The new Barça face their first official test of the new season, in the Spanish Super Cup first-leg, against the Andalusian side coached by the intriguing Argentine Jorge Sampaoli
Managing success has always been a sensitive matter for any manager.
Josep Guardiola left with many trophies and a great headline ("I'm going because we will end up hurting each other"), though it was Marcelo Bielsa who best summed it up when he said farewell to Athletic Bilbao: "I was able to handle the adversity, but not the success."
Luis Enrique finds himself in that same awkward situation after two memorable seasons. A position of titles and praise (the type that weakens you).
It is also a position of complicated challenges, because the recent past, the 'Pep era', has always been there to be compared against and, on occasion, idealised as often happens with regards to memories.
But there is more: the treble won by Luis Enrique in his first season neared him irredeemably to defeat. From that lofty perch, he could only fall.
Because, even for this team, repeating success in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League seemed an improbable dream.
A possibility that the history of football, the statistics and even their play (in some phases of the season) showed to be very unlikely.
That's how it turned out. The treble was not repeated, but the team survived the expectations with a splendid domestic double.
The Champions League attained by Real Madrid dampened the euphoria and left a sour taste in the mouth, but the cycle had been continued by Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and company.
A golden era which is maintained, with variations in the play, and the addition of new signings.
"This team has an enormous ambition" says Luis Enrique, convinced that his project 3.0 has the tools to continue dominating:
"I have a squad that is a luxury; the best since I have been Barça manager".
On Sunday, the serious tests begin, starting with a tough obstacle. Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup.
A thorn in the team's side, as last season they lost in the competition against Athletic Bilbao.
Facing them will be a team that always shows great ambition. Though this time it will be a different Sevilla, under the orders of Jorge Sampaoli.
"Normally the teams that sit deep and try to counter attack have lost against Barcelona. The best way of defending against them is to have the ball", warns the Argentine coach.
It is Sampaoli's first season in Europe, a dream of his that seemed impossible when he worked in a bank and he fantasised about emulating the Marcelo Bielsa of Newell's Old Boys.
Now his big opportunity has arrived and he seems to have that same mysterious halo shared by coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Bielsa.
On Saturday he spoke about Barça being favourites but also about rebelliousness. Sevilla have plenty of that, a team with extraordinary competitive instincts, as shown against Real Madrid in the European Super Cup.
On Sunday they will face the new (but same old) Barça in the Pizjuan.
The new signings, Andre Gomes, Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti, Denis Suarez and company, will look for their places in the side, though in this team, as everyone should know by now, everything starts and ends with the No. 10.
0 comments:
Post a Comment