. Zenit St. Petersburg also have the youngster on their radar despite there being an agreement between club and player for a five-year deal.

Players Gone
On Loan
Matuzalem --> Lazio*
Caffa --> Betis*

Sold
Miguel Ángel Zapater--> Genoa
Chus Herrero --> Cartagena
Stéphane Pignol-- Las Palmas
David Generelo--> Elche

Retired
Cuartero (retired)

Released
Toni Doblas

Jorge Zaparaín (Zaragoza B)

La Liga Preview- Zaragoza