This Manolo Cadenas’ first season in charge at Barça. After 12 years he left Ademar to work full time for Barcelona, and although he only won one minor title, the performances have been good.
Cadenas started the year on the right foot, winning the Pyrenees League and then beating Braga of
Portugal to qualify for the Champions League. But the work got harder from then on, with four major
titles to be chased: the Spanish Super Cup, the Asobal League, the Champions league and the Copa
del Rey. Although he came close to winning all four, but won none, Cadenas felt it was an
acceptable season and has promised to work harder this coming season to make sure the club wins
trophies.
Pleased with team’s performances
Since day one, Manolo
Cadenas made it clear to his players that 2007/08 was going to be a tough season, and this would be
reflected in training. He made plans for two training sessions every day, and kept this up for the
best part of the year. The team also had to compete in a number of different tournaments, which
proved immensely tiring, but Cadenas made a point of working hard to get the best out of every
player.
At the end of the season, the Barça manager thanked his players for responding to such tough
demands and said he was happy with his side’s general performances.
A united squad
If there was anything Cadenas wanted, apart from titles, it was to generate a good dressing
room atmosphere, and he got that. The whole team bonded through some of the most difficult moments
of the season, such as the Champions League semi final against German side Kiel and the League
final against Ciudad Real at the Quijote Arena. Such a work ethic and good atmosphere filled the
manager with satisfaction, though at the end of the campaign he curiously said “perhaps we
needed a few more arguments, a bit of spark might have given us that little push we needed in some
games”.