After another historic treble season, Barça face the daunting task of trying to win it all again. Recent history though does not favor the Blaugrana and makes this season very challenging.
Another season is upon us and what Barça accomplished last season was phenomenal. However, what took place last season is now one for the history books. The days of reminiscing are over and Barça now need to focus on how history will remember this current team. It is never easy defending a title the ensuing season. Teams are gunning for the champions and that bullseye on the back can become a heavy burden. Barça went from being the hunters to being the hunted in a matter of months. Sometimes, it’s not good to be the king.
Barça winning the treble for the second time is historic in so many ways. They are the only European club to ever capture the treble twice, which is quite an achievement since only six other clubs in Europe have ever won the treble. Obviously, expecting Barça to win back to back trebles is asking a lot from the Blaugrana players.
Asking Barça to capture back to back Champions League titles alone is a challenging task itself. No club since the 1989-1990 Milan side has repeated as Champions League winners and that was back when it was known as the European Cup. Back then, only league winners could participate. Now, we have 5 Spanish clubs playing in this upcoming Champions League competition. Since the European Cup became the Champions League before the 1992-1993 season, not one single team has repeated as champions. Can Barça do it?
Furthermore, history is not on the side of Barça when it comes to Champions League success in seasons that precede an international summer competition. Sure, Barça won their first two Champions League titles in 1992 and 2006, which took place before Euro 92 and World Cup 2006. The schedule was not congested back in 1992 since there were less countries in Europe trying to qualify for Euro 92, and the tournament only had 8 teams competing in it. This allowed Barça to play once a week most of the time which gave the players adequate rest between matches. When Barça won the league with a 12 point advantage during the 2005-2006 season, the schedule was congested. Yet, they benefitted from enjoying a large enough gap in the standings which allowed them to rotate players down the stretch to keep them fresh. Moreover, Barça were eliminated from the Copa del Rey on both occasions back in January which also meant less matches for them during the second half of the season.
Since then however, Barça have won the Champions League only during a season that did not have an international summer competition preceding it. The 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2014-2015 seasons did not have a World Cup or Euro Cup afterwards. Thus, those types of seasons are not forced to have two matches a week like this season. That extra rest between matches, like last season, helped keep the team fresh down the stretch. However, Euro 2016 takes place this summer and Barça’s schedule will be congested once European and Copa del Rey matches commence.
Another task that awaits Barça is winning the league crown again. During this century, only six times have clubs gone on to win the league title after winning the Champions League title the previous season. Real Madrid in 2000 and 2003, Milan in 2004, Manchester United in 2009, Barça in 2010, and Bayern in 2014 have managed to pull off that feat. Barça managed to do it in 1993 but fell short in 2007 and 2011. Madrid also fell short in 1999 and last season. So Barça will have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat as league champions. An early elimination from Copa del Rey, though disappointing, would lend a helping hand in their conquest for league or European success.
As for repeating as Copa del Rey winners? It is possible. After all, Barça have reached the Copa del Rey Final four out of the last five editions. The last side to repeat as Copa del Rey winners were Barça during the Bobby Robson Luis van Gaal seasons in the late 90’s. Before them, Atlético Madrid did it in the early 90s. Again, Barça have played in consecutive Copa del Rey Finals twice in the past 5 years so it is possible.
Success though can impose a heavy hardship on a champion. The additional matches that come with winning titles can take a toll on a team. Playing the UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa before or during the start of a season can be taxing following international summer tours to reach out to foreign markets and fan bases. It is also grueling for teams to have to travel overseas for the FIFA Club World Cup in December. Unfortunately for Barça, this year’s cup takes place in Japan and not the closer venue of Morocco, so the players will have to endure more fatigue and jet lag too in their pursuit of success.
The key for Barça this season is to remain healthy and fresh while taking the one match at a time approach. Fatigue and injuries, as was the case this past weekend when Dani Alves and Busquets went down with injuries, are part of the game and that’s where squad depth will either help or hinder the team. It is a long but congested season where Barça fans will be fortunate to watch their team play twice a week often. However, it will also be grueling for the players as they battle history while attempting to make history.
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