Madrid and Valencia main obstacles to Barcelona’s third title

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This article was published 22/08/2006 (7015 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MADRID, Spain (AP) – The Spanish soccer season kicks off Saturday with FC Barcelona favoured to win a third straight league title and only Real Madrid and Valencia looking like serious alternative candidates.

Madrid and Valencia have undergone major changes on and off the field in the hope of thwarting Frank Rijkaard’s team, which also won the Champions League in May.

But it doesn’t look an easy task.

Barcelona has added Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen and Juventus defenders Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram to a squad already bristling with talent – especially in attack.

In addition to the threat posed by FIFA’s World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o, Barcelona’s rivals will also face an extra concern: Argentine teenager Lionel Messi.

Messi was prevented from fully demonstrating his prodigious skills last season, first by complications over his eligibility and then by injury.

“I’m keen to win every title, but I’m especially optimistic about playing a full season without being injured,” Messi said. “Last season went really well, but it was ruined in the end by going two months without playing.”

Last season, Madrid presidents Florentino Perez and Fernando Martin resigned and the club ended without a trophy for the third straight year – its worst drought since the early 1950s.

The new administration, led by former board member Ramon Calderon, brought Juventus coach Fabio Capello back with the aim of repeating his feat in 1997 when he led Madrid to the league title.

The Italian has had his wishes granted with the signings of Juventus’ Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson, Manchester United’s Ruud van Nistelrooy and Lyon’s Mahamadou Diarra.

And now Capello is calling for a team of “warriors” to combat Barcelona.

“Barcelona is sure to be one of the main protagonists of the season – but we’re not afraid of them,” said Capello, Madrid’s sixth coach in the last three years.

Following Zinedine Zidane’s retirement, doubts continue over the futures of two “Galacticos:” David Beckham and Ronaldo.

Beckham, who has yet to renew a contract which only runs until next June, has been omitted from some of Madrid’s pre-season games. And Capello seems to prefer Van Nistelrooy rather than Ronaldo to spearhead his attack.

With transfers allowed until Aug. 31, the Brazil striker is the subject of speculation about a possible return to either AC Milan or his former club Inter Milan in Italy

Valencia, champion in 2002 and 2004, has found its off-season overshadowed by disagreements over transfer policy between new sports director Amedeo Carboni and coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Ill-feeling between the two began last season when Carboni, in his final season as a Valencia left back, endured lengthy spells out of the team.

Carboni has orchestrated a clearout which has included the departure of Argentina forward Pablo Aimar to Zaragoza. Aimar’s international teammate, defender Roberto Ayala, is also expected to leave before the end of the month.

Valencia has added Spanish internationals Fernando Morientes and Asier Del Horno from Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, together with Empoli striker Francesco Tavano. It has also reclaimed creative midfielder David Silva, who was on loan with Celta Vigo.

“We have begun a new way of working whose results will be seen in the long term,” Carboni said.

The best bets for the fourth Champions League place at the end of the season appear to be Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Zaragoza.

UEFA Cup champion Sevilla has strengthened its team with Schalke midfielder Christian Poulsen, Stuttgart defender Andreas Hinkel and Monaco striker Javier Chevanton.

Villarreal, whose elimination from the Intertoto Cup last month ended its hopes of European soccer this season, aims to recover the form which powered it into last season’s Champions League semifinals.

However, Villarreal’s new signing, Robert Pires, and central defender Gonzalo Rodriguez both tore cruciate knee ligaments in pre-season games and will be sidelined for most of the season.

Atletico has appointed Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, fresh from leading Osasuna to a first Champions League place last season.

Among the new signings is highly rated teenage Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.

Zaragoza has reappointed coach Victor Fernandez, who led the team to triumph in the European Cup Winners Cup of 1995. Together with Aimar, it has acquired another Argentine international midfielder, Andres D’Alessandro, on a season’s loan.

Fernandez is one of nine coaches starting out with new clubs this season.

Barcelona’s Rijkaard is about to commence his fourth year at the helm, making him the league’s current longest serving coach.

Toronto midfielder Julian de Guzman provides Canadian content at Deportivo La Coruna.

The three promoted teams are Gimnastic Tarragona, Recreativo Huelva and Levante. While the latter two have made recent appearances in the first division, Gimnastic is back in the top flight for the first time in 56 years.