- Title: SOCCER-SPAIN/BARCELONA Champions Barca looking for good La Liga start
- Date: 22nd August 2015
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 22, 2015) (REUTERS) MESSI DURING TRAINING GOALKEEPER CLAUDIO BRAVO AT TRAINING BARCELONA FORWARD LIONEL MESSI ARRIVING FOR TRAINING BARCELONA FORWARD LUIS SUAREZ AND FORWARD NEYMAR ARRIVING FOR TRAINING WIDE OF TRAINING FIELD MESSI HUGGING NEYMAR, DEFENDER JORDI ALBA AND FORWARD LUIS SUAREZ NEARBY VIEW OF COACHING TEAM MESSI AT TRAINING VIEW OF TRAINING IN PROGRESS NEYMAR DURING TRAINING BARCELONA COACH LUIS ENRIQUE ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WIDE OF ENRIQUE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, ON THE LIGA STARTING, SAYING: "La Liga will be very long, you said it. It is a competition of ups and downs. We will face it like the current champions, in theory as the favourite the fact that we have won the previous championship, and a very attractive one. We start in a special field and in no case what happens on this first day can tell what will happen at the end of the Liga. But starting well always helps. Better to start well than with some slips." MESSI DURING TRAINING GOALKEEPER CLAUDIO BRAVO AT TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, ON DIFFICULTY OF PLAYING WITH ATHLETIC, SAYING: "In terms of football, what worries me is the usual, the situations that we will be facing. Athletic (Bilbao) is a tough team that presses constantly, that doesn't let you play calmly, that defends very closely, that knows how to counterattack and holds for a long game with (Bilbao forward Aritz) Aduriz as a reference, deserving praise (Athletic). And that can complicate your life at any moment. We saw it in these last two games." SUAREZ AT TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, ON NEYMAR'S HEALTH, SAYING: "You saw him, he started today his first day of training. Starting from now everything will be determined by his own evolution, how he is going to perform, how he is going to assimilate the physical challenges that we will be enforcing. And it is as if he were starting the pre-season now. Taking into account that he get over a recovery process and needs to recover from it and his own evolution and his own development will determine how well he will perform." PLAYERS AT TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARCELONA COACH, LUIS ENRIQUE, ON PEDRO, SAYING "It's not about being calm or not, it's about knowing what players I can count on. And the decision from Pedro (to leave) is something that we knew was coming because it is what he wanted and I wish him the best." VIEW OF TRAINING
- Embargoed: 6th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAC519ORKEI2PC5QY2TSK2K16QE
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Barcelona start their new campaign to defend their La Liga title with a tricky away trip to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday (August 23) and coach Luis Enrique rated his team as favourites and warned "it will be a very long season."
Barca, chasing a sixth La Liga title in eight years having won a treble of Champions League and Spanish league and Cup last term, are looking to bounce back after they lost the Spanish Super Cup to Bilbao 5-1 on aggregate.
"La Liga will be very long, you said it. It is a competition of ups and downs. We will face it like the current champions, in theory as the favourite the fact that we have won the previous championship, and a very attractive one. " Luis Enrique said at a news conference on Saturday (August 22).
"We start in a special field and in no case what happens on this first day can tell what will happen at the end of the Liga. But starting well always helps. Better to start well than with some slips," Barca's boss added.
Spain centre back Gerard Pique was sent off in the second leg of the Super Cup against Bilbao on Monday (August 17) for insulting a linesman and banned for four matches and Luis Enrique confirmed the club had appealed the sanction.
Luis Enrique was full of praise for his opponents who outplayed the champions in the Super Cup.
"In terms of football, what worries me is the usual, the situations that we will be facing. Athletic (Bilbao) is a tough team that presses constantly, that doesn't let you play calmly, that defends very closely, that knows how to counterattack and holds for a long game with (Bilbao forward Aritz) Aduriz as a reference, deserving praise (Athletic). And that can complicate your life at any moment. We saw it in these last two games," the 45 year-old said.
Jordi Alba is fit-again and is available for Sunday's Liga opening match. The Spain fullback, who damaged a thigh muscle in this month's Gamper trophy invitational match against AS Roma and missed the Spanish and European Super Cups, has been given the all-clear by club medical staff.
Neymar is still recovering after a bout of mumps and was not included in the squad for the match at the San Mames, although he returned to training on Saturday and coach Luis Enrique told a news conference the Brazil forward would be back soon.
"You saw him, he started today his first day of training. Starting from now everything will be determined by his own evolution, how he is going to perform, how he is going to assimilate the physical challenges that we will be enforcing. And it is as if he were starting the pre-season now. Taking into account that he get over a recovery process and needs to recover from it and his own evolution and his own development will determine how well he will perform," Luis Enrique said.
The Bilbao game will be Barca's first outing since the exit of forward Pedro, who joined English Premier League champions Chelsea this week.
The Spain's international's departure has prompted suggestions Luis Enrique might be short of attacking options, especially if Lionel Messi, Neymar or Luis Suarez pick up an injury.
The situation has been compounded by the fact that Barca cannot register any purchases, including Turkey playmaker Arda Turan and versatile Spain fullback Aleix Vidal, until January because of a FIFA ban for breaking rules on the transfer of foreign under-18 players.
"It's not about being calm or not, it's about knowing what players I can count on. And the decision from Pedro (to leave) is something that we knew was coming because it is what he wanted and I wish him the best," Luis Enrique said.
Barca's great rivals Real Madrid begin their campaign at promoted Sporting Gijon on Sunday and Atletico Madrid, the 2013-14 champions, host another promoted side, Las Palmas, later on Saturday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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