"Being favourites doesn't faze me" Coach Luis Enrique

 Coach Luis Enrique does not lose any sleep over being favourites going into the European Super Cup, because in his opinion, proving it out on the pitch is what counts.

"Being favourites doesn't faze me. If they see us as such it's because of the promise we clearly show. What's important is proving it out on the pitch. I'm convinced that Sevilla are going to prove to be tough opponents, as we've seen in recent games against them. We're thrilled to be competing for the European Super Cup", he said.

The Spaniard played down the absences of Jordi Alba and Neymar, adding that Sevilla are missing even more players than Barcelona. It's part and parcel of the game. It isn't just the injuries. Any kind of setback can mean losing players. Both teams are missing players, but especially Sevilla. These are just things that both teams have to deal with", he explained.

"Of course I'm gutted to see so many players missing because it weakens both teams, but that's what we have squads for. There are going to be two teams who want to win the Super Cup", he added.

Luis Enrique asks even injured and unregistered players to travel to Tbilisi for the European Super Cup

The Barça camp will travel to Tbilisi for the Super Cup with everyone except Neymar. Apart from Neymar's condition, which will prevent him from travelling with the rest of his team-mates, Luis Enrique hasn't left anyone out of the expedition that will travel to Tbilisi for the European Super Cup. This is normal procedure in Barcelona's case when a final is in the offing. The entire squad will take the plane to Tbilisi except the stricken number 11, who will have to stay home and rest. In other words, all available players including the injured Douglas and Jordi Alba, plus the two unregistered new signings, Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan. Alen Halilovic will also be there, giving the player the chance to pick up a trophy with the first team before being put on loan, where he will no doubt have more chances to play than he would otherwise have at the Camp Nou.

Adriano Correia will also make the trip to Georgia, having trained normally for several days despite not being given the all clear yet by the medical team. The Brazilian full-back, one of four former Sevilla players keen to defeat their former club in the Georgian capital, will get the thumbs up today. Nevertheless, he will most probably start the match on the bench, with Jeremy Mathieu most likely to play on the left side of defence in place of Alba. The Frenchman is taller and stronger physically and will therefore be better able to defend against the threat of the high ball. Meanwhile, the club is working hard to offer Adriano a new contract, in the wake of the player's request for a transfer to play for AS Roma. The Italian club have offered €4 million for the Brazilian.

The all-conquering Barça continue their quest

Not too long ago, most Barcelona fans wondered what disaster might befall the club should Xavi Hernández finally decide to hang up his boots, or simply jump ship to another team (Qatar).
That time has now come, but that fear appears to have subsided. Barça slowly but surely learned to live without Xavi last season. That said, even with an in-form Messi, the Catalans' playing style was difficult to understand without him. He was the man who marshaled every aspect of their midfield game: passing, possession, one-twos...

Luis Enrique made a huge decision about a year ago: to ration Xavi's first-team football. In other words, put together a Barça side in which Hernández was no longer a key player. The Catalans' starting XI would no longer be Xavi, Messi and nine others. Xavi would be reserved for key moments out on the pitch.

The Barça boss's plan went exactly according to plan. He pulled off a triple-winning season with Xavi, but also without Xavi, after the midfielder only started 19 out 31 games in the league and 2 out of 10 in the Champions League.

Xavi's departure sets the stage for this new-look Barça team as they look to continue their quest to win six titles in a single calendar year, adding the European and Spanish Super Cups, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup to their already impressive haul.

This season we should see what can finally be described as Luis Enrique's Barcelona, begging Messi's pardon. The Argentine is still the star of all the magic they do out on the pitch.

 Before, all the build-up was generated with Xavi at the centre. Now, Messi has taken over some of this scaffolding work prior to the killer moment. The Argentine is more and more showing himself to be an all-fielder, a man of many talents who can show off his customary magic from the right wing but is at his most deadly in front of goal. Messi can happily play the role of a midfielder preparing his team for the attack and then often pops up as the man to finish the job off.


 The team's strength is based on the same strategies as last year's. Nothing we have seen so far suggests that Luis Enrique is going to surprise us with anything new and adopt a whole new line-up. Of course, there will be the usual rotations that the manager relies on to keep his players fresh. Some may even enjoy more minutes this season, but Barça still have their core team, the starting XI that he looks to for the big games.


 What is a complete enigma is how the new faces at Barça will perform after having had to sit out all the club's games for the next seven months. If what we have heard from Luis Enrique himself is anything to go by, they should be called up pretty well immediately. Arda will probably be charged with a more attacking role than he had at Atlético, especially if Pedro ends up leaving. Aleix Vidal may be fielded as a right-back or out on the right wing.


The players had a hard time of it taking on board what their new manager was asking of them. It took them almost half a season to understand what was wanted of them and finally adapt to Luis Enrique's new system. But when at last they did, the efforts were rewarded with great football and a truckload of goals. This time round, the 'Azulgranas' will know what to do from the word go.


 With Suárez now fully settled into his new club, it is to be expected that the three forwards will link up even better this season and that the Uruguayan will prove to be much more effective. With Xavi gone, Messi will continue to be decisive in helping organise the moves on the rivals' goal as well as being there to finish them off.

Messi & Neymar in great shape, says Luis Enrique

FC Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is delighted with the condition in which Lionel Messi and Neymar have arrived back from the Copa America.

The Argentine went all the way in the competition, losing in the final on penalties to hosts Chile, while the Brazilian's involvement ended at the group stage when he was sent off against Chile.

The pair featured for the first time in pre-season on Wednesday, with both scoring in the 3-0 win over Roma at Camp Nou.

"They look great. They've been spectacular," Luis Enrique told reporters.

"Messi and Neymar, along with Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves have come in handy. When you're on holiday, in addition to your work programme, there are instructions for diet. They've obviously followed them.

"I liked Neymar's performance and I liked all the players in the important aspects. This is the path we want to follow."

This is how Javier Mascherano​ was picked as the fourth captain of FC Barcelona!

A mysterious piece of paper became the undisputed star of the morning at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, where FC Barcelona held a training session on Tuesday in the sweltering heat.

The third captain of the team, Sergio Busquets, jumped onto the pitch with some paper that was signed one by one all his team-mates.

Meanwhile in the stands, where the media were waiting to watch the training session, expectation grew about what was happening.

Leo Messi and Luis Suarez looked closely at the paper and smiled, then Busquets approached Bartra, Mathieu and one by one, all members of staff looked at the sheet with satisfaction.

What could be on the paper that the whole squad liked? Just before they started training the mystery was revealed.

A loud round of applause dedicated to Javier Mascherano revealed that the paper contained the results of a vote by the squad. His companions had picked 'El Jefecito' as the fourth captain, behind Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Leo Messi, replacing the departing Xavi.

How does Coach Luis Enrique look at the current FC Barcelona's Squad Form?

Luis Enrique has insisted he is counting on the Spanish striker Pedro for the new season which gets underway next Tuesday.

"Pedro is a world-class player. He's shown how good he is for both club and country. Speaking as a coach, I want him to stay. Nothing has changed. Any changes will be dictated by him".

"The players know exactly what they have to do to counteract any imbalances at the back".

What if Pedro leaves and there are injuries up front?

 "I don't like looking at 'what ifs' especially when they're on a negative note. I prefer to think that things will carry on as usual. We're ready to deal with any situation that may arise during the coming season".

On Mascherano as captain number four:  "There are other players who could captain the side, but was chosen by the players and that's how I like it. There are other players who, without being captains, have a voice inside the dressing room".

On the goalkeeping debate:

"I haven't decided who will play in the finals. However, our members can rest assured that a world-class keeper will start in goal for Barça".

On Suárez's form:

 No player in the world is at his very best at this point in pre-season. It would be wrong for either player or coach to think anything else. It's just that some players are lighter or younger - not in Luis's case - and they arrive in better shape for pre-season. Suárez has the added motivation this season that he'll be available from the very first game".

Luis Enrique: " I'm not worried about Fiorentina defeat"

Luis Enrique spoke at a press conference after losing to Fiorentina, the club's third defeat of the preseason. The Asturian coach said "I'm not worried about the result, instead about other things. We must improve our effectiveness and in all defensive aspects." The coach said of his players: "We are very good if we are 100 per cent. If we're not, we're not as good."

There were positives for Lucho from the game. "There were many aspects of the play which I liked. We have created chances and had good moments. We have to correct things. These games serve as a stimulus."

With respect to the possible exit of Pedro, Enrique said: "Rumours about Pedro leaving? I have no news."

And finally he added: "We have to improve in defence. Opponents cannot have this much space. We have worked on this although we have to work harder."

Luis Enrique: "If we're not 100%, we're not that great"

Luis Enrique was critical of his side's performance against Fiorentina, ruing the fact that mistakes were made in areas that they have covered during pre-season.

"I can't say I'm satisfied with the match. There are defensive points we have to improve on - things that we've been working on, but it doesn't seem to have done the job. We'll have to hammer away at them", the Barça boss noted.

The Asturian was particularly disappointed with the lax defending at the beginning of the encounter. "We were up against powerful opposition and there's no way we should be letting them get shots away in the box, unmarked, twice in the first 10 minutes. There are things that can and should be put right. We're very good if we're 100%, but if we're not, we're not that great", he remarked.

The 'Azulgranas' manager equally felt that his side were not clinical enough: "I'm not concerned by the result, but by the things I've spoken about and about us not being effective enough. If we're effective, we can kill off matches considering the amount of chances we create".

Luis Enrique also revealed that Andrés Iniesta had gone off with a niggle, while playing down fears that it might be anything serious.

Barça are looking to close a deal for a new central defender during the coming week

Barça still aren't classing their squad as closed for business and neither are their coaches. They believe that there is room to improve, with a clear priority being the signing of a central defender with international experience who can get involved alongside Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal in January. The main candidate is Monaco's Abdennour, who Barça's staff love, but Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen is also on the cards. Next week will prove decisive for closing the signing.

The technical staff have made it clear to the board that there will be no more signings if the current squad is maintained without any departures. However, the situation has changed, with Pedro set to join Manchester United in a matter of days and Adriano moving closer to Roma. They would both be sensible exits, but they will give the opportunity for Luis Enrique to pick up one or two players. He is prioritising a central defender in order to give some competition to his starting options.

Logic would suggest that they should look for a left-back after the departure of Adriano, but the manager wants to have more central options, in order to play with a back three if required. Due to this, Barça are looking for quick central defenders who can come forward with the ball, in order to compete with Mascherano, Pique, Vermaelen, Bartra and Mathieu. The latter can also play as a left-back, despite it not being his preferred position, but circumstances could force the player to do so despite any discomfort. Everything depends on the final decision of the coaches, but Barça are taking steps to bring in a left-footed central defender during August.

Number one on the list is Tunisia defender Abdennour. Luis Enrique has great reports on the player, who has done well at Monaco. He likes him for his technical ability, his speed, but above all, his character. He is a natural winner and has transformed into one of Monaco's leaders, both on and off the pitch.

Abdennour is on the market. Monaco has already sold one of its most expensive players, Kondogbia to Inter, and wants to negotiate with Barça. His price tag is 25 million euros, but the Blaugrana are convinced that the deal can be done for less. The footballer himself has expressed his desire to play for Barça and is waiting for the deal to complete his dream.

The reality is that negotiations with Abdennour are on the table and there is no problem with paying for his signature. Barça know the conditions and favourable ways to close the deal, but the club will not speak with Monaco until next week, when everything becomes clear with Pedro's transfer. They will then have the funds available and the possibility of doing business. The player's agents, who have travelled this week to Barcelona, want to keep pressing forward with the operation, but they aren't pressuring Barça. There is no point, as the situation is clear.

Barça have also looked into Tottenham's central defender Vertonghen. If they want a more uesful player, he can already play at left-back. The Belgian has also been on the club's list of targets in the past, but the Blaugrana pulled out of signing him as the English club were poor to negotiate with. Tottenham have no need to sell and would have problems with the player leaving. The option remains as he is a safe bet and is able to develop further. His international experience is important, despite him not having playing in the Champions League.

Next week will be decisive in completing Barça's squad, although players must first leave for agreeable fees. Barcelona do not want to sell Pedro for less than 30 million euros, and Adriano should go for a fee of more than six million. In this case, the club would aim for Abdennour and try to get it done quickly.

If Luis Enrique gets his man, Barça would have a new option at centre-back and would not allow any further players to leave ahead of January. The coach is weighing up the performances of players in order to take final decisions on possible departures, and furthermore, it has to be seen how Vermaelen fares physically during the coming months. The arrival of a central defender would make a lot of sense from a sporting perspective.

FC Barcelona lose third game in a row!

FC Barcelona's disappointing pre-season continued as they were beaten 2-1 by Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday.

Barca fell to their third loss in the International Champions Cup, nine days ahead of their Uefa Super Cup meeting against Sevilla, as youngster Federico Bernardeschi netted twice in the opening 12 minutes.

After their shaky start, Barca - who were without superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar - slowly began to control proceedings but failed to find an equaliser after Luis Suarez had halved their deficit.

Chances fell to Pedro and Suarez as the European champions pressed, yet they were unable to find a way through, leaving Luis Enrique with plenty to ponder.

Barca's early defensive play will have worried their head coach as Bernardeschi was twice allowed to pounce on crosses from the right, giving Paulo Sousa an excellent start to his home debut as Fiorentina boss.

The young striker opened the scoring after four minutes with a well-placed header from a sumptuous Borja Valero cross.

Eight minutes later Joaquin found the 21-year-old unmarked 10 yards from goal and he again made no mistake with a cool, side-footed finish.

An action-packed start to proceedings showed no sign of abating as Suarez pulled a goal back for the visitors, the Uruguayan collecting a sublime cushioned volley from Ivan Rakitic before beating Ciprian Tatarusanu.

Pedro and Suarez were each guilty of wasting good openings to level before the break, the former wasteful on two occasions with weak shots from inside the penalty area.

And Barca were lucky not to fall further behind on the stroke of half-time when Bernardeschi went agonisingly close to claiming a hat-trick, the striker just about denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen as the goalkeeper charged 40 yards out of his goal to deflect a long-range effort narrowly wide.

Valero and substitute Giuseppe Rossi - making his long-awaited comeback at Stadio Artemio Franchi after knee problems - could have strengthened Fiorentina's grip on the game in the second half, but their efforts were deflected over and Barca slowly began to gain control of proceedings.

A diving header from substitute Munir demanded a superb save from Tatarusanu to keep Fiorentina ahead, and the Romanian had to be alert again on the hour as Rafinha, Suarez and Pedro all peppered his goal.

Barca final chance came from an unusual source as Gerard Pique rose to meet a late corner from the left, his glancing header drifting wide as the 2014-15 treble winners fell to another pre-season loss.

Messi, Neymar, JMascherano, Alves and Bravo did NOT travel to Florence for Barça's fourth summer friendly!

Coaches like Luis Enrique are well aware that, the way things are set up, their job is to make sure their team peaks before Christmas and then again in the spring. What chance do they have of firing on all cylinders sooner when their biggest stars barely feature in pre-season?

Take Barcelona. With just over a week to go before the UEFA Super Cup, they are still unable to call on their players who went to the Copa América, who were all fundamental in last year's glorious campaign: Leo Messi, Neymar, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves and Claudio Bravo.

None of the quintet will travel to Florence for Barça's fourth summer friendly. As such, Wednesday's Joan Gamper Trophy against Roma will be their only opportunity to get warmed up before plunging into competitive action. The Fiorentina fixture will therefore be a sort of transitional game before the season kicks off in earnest. The squad for the visit to the legendary Stadio Artemio Franchi is made up of players who have been training for more than two weeks, many of whom will look at the occasion as their last chance to stake their claim.

The match will also allow us to gauge how Barça are coming on after three patchy performances against Los Angeles Galaxy, Manchester United and Chelsea. Despite the absence of Messi and Neymar, Luis Suárez's sharpness and the last throes of Pedro's career at the club have kept the team afloat going forward. However, things have looked much shakier in defence.

18 players to Italy for the final game in the International Champions Cup, against Fiorentina

Barça are off to Italy for the final game in the International Champions Cup, against Fiorentina at 9.00pm CET on Sunday. Luis Enrique will be taking 18 players with him, after deciding to leave behind the players that have only just returned from holiday, Messi, Neymar Jr, Mascherano and Alves, who will instead be training at the Ciutat Esportiva. Goalkeeper Bravo, meanwhile, is not due back at work until after the weekend.

Adriano, with a thigh strain, and Mathieu, who is suffering from otitis after a bout of the flu, also stay behind as precautionary measures after sitting out training on Saturday morning. The injured Douglas and Arda, who worked out separately from the group as they battle to recover from their respective injuries, will not be travelling to Florence either.

But Barça B’s Sergi Samper and Gerard Gumbau have been included in the squad, along with the first team’s Ter Stegen, Masip, Piqué, Rakitic, Sergio, Pedro, Iniesta, Suárez, Rafinha, Bartra, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Vermaelen, Sandro, Munir and Halilovic.

Did FC Barcelona​'s US Tour reveal how frail Luis Enrique's defense is?

FC Barcelona's US tour made it clear that the team have absolutely no problems creating goalscoring chances, even though two-thirds of the Catalans' three-man attack did not play. However, it also threw up some defensive frailties.

During the game against Chelsea, it was clear to all that the Blues' strikers found it far too easy to get in behind Barça's centre-backs, especially Bartra and Mathieu. Things improved somewhat when Piqué and Vermaelen took over, but it is clearly an aspect of their game which needs some attention ahead of the European Super Cup.

The US tour also threw up a series of problems that FC Barcelona have defending from set pieces, which is strange considering how solid they were last season. Luis Enrique admitted as much at a press conference and highlighted "how whimsical football is sometimes" with this sort of thing.

The Spaniard said he is working hard to improve that aspect of their game and that the easy option would be "to sign taller players, but that would mean changing their playing style", something that is non-negotiable at 'Can Barça'.

Pedro could play his last Barça game before Man United move

The Joan Gamper trophy could be a more emotional affair than usual, this season. Pedro is very close to leaving Barça and the friendly match which signals the start of the official season could be an opportunity for goodbyes from the Tenerife-born forward. Negotiations are continuing between Barcelona and Manchester United. Pedro will say goodbye to Barça after 11 seasons at the Blaugrana, spending eight of them with the first team. Pedro will give his farewells at home and in front of his supporters at Camp Nou, who will see him continue to fight for the club colours.

The forward has been a fundamental part of one of the most prolific periods of Barça's history in terms of titles. Pedro has won 19 trophies: three Champions Leagues, five La Ligas, two Club World Cups, three Copa del Reys, two European Super Cups and four Spanish Super Cups. He has also won the third division while with Barça B, three Copa Catalunyas and the greatest honours with the Spanish national team: the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

He will attempt to start a new stage in his career at Old Trafford. The agreement between Barça and Manchester United for the transfer of Pedro is merely days away. Red Devils' director Ed Woodward will arrive in Barcelona during the coming week and if he opts to take a plane it isn't for his holidays. Woodward was the man who advised the Glazer family to purchase ownership of Manchester United back in 2005. When the former general director decided to retire in 2013, the North American investors decided to offer him the job.

Woodward has helped to secure one of the huge sponsorships that Manchester United have sealed recently, Chevrolet, which will bring in 71 million per year as a shirt sponsor, and Adidas, who will give no less than one thousand million over the next 10 seasons. Due to this, Woodward has the confidence of the Glazers and when he gets involved it is to close a deal.

The negotiations have continued progressing in recent days and Manchester United have offered a proposal of close to 30 million euros, which is required to prise one of Barça's most valuable players away from them. Currently, there could be a fixed fee of between 26-28 million euros, plus four to six million in add-ons. In total, it will make up the 30 million required to press ahead with the deal. The discussions are now centred on further conditions. Barça want them to be based on individual targets for games and minutes played, which will be easier to secure, while Man United want them to be related to title wins.

Pedro remains in contact with both clubs. The player has already reached an agreement with the Red Devils that is better than his recently renewed Barça contract. The club extended his deal for four seasons, in order to command a larger fee. Man United have surpassed this contract in both duration and financially. If the negotiations keep going well, Pedro will play at Old Trafford for the next five seasons and will earn five million euros net per year. The player is only waiting for Barça and Man United to make an agreement official, in order to catch a plane to England.

The transfer will satisfy all parties. Barça will take in some important money that they need, while Pedro will gain the squad importance that he has lost at Camp Nou during the last two seasons. The Tenerife-born forward has been asked for personally by Louis Van Gaal and due to this should have a starting berth. Is everyone happy? No. Away from the Blaugrana fans wanting for Pedro to retire at Camp Nou, Luis Enrique believes that his departure will weaken his squad, who can't enter the market to find someone of the same quality.

Lucho has done everything in his power this summer to slow down his exit. He has tried to convince the player to stay and asked the club to block his departure. What can't be avoided, is that he will go if a club pay his release clause, which is the case with Man United. The Asturian coach wanted to rely on Pedro for the European Super Cup. Lucho is obsessed with winning all six trophies this season and Pedro approaches the game in better fitness than, say, Neymar. Luis Enrique has a lot of respect for Sevilla and knows that it will be a tough game, but Pedro could have a leading role. However, the Gamper against Roma could be Pedro's last Blaugrana game.