The 2016/17 Barça gets up and running on Sunday night, with short, mid, and long-term objectives
The reigning champions of La Liga and the Copa del Rey face their first official match of the 2016/17 season on Sunday night.
FC Barcelona returns to competition.
A fresh chapter begins and the Blaugrana players know that if they want to continue their successful streak, each of them will need to be at their best.
Barça are back on the scene with the objective of removing the thorn in their side caused by last year's defeat in the Spanish Super Cup, and with five big mid-to-long term challenges.
These are the five big challenges facing Barça this season:
RETAINING THE LEAGUE TITLE AND THE COPA DEL REY
Barça ended the 2015/16 campaign with a more than creditable domestic double, to go along with the European Super Cup and World Club Cup. The objective is clear, to further lengthen their dominance in La Liga and claim a third consecutive title, something only achieved twice in their whole history (with the Dream Team in 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93 and 1993/94, and the Pep Team in 2008/09, 2009/10, and 2010/11).
On the other hand, though often considered a minor competition, Barça wants to maintain their status as 'King of Cups'. Last season, against Sevilla, they won their 28th Spanish Cup. Second in the historical honours list in the competition is Athletic Bilbao, with 23, but the Catalan side will try to avoid the Basque club from getting closer.
LIFTING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
It is the great hope of Barça fans. Last season, a horrendous April ended their hopes of becoming the first team to retain the title since its rebranding. The disconnection in physical condition and form that the team suffered, coinciding with the quarter-finals of the European competition, ruined the great work done in the group phase and in the last 16 against Arsenal.
Barça have learned their lesson. The players have the tie against Atletico Madrid carved into their minds, one which could have turned out differently if referee Nicola Rizzoli had awarded Barça a penalty in the last minute. The Blaugrana can not re-write history, but they can learn from it to again celebrate the trophy with their fans at the end of this season.
LEAVE BEHIND THE OFF-FIELD CONTROVERSIES
Last season, Barça were practically involved in a parallel competition in the courts. The judicial proceedings opened for the Neymar signing, the tax issues of Leo Messi and Javier Mascherano, the controversy surrounding the use of social media by Gerard Pique, the lifestyle, and future, of Neymar in the Catalan capital were recurring themes throughout the campaign, especially in the latter months.
The majority of the conflicts have been resolved or are on the way to being resolved, so Barça should be able to ensure constant stability around the club during the months of competition.
MANAGE THE GREAT COMPETITIVENESS IN THE GOALKEEPING POSITION
Until now, Luis Enrique has known how to fairly divide the playing time to handle the conflict in goal. But the system used until now may no longer be sufficient to keep both Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen happy.
Being able to use two top-class goalkeepers has become a time-bomb for the manager. The comings and goings of the two players at the club's offices, and some comments taken as warnings, seem to make clear that Luis Enrique will have to intervene with intelligence to avoid the high level of competitiveness becoming a problem.
THE RENEWAL OF MESSI AND THE FUTURE OF THE MANAGER
The emblem of this Barça, and the flagship of their golden era, Leo Messi, is under contract until June 2018. The Catalan club's idea is to offer the Argentine a new deal until 2022, when he will be 35-years-old. Though the negotiations have not yet commenced, the board do not foresee any problems to assure themselves of the future of the world's best player, and the greatest in history. The initial idea is to complete a deal in the first few months of the upcoming campaign.
For his part, the future of Luis Enrique Martinez could also become a recurrent theme if the Asturian does nothing to alter things. 'Lucho' is under contract until the end of this season. This pre-season, he fielded the first questions about his intentions, but the coach did not give an insight into his thinking, and delays any talk until next June. The future of the Barça manager's position will be up in the air until then.
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