Barcelona to Challenge for Several Titles
While on their team's pre-season tour of Asia, Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Dani Alves expressed confidence in the team's ability to collect silverware in the 2010/2011 season.
After winning the Spanish cup, the Champions League and La Liga during manager Pep Guardiola's first season in charge, the Catalan club only managed to retain the La Liga title during the 2009/2010 season.
With players returning to training from the recent world cup, optimism seems to be spreading within the team, spurring hopes of improving on last season's performance.
Argentinian Messi, whose world cup ended after his team crashed out to Germany in the quarter finals, has backed his team to challenge in all competitions this year.
"We have the same objectives Barcelona have every year," the 23-year-old told Spanish newspaper Marca. "We want to win all the competitions we participate in. We know that it won't be easy, but we have a great team," he added.
Messi, who socred 34 goals in 35 league appearances for Barcelona last season, would do very well to improve on his performance this year.
But if able to shake off Argentina's disappointing World Cup, where he failed to score a single goal from 33 attempts, Messi's tremendous talent could take him to new heights for his club.
Brazilian Alves, a charging right-back going into his third season at the club, also spoke optimistically about his side's chances this season. "We have great expectations. We need to continue the work we have done up until now," he told the press in South Korea.
Losses and New Signings
Having lost defensive midfielder Yaya Toure to Manchester City, allegedly sold to generate a well-needed £24 million for the debt-ridden Spanish club, Barcelona signed Sevilla's Adriano Correia in July.
Mexican defender Rafael Marquez left the club for New York Red Bulls this week, making the same move as striker Thierry Henry in July.
Alves, who arrived from Sevilla in 2008, said he was confident that Barcelona's new signings will be able to fill the gap left by the recent departures.
"We have lost some important players, but we have also added some that will give us even more," said Alves, who reckons his former teammate Adriano can overtake many of Toure's defensive duties in midfield.
"Adriano is a player that can adapt to a variety of positions... He brings great quality, just as he did in Sevilla and he could not have come to a better club."
As a two-footed defender able to play anywhere in the defensive line and in a defensive midfield role, Adriano's versatility will likely prove useful to Barcelona in the season ahead.
David Villa, Spain's top scorer in the recent world cup, also joined Barcelona from Valencia in June. His speed and goal-scoring ability should form a potent threat alongside Messi and Pedro or Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the team's three-man attacking lineup.
Ibrahimovic to Stay
Questions have been raised as to whether Ibrahimovic, who arrived at the club last summer and enjoyed a mediocre first season, would be forced out of the team by Villa's arrival.
Certainly, the Spanish striker will be Barcelona's first-choice in the central attacking position ahead of Ibrahimovic. The Swede may have to adjust to playing on the left of the forward line.
But following intense speculation surrounding Ibrahimovic and several Italian and English clubs during the transfer window, the striker recently confirmed his commitment to Barcelona upon returning to training.
Fabregas Deal Pending
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, who has been pursued by Barcelona club for several seasons, may join the side before the end of August.
But having recently declared a £64.3m loss during last season, bringing the club's total debt to £369.5m, it remains unclear whether Barcelona will be able to follow through with their bid for Fabregas.
With several World Cup champions, a solid defence and a more-than menacing attacking force, Barcelona may do just fine without the young Spaniard.
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