Football
ESPN staff 9y

Barcelona enter UCL 'more competitive than ever' says Josep Maria Bartomeu

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said his side are "more competitive than ever" as the Champions League holders learned their opponents in this year's group stage on Thursday.

Barca were placed in Group E alongside Roma, who finished second in Serie A last season, along with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov of Belarus.

Barcelona lifted the trophy for the fifth time in their history after Luis Enrique's side beat Juventus 3-1 in June's final, and Bartomeu said his team have a good chance to be the first to retain the Champions League trophy.

"We've been drawn with good teams and the fans will be excited about the matches," he said. "The teams are all strong, especially Roma, and it will be a great spectacle.

"The away trips will take their toll, but I don't think any of the trips are too long.

"I also think that our squad is more competitive than ever and capable of retaining the Champions League, although it will be difficult."

The draw in Monaco was full of Barcelona flavour as club captain Andres Iniesta and ex-players Andoni Zubizarreta, Juliano Belletti, Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal were on hand to help perform the draw.

Lionel Messi went home with the UEFA Player of the Year Award, defeating Luis Suarez and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Earlier in the day, Messi's solo goal against Bayern Munich in last year's Champions League semifinal first leg was voted last year's competition's best goal by users on UEFA's website, winning with 39 percent of the vote. Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's stop on Bayern's Robert Lewandowski in their second leg meeting was chosen as the best save.

Barcelona will open the Champions League in Rome against Luis Enrique's former club on Sept. 16.

"We knew we were going to get a difficult group, as this is the Champions League," Messi said.

Roma coach Rudi Garcia said he belives the race to advance to the knockout stage is wide open.

"You never know what's in store with the draw," Garcia said on Roma Radio. "There's the defending champions, Barcelona. To see them at the Olimpico will be a treat for the fans, and we'll try to do better than when we played them away [in a 3-0 friendly defeat].

"I know BATE Borisov from having faced them with Lille. In 2012, they beat Bayern Munich. There's also Bayer Leverkusen, and the German teams always have quality. They're a good team with good players.

"Behind Barcelona it seems like an open group. The schedule will be important, as will when we're playing in Belarus."

Francesco Totti said Roma will enter the Champions League with "maximum concentration."

"Every game in the Champions League has a wonderful atmosphere, but even more so those with Barcelona," Totti wrote on his website. "The games are all challenging, and full of potential pitfalls. We'll approach each match with the maximum concentration, to do well and show what we're worth."

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade acknowledged the Barcelona will be the team to beat.

"It will be extremely difficult," Schade said on Sky. "For our fans, from a touristic point of view, it's a nice draw.

"We will do all we can to reach the knockout stages once again. Barcelona are the favourites."

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