Luis Enrique said he is happy Barcelona are favourites to win this season's Champions League ahead of Wednesday's Group E opener at his former club Roma.
Last year's winners Barca are aiming to become the first team ever in the modern era to retain the Champions League trophy -- a challenge beyond many top teams over the last two decades.
The Catalan side also won their domestic double last year, and have started the new season in excellent form to go top of the early La Liga table with nine points from their first three games.
The Camp Nou coach did not step back from the challenge of retaining their titles, saying at his pregame news conference that the Blaugrana have earned the right to be seen as favourites in all competitions after their treble-winning 2014-15 campaign.
"It is a marvellous motivation, for the team, and for all cules [fans]," Luis Enrique said. "Nobody has done it, and we are going to try. In La Liga we were favourites for being the title holders; in the Champions League, the same, but we must show it on the pitch. When the ball rolls everything changes, but until then, yes, we are favourites."
Barca have already come through tough domestic away trips to Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid with victories, and Luis Enrique expects another difficult game on Wednesday given Roma recently beat reigning Italian champions Juventus.
"In Bilbao I believe we played a very good game, for games played at the start of the season," he said. "Given it was Atletico, then maybe that [performance] stands out more. There will be things to improve, and we always look to be the best -- that is an attractive challenge for us.
"We are up against a very difficult opponent. I expect to see the Roma side who were better than Juve -- they pressure you, they know how to use the ball, and that game is useful to me as an example."
The Galician knows the Estadio Olimpico well having joined Roma as head coach in summer 2012, although he left after just one season amid rumours -- always denied -- that he had not seen eye to eye with top players including club legend Fernando Totti.
"There was difficulty, but my memories are positive," Luis Enrique said. "It was my decision to leave. There are just four players left from my time, this is Rudi Garcia's team now. I am not thinking about returning now with trophies won, just with a game to play."
Barca easily beat Roma 3-0 in their preseason Gamper Trophy meeting in early August, with Lionel Messi and Neymar enjoying themselves against an overwhelmed Giallorossi defence.
"The summer game does not count as a reference, because there was not the intensity of competition," Luis Enrique said. "Roma have made important signings since that pre-season game."
Messi continued that good form when coming off the bench without any recent training to decide last weekend's La Liga game at Atletico, hours after Cristiano Ronaldo's five goal haul in Real Madrid's 6-0 win at Espanyol had for some reopened the debate over the world's best player.
"[Messi] is the best player I have ever coached," Luis Enrique said. "That is a simple answer to give. He is not just the best for me, but the best player in history."