Barcelona have played a shoulder above everyone else in La Liga this season mainly due to the fact that they're able to score goals for fun with Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Luis Suarez leading the attack. A midfield with Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets provide the perfect platform for 'MSN' to do their stuff.
Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, says the three of them (MSN) are essentially writing a whole new chapter in Barcelona's vivid history especially praising Uruguayan Luis Suarez who has taken to his new role like a duck to water after joining from Liverpool.
"I think in the whole life of our club, maybe in the whole of world football, we haven’t joined three players of this quality," says Bartomeu.
"Messi we knew, he was here from 13 years old; Neymar came in 2013 and his first year was about improvement. Then Suarez came and we changed a little bit the way we play. We don’t always play with a No 9, sometimes with a false 9. Now he has found his place (at No 9) quickly and perfectly.
"He is a star,’ reiterates Bartomeu on Luis Suarez. "In his position, for us he is the best player in the world. Neymar is brilliant, he is also the best player. What can I say about Andres Iniesta, Busquets, Pique? All these players are incredible in their position.
"But Suarez accepts perfectly his role in the team. At the end what we like from our players is that they don’t look at their individual success but they look at team success. And that’s not something that happens in all the teams in Europe, for sure."
Everyone in Barcelona are a tight group: Bartomeu
Suarez, Messi and Neymar are often seen together off the pitch bonding and sharing jokes with various other teammates also involving themselves in these conversations. Pictures from training sessions and outing in the evening reflect the same and Bartomeu believes this team is so successful because of this bond.
"I was here as a member of the board with (coach) Frank Rijkaard, with Pep also, with Tito Vilanova, with Tata (Martino) and now with Luis Enrique and what I can say is that it’s the first time I see a locker-room where they are a block, they are a group.
"Sometimes there are two or three groups in the locker-room. In this team, they are one group. And everyone is happy for the individual success and the team success."
Barcelona now travel to North London to take on Arsenal in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League.
