Advertisement

Barca reject calls for change after title triumph

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Barca reject calls for change after title triumph
Barcelona players congratulate Lionel Messi. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has hailed the club's players after they sealed their fourth La Liga title in five years on Saturday night.

Advertisement

The Catalans didn't even need to step foot on the pitch to mathematically secure their 22nd league championship as Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Espanyol left Los Blancos seven points adrift of Barca with just two games remaining.

"It has been special," Rosell told Barca TV. "It was a league that has taken a long time but what defines it is the merit it has for all the things that have happened, all the barriers and complications they have overcome. I like to win the league in any way, however it arrives."

"I know there are people that could be left somewhat disappointed after the elimination from the Champions League. We will try to do better next year, but it already has merit to be the best in the Spain and in the semi-finals in Europe."

Rosell was quick to highlight to emotional strain that the club has gone through this season due to serious illnesses suffered by defender Eric Abidal and manager Tito Vilanova and dedicated the title to them in particular.

"The reappearance of Abidal was spectacular, this is the moment of the league for me. Tito and Abidal are the two names that, if there was space to put the name of someone on the trophy, it would be theirs."

Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta also heaped praise upon the Barca squad and bit back at those who have claimed that, following their thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, this side has come to the end of an era.

"They spoke about the end of an era but we have returned to win the principal title, the one of consistency," he told the club's website.

"The squad have been capable to maintain the speed of the ship with an incredible capacity to compete."

Zubizarreta also insisted that despite their problems towards the end of the campaign, there wouldn't be major changes over the close season.

"We need to be clear where we have come from. We have been faithful to a style and Tito has accepted the goal to maintain it. We have tried to do so in the best way we know possible. We are faithful to this style despite that sometimes it won't be sufficient to win, like the day against Bayern."

"We need to keep evolving this basic idea according to what the coaches believe is the most opportune thing to do and this is how we will prepare next season."

"If we look at our squad, 80% of the players that would interest us are already part of Barcelona. As always, we will analyse everything that we can alter but the base is solid and we already have that."

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also