Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says supporters should not underestimate the achievement of retaining the Primera Division title after his side picked up a 24th league crown by beating Granada 3-0 at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.
Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick, to finish the season as the league’s top scorer with 40 strikes in 35 games, which delivered the first title of a potential double for Barca, with the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla still to come next week.
Barca began the season aiming to become the first team to win consecutive trebles but those ambitions were halted by elimination from the Champions League quarter-finals by Atletico Madrid.
Luis Enrique, however, stressed the significance of winning the title.
“We must value each title win because it is worth a lot,” the coach told a press conference.
“We set out at the start of the season to win all trophies, as nobody had ever done. Sometimes people think not winning one is a disaster. But we know how difficult it is to win trophies.
“We will celebrate this, we enjoy our team, and the style in which they play. We always give ourselves high objectives – and we will keep doing that. We have won six of the last eight titles – which shows the club has a winning mentality.”
Luis Enrique had remarked after last week’s 5-0 win over Espanyol that Barca deserved to win the title and reiterated his feelings after clinching the league at Granada.
“We played very well over the full season, we were on top of the table for many weeks and the most consistent team wins the title,” he said.
“I am very happy for all Barca fans, for our families and the club. People suffer a lot in some moments, and now we want to win another trophy next season.”
The Champions League elimination came in the middle of a nosedive in results in April, when Barca lost three consecutive league games and their title hopes were left hanging by a thread.
However, the Catalans responded by winning their final five games, scoring 24 goals and conceding none.
“I will remember the good moments, and the people who supported us in delicate moments, which the fans did,” he added.
“The supporters stayed with us, despite many things going on all around us. So I would tell all Barca fans to go out and enjoy this title.”
