FCBARCELONA.CAT

29.03.2007 12:23

Salinas confident of achieving the double

Former FC Barcelona striker, Julio Salinas, is convinced that Frank Rijkaard’s team is on track to do the league and Cup double this season. In fact, he believes that Barça will lift the league title long before the last day of the season.

Speaking in an interview with Barça TV, Julio Salinas revealed: “I see Barça as Champions. It’s true that they’re not at the top of their form and that it’s difficult to play all the time like last season, or the one before that, but I sincerely believe they haven’t got a rival in La Liga”.

La Liga, before the end of the season

Salinas, who played for Barça and for this weekend’s opponents Deportivo (amongst others) explained in the interview: “Recently, they look better and better; they’re more focussed. If all the players are fit and focussed, it begins to be difficult for Barça to lose a match. Barcelona, without the Champions League and having recovered Samuel Eto'o and, above all, Leo Messi, will win the league quite easily and, what’s more, quite a bit before the end of the championship”.

The Cup is more complicated

However, Salinas believes the Cup will be a trickier proposition: “I’m convinced the final will be between FC Barcelona and Sevilla, and the favourite, for me, is Barça. However, it’s clear that in one match, in a final, Sevilla can beat you. Despite this, I’m optimistic and Barça, in this case, will complete their revenge for last August’s European Super Cup”.

The most dangerous opponents

Julio Salinas also went into detail about Barça’s main rivals in the hunt for the league title, and paid special attention to Sevilla, managed by Juande Ramos: "They’re the only rival for Barça in the league and in the Cup. But it’s clear that they have trouble winning matches if they’re not at 100%. They’re a complicated team when physically they can play full out over the 90 minutes, and that’s difficult to do all year round. In recent matches, they’ve looked a bit stretched to me”.

After Sevilla, Salinas believes Valencia and Real Madrid are the ones to watch, in that order: “Valencia have lost some vital points in their Mestalla stadium, for example against Racing. I believe Valencia will concentrate on securing a place in the Champions League for next season and, above all, on the quarterfinals against Chelsea”.

As for the Real Madrid side managed by Fabio Capello, Salinas believes “Real Madrid will do well to qualify for the Champions League. Zaragoza are coming strongly from behind and so it will be difficult for Madrid to qualify among the top four”.