'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
For most clubs, staving off relegation to guarantee another season of top-flight football represents success, while for others, it is attaining a mid-table finish, securing European qualification or winning a trophy every now and again. However, Barcelona are not like most clubs.
The club is far too big to worry about mundane things like relegation or European qualification. Their standards are much higher; so high in fact that a season which returns 'just' a league title is classified as a failure.
Maybe fans of the club have been so accustomed to success over the years that it has become second nature to them. Or, perhaps, it is a deep-rooted knowledge that they have had arguably the best player in history in their squad for the last 15 years augmented by multiple other world-class performers that makes them demand extra from these players.
Never mind the fact that Barca are just one of only seven clubs in Europe to have won a treble or the only one to have done it twice for that matter, it is still the minimum standard set for every season.
Never mind also that the distance between the traditional clubs and recent upstarts is getting smaller by the day, as hitherto non-traditional teams like Manchester City and PSG get more access to revenue to spend in the market, Barcelona are still expected to thump them all.
If they fail in any season, the onus is on the players to rise up and go again at the onset of the next campaign, and having seen their challenge on all three fronts ended in dramatic circumstances in the final weeks of last season, Barcelona would once again attempt to win a treble this season.
In this piece, we shall highlight five players who would play the most important role in Barcelona's quest for a treble this term.
#5 Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong emerged as one of the most promising midfielders in Europe at Ajax, and consequently became the 23rd player to represent the Amsterdam giants and the Catalans when he completed his €75m transfer to Nou Camp during the summer.
Over the course of pre-season, the 22-year-old was Barcelona's standout player. Having had a below-par debut in the 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao, de Jong was back to his commanding best against Real Betis on Matchday 2 in LaLiga.
The importance of an effective midfield to Barcelona's success cannot be overemphasized, and with Frenkie de Jong possessing all the requisite abilities of a Blaugrana midfielder, his passing, composure and ability to dictate play from midfield would come in very handy in Ernesto Valverde's quest for a treble this season.
#4 Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona's total dominance of football matches means that very rarely do opponents get opportunities to test their goalkeepers, as most of the game is usually spent in the opposition half.
In such circumstances, maintaining concentration to pull off saves when called upon despite having nothing to do for the majority of the game is of optimum value. Marc-Andre ter Stegen ranks highly in this regard, as the 27-year-old maintains a high level of concentration and performs his duties when called upon.
His pristine ability with the ball at his feet also means that the German international serves as the initiator of many Barcelona attacks. He possesses excellent reflexes and dominance in the air which sees him installed as one of the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment.
Great goalkeepers help clubs win titles, and on current form, there are not many goalies better than Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Having inspired Barcelona to a treble in his very first season with the club, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man would be raring to go once again.
#3 Antoine Griezmann
Over the last few years, Barcelona have suffered from a bit of 'Messidepencia', as the other forwards at the club simply failed to deliver the goods in front of goal in the absence or rare underperformance of their talisman.
This is especially true in the case of Luis Suarez, with the Uruguayan's numbers in front of goal in the Champions League being truly atrocious and unbefitting a striker of his caliber.
It is with this in mind that Barcelona completed a mega move for Antoine Griezmann in the summer, as the 28-year-old has proven over the years to be one of the world's most elite forwards.
While he might have his detractors; especially for his tendency to go missing on the big stages, it is pertinent to note that Griezmann functioned under a very inhibiting system under the defensively conscious Diego Simeone. It can be expected that he would post better numbers given the more expansive football and better quality of players at Barcelona.
If Barcelona are to go all the way on three fronts this season, it would be pertinent for Antoine Griezmann to deliver at the levels expected of him.
#2 Gerard Pique
With 32 major trophies won, Gerard Pique is one of the most decorated players in history, and while he might have more than his own fair share of critics, you'd be hard-pressed to find a player more committed to the Barcelona cause than the 32-year-old.
Gerard Pique is a Blaugrana through and through and has become something of a Spanish public enemy due to his unwavering loyalty to the Catalan cause. Despite having his shortcomings as a defender, the former Manchester United man's dedication means that he can be counted upon to give his all until the final whistle.
With 500 appearances and counting, Gerard Pique is one of the leaders in the Barcelona dressing room. His status as both an onfield and off-field leader would be extremely useful to Valverde, as he would be charged with marshaling a Barcelona backline which could appear shaky on occasion.
In recent seasons, Barcelona's quest for a treble have been hampered by debilitating defensive showings, with the 4-0 and 3-0 losses to Liverpool and AS Roma in the last two editions of the Champions League serving as proof of this. Moving ahead, the Catalans would be keen to avoid a recurrence with Gerard Pique having a huge role to play in that.
#1 Lionel Messi
Every ounce of success Barcelona have achieved over the last decade has been made possible in no small measures by Lionel Messi. The Argentine's mercurial ability means that he has the means to decide matches on his own almost single-handedly.
Despite turning 32 over the summer, Messi has shown no signs of slowing down and is still the singular most important player in Barcelona's history 15 years after making his debut.
With 603 goals and 242 assists in all competitions for Barcelona, the Rosario native is the club's runaway leader in both categories, and with 34 trophies lifted at Barcelona, Lionel Messi is the most decorated player in the club's history.
He is one of only a handful of players to have won two trebles, and four years after inspiring Barcelona to a second treble in 2015, Lionel Messi would be raring to go once again once he returns from injury.
