All Blacks: No 10s star in disjointed test

The spine of any rugby team, the No 8, halfback and five eighths, is usually a key to their results.

Those men are the… More

1. videoAll Blacks: Messam’s chance to claim No.6 jersey(3:29)

Actor digs deep for Iti’s appeal

Manu Bennett felt compelled to support Tame Iti.

“When Tame goes to prison, it’s like all Maori goes to prison, in a way.”

The… More

1. Is it art – or a bus shelter?

Actor digs deep for Iti’s appeal

Manu Bennett felt compelled to support Tame Iti.

“When Tame goes to prison, it’s like all Maori goes to prison, in a way.”

The… More

1. Is it art – or a bus shelter?

quiz Herald daily quiz: 18 August(15 questions)

Current events, geography, history, trivia … Test your knowledge with our daily quiz.

A new Ferrari, an Aston Martin and a Harley-Davidson are among prized possessions seized from Auckland lawyer Barry Hart after he failed to settle a $1.5 million debt.

The confiscation is the latest blow for Mr Hart, who…

Mourinho was give two objectives when he joined Madrid: break Barcelona’s domestic hegemony and return Madrid to the heights of European football with a first Champions League trophy since 2001.

One down, and one still to go after Madrid was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals last season.

Mourinho’s biggest challenge during the upcoming Spanish league season that kicks off on Aug. 18 will be keeping his players focused on the weekly domestic grind and a title that Barcelona and the rampant Lionel Messi are eager to reclaim.

“I know that Madrid’s fans are very passionate about the Champions League, but what we want to do is win titles,” said Mourinho. “Barcelona didn’t win last season, and we don’t know what they will do now.”

Madrid rolled through the domestic competition last season, including a rare win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium that decided the title race, by unleashing its attacking talent. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a club record 46 times to help Madrid set an all-time record of 121 goals en route to winning its 32nd league title with 100 points, also a La Liga milestone.

“I think these are numbers to stay in the history for a long time,” the Portuguese coach said. “But everybody knows it will be a close fight in between my team and the two best teams in the world, in a league where the other opponents are good.”

After initially failing to better Barcelona with defensive tactics, Mourinho finally found the formula for turning Madrid into the attacking juggernaut that made it a winner, with his entire squad returning this season.

Behind its potent attack, Sergio Ramos has consolidated his position in the center of the defense as did Xabi Alonso in midfield, both having a more prominent role in Spain’s Euro 2012 win than ever before.

“This team has been together for three years now and you can see that we know each other better, and that makes the team perform better,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We are a much better team than two seasons ago, and what we want to do is surpass what we did last season.”

Barcelona, meanwhile, will bring back the same squad that has enamored the world with its passing attack and slew of trophies over the last four seasons.

But the big question is whether Tito Vilanova, promoted from assistant to head coach to replace Guardiola, will be able to lead the team back to the top.

“He’s a new coach even though he has been here with us these years,” said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. “This club demands the maximum of each of us and this year will be no different. This club always demands victory.”

New signing Jordi Alba will replace Eric Abidal, who is recovering from a liver transplant, at left back, giving the Catalan club arguably the most dangerous pair of full backs in Europe with Dani Alves on the right.

Messi, fresh off an unprecedented season of 73 goals in all competitions and a record 50 in league play, will again lead the team. And with striker David Villa set to return from a broken leg, the Argentina forward can hope to have more help sharing the scoring burden.

However, Barcelona’s old guard of Carles Puyol (34) and Xavi Hernandez (32) are slowing and there are doubts over Abidal’s ability to return.

“I want to keep on as always,” said Xavi. “Physically I am fine and I will play as much as I can.”

Madrid and Barcelona have split the last eight league titles— runner-up Barcelona finishing 30 points ahead of third-place Valencia in the last campaign — and this season should be no different given the ongoing financial problems of many of their challengers.

Spain’s recession is adding to the pressure on many of its troubled football clubs. Malaga’s Qatari owner Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani poured more than €200 million ($245 million) into the Costa del Sol side over the past two seasons, and the investment appeared to pay off with the team making its first Champions League appearance after finishing fourth last spring.

But the club has been mired in a financial and institutional crisis since then, and any thoughts of raising the bar and making a run at Madrid and Barcelona is out of the question after the club’s sale of playmaker Santi Cazorla and striker Jose Rondon.

For the third year in a row, a Valencia side weighed down with debts and two football stadiums— one it can’t sell and another it can’t find the money to finish building — was forced to cash in on its best player in selling Alba to Barcelona.

Also, Deportivo La Coruna, champion in 2000, returns to the topflight after one season in the second division along with Celta and Valladolid.

While various clubs face a season of diminished expectations, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are poised to move up the standings after respective fifth- and tenth-place finishes.

Atletico’s Diego Simeone and Bilbao’s Marcelo Bielsa are returning for a second season after impressive coaching starts. Now, both managers will be expected to have even better campaigns as the clubs shoot for a long-awaited top-four finish and Champions League berth.

Mourinho said that despite Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance, the Spanish league is still the strongest in Europe.

“A beautiful league, because the teams are very technical, and that’s the reason I’m in Spain,” Mourinho said. “I want to be where the best league is.”

– Joseph Wilson

Vilanova takes on Mourinho in first season at Barca

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Few first-year coaches have inherited as rich a legacy as Tito Vilanova, now in charge of Barcelona’s experienced and star-studded team led by the unequaled Lionel Messi.

Fewer still face as much pressure as Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, who is tasked with recovering the Spanish league title from Real Madrid.

Not only will Vilanova struggle to escape comparisons with his mentor, who led the club to an unprecedented 14 titles in four seasons, he will also have to handle Guardiola’s biggest adversary, Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

“Until now, (Vilanova) had a low profile and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola, now it is his turn to take the leading role,” said Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. “All eyes are on him, but he has always been an important part of the success of this team.”

Vilanova and Mourinho have a brief but colorful history.

In his first two seasons at Madrid, Mourinho has again proven to be one of football’s greatest coaches as well as one of its most outlandish figures, as Vilanova knows better than most after getting poked in the eye by Mourinho in a scuffle during last season’s heated Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Spanish crown with a record points haul (100) and goals scored (121), breaking Barcelona’s run of three straight titles and sending Guardiola into an early retirement. Vilanova, who had been Guardiola’s assistant for five season, takes over with little margin for failure.

Entering this season as the champion, Mourinho has so far used a conciliatory tone toward Vilanova. He even made a half-baked apology for the infamous eye poke.

“I should obviously not have done what I did,” Mourinho said recently. “Nevertheless, there was a whole story behind that that made me lose a little control. The one who failed there was me.

“There lie no problems between Tito and myself,” the Portuguese manager added. “Thankfully, the story is over and we must just hope to avoid such instances in the future.”

This newfound cordiality will be put to the test when the Spanish rivals meet again in the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 23, four days after both teams open their league campaigns, with Barcelona facing Real Sociedad and Madrid hosting Valencia.

Vilanova promised to stay “very calm” and keep his composure if Mourinho does try to ruffle him.

“I am tired of talking about what happened with Mourinho last year,” Vilanova said.

Guardiola mostly ignored Mourinho’s steady stream of barbs and didn’t mention Mourinho when announcing his coaching hiatus, but he did blame the wear and tear of the constant pressure for his exit.

Mourinho and Vilanova first crossed paths in 1998 when Mourinho was an assistant at Barcelona for Luis van Gaal, who let Mourinho take charge during a Catalonia Cup game against lower-division club Lleida. Vilanova, then a Lleida player, scored from a free kick in his team’s 2-1 loss, making him the first player to score a goal against a Mourinho-led team.

Lleida’s current sports director, Jordi Esteve, was Vilanova’s teammate then. While acknowledging Vilanova lacks Guardiola’s charisma, Esteve told The Associated Press that he believes Vilanova will still succeed as Barcelona’s head coach.

“He was meticulous. He looked for the details and noticed things that the rest of us didn’t,” Esteve said. “As a teammate, you could see he liked to be in charge.

“Still, you never imagined he would end up coaching Barcelona,” Esteve said. “But he was in Barcelona’s youth academy and understands the workings of the club. Like Pep, he knows what it means to be a Barca player. Tito has to be Tito, Pep was a very charismatic player and coach, but (Vilanova) is wise enough to know he can’t try to imitate him.”

Vilanova, soft spoken and withdrawn, appears content with his role as steward of Guardiola’s legacy. This preseason, Vilanova has stayed true to the ball-control and quick-passing system he helped Guardiola design.

“What they want is for the philosophy to be the same, and with Tito that is guaranteed,” Esteve said.

The 42-year-old Catalan, who has ditched his track suits for designer clothes on the sideline, knows he can count on Messi, fresh off a record-setting season of 73 goals.

“Improving on what we have done will be tough,” Vilanova said. “I am aware of the difficulty and that our fans want us to keep winning. We are here to try.”

– Joseph Wilson

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew scoring duel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It will be tough for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take their unprecedented scoring duel to greater heights after last season’s record-breaking performances.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t try.

In the Spanish league alone, Messi scored a record 50 times last season, while Ronaldo almost kept pace with 46 goals, six more than the previous league record that the Portuguese forward established the year before.

“I begin each season with the objective of surpassing what I have done before,” Messi said. “I don’t try to score more goals, I try to improve as a player. I hope I still have margin to continue growing and become a better footballer.”

Messi shattered a string of records in 2011-12.

The 25-year-old Argentina forward scored 73 goals overall in 60 games for Barcelona, breaking the mark of 67 set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1973 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1925. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a 57-year-old club milestone, and equaled a Champions League record with 14 goals.

Ronaldo came close to matching Messi with 60 goals in 55 games in all competitions as he powered Madrid to the Spanish league title and its record point haul (100) and goals scored (121).

“My immediate goals are to work as hard as I can so I can fight with my team for all the titles possible,” Ronaldo said. “I want to keep getting better because it is going to be a long season.”

On Tuesday, the two rivals and Messi’s teammate Andres Iniesta were chosen finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

Messi has won the award the past three years. Ronaldo won it in 2008.

For Ronaldo’s coach Jose Mourinho, his fellow countryman should win this time.

“My idea is clear, football is a collective sport,” Mourinho said. “Real Madrid won a very important title and won it in spectacular fashion. Those that make the difference on a great champion team are the (best) candidates.”

Messi refused to say if he felt he deserved the award more than Ronaldo. Instead, he said he would like to see it go to a Barcelona player.

“I would like to see the award remain for one more year at Barcelona,” he said.

The two scoring aces will soon meet in the Spanish Supercup, to be played between Madrid and Barcelona over two legs on Aug. 23 and 29, one day before the winner of the award is announced.

And if the battle for individual honors wasn’t enough added motivation, both players ended last season with team and individual disappointments despite their superb scoring campaigns.

While Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and both the Spanish and European Super Cups, it was dethroned by Madrid in the Spanish league and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at home against the eventual champion that would have sent the Catalan club through.

Ronaldo had a penalty saved in a loss to Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semifinal.

Messi said his goal is for Barcelona to return to the top of both Spain and Europe.

“I hope so. We’re upset with how we ended last season with the loss to Chelsea and the loss to Real Madrid in Camp Nou,” he said. “Last season is history. We begin from zero.”

Without any international commitments this summer for Argentina, Messi has enjoyed both a longer than usual vacation and has been able to get in a full preseason under Barcelona’s new coach Tito Vilanova.

“Leo has come back strong,” Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano said about his fellow Argentina teammate. “This season you will see him start in even better shape.”

The Spanish league begins for both teams on Aug. 19 with Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad.

– Joseph Wilson

Mourinho was give two objectives when he joined Madrid: break Barcelona’s domestic hegemony and return Madrid to the heights of European football with a first Champions League trophy since 2001.

One down, and one still to go after Madrid was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals last season.

Mourinho’s biggest challenge during the upcoming Spanish league season that kicks off on Aug. 18 will be keeping his players focused on the weekly domestic grind and a title that Barcelona and the rampant Lionel Messi are eager to reclaim.

“I know that Madrid’s fans are very passionate about the Champions League, but what we want to do is win titles,” said Mourinho. “Barcelona didn’t win last season, and we don’t know what they will do now.”

Madrid rolled through the domestic competition last season, including a rare win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium that decided the title race, by unleashing its attacking talent. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a club record 46 times to help Madrid set an all-time record of 121 goals en route to winning its 32nd league title with 100 points, also a La Liga milestone.

“I think these are numbers to stay in the history for a long time,” the Portuguese coach said. “But everybody knows it will be a close fight in between my team and the two best teams in the world, in a league where the other opponents are good.”

After initially failing to better Barcelona with defensive tactics, Mourinho finally found the formula for turning Madrid into the attacking juggernaut that made it a winner, with his entire squad returning this season.

Behind its potent attack, Sergio Ramos has consolidated his position in the center of the defense as did Xabi Alonso in midfield, both having a more prominent role in Spain’s Euro 2012 win than ever before.

“This team has been together for three years now and you can see that we know each other better, and that makes the team perform better,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We are a much better team than two seasons ago, and what we want to do is surpass what we did last season.”

Barcelona, meanwhile, will bring back the same squad that has enamored the world with its passing attack and slew of trophies over the last four seasons.

But the big question is whether Tito Vilanova, promoted from assistant to head coach to replace Guardiola, will be able to lead the team back to the top.

“He’s a new coach even though he has been here with us these years,” said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. “This club demands the maximum of each of us and this year will be no different. This club always demands victory.”

New signing Jordi Alba will replace Eric Abidal, who is recovering from a liver transplant, at left back, giving the Catalan club arguably the most dangerous pair of full backs in Europe with Dani Alves on the right.

Messi, fresh off an unprecedented season of 73 goals in all competitions and a record 50 in league play, will again lead the team. And with striker David Villa set to return from a broken leg, the Argentina forward can hope to have more help sharing the scoring burden.

However, Barcelona’s old guard of Carles Puyol (34) and Xavi Hernandez (32) are slowing and there are doubts over Abidal’s ability to return.

“I want to keep on as always,” said Xavi. “Physically I am fine and I will play as much as I can.”

Madrid and Barcelona have split the last eight league titles— runner-up Barcelona finishing 30 points ahead of third-place Valencia in the last campaign — and this season should be no different given the ongoing financial problems of many of their challengers.

Spain’s recession is adding to the pressure on many of its troubled football clubs. Malaga’s Qatari owner Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani poured more than €200 million ($245 million) into the Costa del Sol side over the past two seasons, and the investment appeared to pay off with the team making its first Champions League appearance after finishing fourth last spring.

But the club has been mired in a financial and institutional crisis since then, and any thoughts of raising the bar and making a run at Madrid and Barcelona is out of the question after the club’s sale of playmaker Santi Cazorla and striker Jose Rondon.

For the third year in a row, a Valencia side weighed down with debts and two football stadiums— one it can’t sell and another it can’t find the money to finish building — was forced to cash in on its best player in selling Alba to Barcelona.

Also, Deportivo La Coruna, champion in 2000, returns to the topflight after one season in the second division along with Celta and Valladolid.

While various clubs face a season of diminished expectations, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are poised to move up the standings after respective fifth- and tenth-place finishes.

Atletico’s Diego Simeone and Bilbao’s Marcelo Bielsa are returning for a second season after impressive coaching starts. Now, both managers will be expected to have even better campaigns as the clubs shoot for a long-awaited top-four finish and Champions League berth.

Mourinho said that despite Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance, the Spanish league is still the strongest in Europe.

“A beautiful league, because the teams are very technical, and that’s the reason I’m in Spain,” Mourinho said. “I want to be where the best league is.”

– Joseph Wilson

Vilanova takes on Mourinho in first season at Barca

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Few first-year coaches have inherited as rich a legacy as Tito Vilanova, now in charge of Barcelona’s experienced and star-studded team led by the unequaled Lionel Messi.

Fewer still face as much pressure as Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, who is tasked with recovering the Spanish league title from Real Madrid.

Not only will Vilanova struggle to escape comparisons with his mentor, who led the club to an unprecedented 14 titles in four seasons, he will also have to handle Guardiola’s biggest adversary, Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

“Until now, (Vilanova) had a low profile and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola, now it is his turn to take the leading role,” said Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. “All eyes are on him, but he has always been an important part of the success of this team.”

Vilanova and Mourinho have a brief but colorful history.

In his first two seasons at Madrid, Mourinho has again proven to be one of football’s greatest coaches as well as one of its most outlandish figures, as Vilanova knows better than most after getting poked in the eye by Mourinho in a scuffle during last season’s heated Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Spanish crown with a record points haul (100) and goals scored (121), breaking Barcelona’s run of three straight titles and sending Guardiola into an early retirement. Vilanova, who had been Guardiola’s assistant for five season, takes over with little margin for failure.

Entering this season as the champion, Mourinho has so far used a conciliatory tone toward Vilanova. He even made a half-baked apology for the infamous eye poke.

“I should obviously not have done what I did,” Mourinho said recently. “Nevertheless, there was a whole story behind that that made me lose a little control. The one who failed there was me.

“There lie no problems between Tito and myself,” the Portuguese manager added. “Thankfully, the story is over and we must just hope to avoid such instances in the future.”

This newfound cordiality will be put to the test when the Spanish rivals meet again in the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 23, four days after both teams open their league campaigns, with Barcelona facing Real Sociedad and Madrid hosting Valencia.

Vilanova promised to stay “very calm” and keep his composure if Mourinho does try to ruffle him.

“I am tired of talking about what happened with Mourinho last year,” Vilanova said.

Guardiola mostly ignored Mourinho’s steady stream of barbs and didn’t mention Mourinho when announcing his coaching hiatus, but he did blame the wear and tear of the constant pressure for his exit.

Mourinho and Vilanova first crossed paths in 1998 when Mourinho was an assistant at Barcelona for Luis van Gaal, who let Mourinho take charge during a Catalonia Cup game against lower-division club Lleida. Vilanova, then a Lleida player, scored from a free kick in his team’s 2-1 loss, making him the first player to score a goal against a Mourinho-led team.

Lleida’s current sports director, Jordi Esteve, was Vilanova’s teammate then. While acknowledging Vilanova lacks Guardiola’s charisma, Esteve told The Associated Press that he believes Vilanova will still succeed as Barcelona’s head coach.

“He was meticulous. He looked for the details and noticed things that the rest of us didn’t,” Esteve said. “As a teammate, you could see he liked to be in charge.

“Still, you never imagined he would end up coaching Barcelona,” Esteve said. “But he was in Barcelona’s youth academy and understands the workings of the club. Like Pep, he knows what it means to be a Barca player. Tito has to be Tito, Pep was a very charismatic player and coach, but (Vilanova) is wise enough to know he can’t try to imitate him.”

Vilanova, soft spoken and withdrawn, appears content with his role as steward of Guardiola’s legacy. This preseason, Vilanova has stayed true to the ball-control and quick-passing system he helped Guardiola design.

“What they want is for the philosophy to be the same, and with Tito that is guaranteed,” Esteve said.

The 42-year-old Catalan, who has ditched his track suits for designer clothes on the sideline, knows he can count on Messi, fresh off a record-setting season of 73 goals.

“Improving on what we have done will be tough,” Vilanova said. “I am aware of the difficulty and that our fans want us to keep winning. We are here to try.”

– Joseph Wilson

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew scoring duel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It will be tough for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take their unprecedented scoring duel to greater heights after last season’s record-breaking performances.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t try.

In the Spanish league alone, Messi scored a record 50 times last season, while Ronaldo almost kept pace with 46 goals, six more than the previous league record that the Portuguese forward established the year before.

“I begin each season with the objective of surpassing what I have done before,” Messi said. “I don’t try to score more goals, I try to improve as a player. I hope I still have margin to continue growing and become a better footballer.”

Messi shattered a string of records in 2011-12.

The 25-year-old Argentina forward scored 73 goals overall in 60 games for Barcelona, breaking the mark of 67 set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1973 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1925. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a 57-year-old club milestone, and equaled a Champions League record with 14 goals.

Ronaldo came close to matching Messi with 60 goals in 55 games in all competitions as he powered Madrid to the Spanish league title and its record point haul (100) and goals scored (121).

“My immediate goals are to work as hard as I can so I can fight with my team for all the titles possible,” Ronaldo said. “I want to keep getting better because it is going to be a long season.”

On Tuesday, the two rivals and Messi’s teammate Andres Iniesta were chosen finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

Messi has won the award the past three years. Ronaldo won it in 2008.

For Ronaldo’s coach Jose Mourinho, his fellow countryman should win this time.

“My idea is clear, football is a collective sport,” Mourinho said. “Real Madrid won a very important title and won it in spectacular fashion. Those that make the difference on a great champion team are the (best) candidates.”

Messi refused to say if he felt he deserved the award more than Ronaldo. Instead, he said he would like to see it go to a Barcelona player.

“I would like to see the award remain for one more year at Barcelona,” he said.

The two scoring aces will soon meet in the Spanish Supercup, to be played between Madrid and Barcelona over two legs on Aug. 23 and 29, one day before the winner of the award is announced.

And if the battle for individual honors wasn’t enough added motivation, both players ended last season with team and individual disappointments despite their superb scoring campaigns.

While Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and both the Spanish and European Super Cups, it was dethroned by Madrid in the Spanish league and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at home against the eventual champion that would have sent the Catalan club through.

Ronaldo had a penalty saved in a loss to Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semifinal.

Messi said his goal is for Barcelona to return to the top of both Spain and Europe.

“I hope so. We’re upset with how we ended last season with the loss to Chelsea and the loss to Real Madrid in Camp Nou,” he said. “Last season is history. We begin from zero.”

Without any international commitments this summer for Argentina, Messi has enjoyed both a longer than usual vacation and has been able to get in a full preseason under Barcelona’s new coach Tito Vilanova.

“Leo has come back strong,” Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano said about his fellow Argentina teammate. “This season you will see him start in even better shape.”

The Spanish league begins for both teams on Aug. 19 with Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad.

– Joseph Wilson

Mourinho was give two objectives when he joined Madrid: break Barcelona’s domestic hegemony and return Madrid to the heights of European football with a first Champions League trophy since 2001.

One down, and one still to go after Madrid was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals last season.

Mourinho’s biggest challenge during the upcoming Spanish league season that kicks off on Aug. 18 will be keeping his players focused on the weekly domestic grind and a title that Barcelona and the rampant Lionel Messi are eager to reclaim.

“I know that Madrid’s fans are very passionate about the Champions League, but what we want to do is win titles,” said Mourinho. “Barcelona didn’t win last season, and we don’t know what they will do now.”

Madrid rolled through the domestic competition last season, including a rare win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium that decided the title race, by unleashing its attacking talent. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a club record 46 times to help Madrid set an all-time record of 121 goals en route to winning its 32nd league title with 100 points, also a La Liga milestone.

“I think these are numbers to stay in the history for a long time,” the Portuguese coach said. “But everybody knows it will be a close fight in between my team and the two best teams in the world, in a league where the other opponents are good.”

After initially failing to better Barcelona with defensive tactics, Mourinho finally found the formula for turning Madrid into the attacking juggernaut that made it a winner, with his entire squad returning this season.

Behind its potent attack, Sergio Ramos has consolidated his position in the center of the defense as did Xabi Alonso in midfield, both having a more prominent role in Spain’s Euro 2012 win than ever before.

“This team has been together for three years now and you can see that we know each other better, and that makes the team perform better,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We are a much better team than two seasons ago, and what we want to do is surpass what we did last season.”

Barcelona, meanwhile, will bring back the same squad that has enamored the world with its passing attack and slew of trophies over the last four seasons.

But the big question is whether Tito Vilanova, promoted from assistant to head coach to replace Guardiola, will be able to lead the team back to the top.

“He’s a new coach even though he has been here with us these years,” said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. “This club demands the maximum of each of us and this year will be no different. This club always demands victory.”

New signing Jordi Alba will replace Eric Abidal, who is recovering from a liver transplant, at left back, giving the Catalan club arguably the most dangerous pair of full backs in Europe with Dani Alves on the right.

Messi, fresh off an unprecedented season of 73 goals in all competitions and a record 50 in league play, will again lead the team. And with striker David Villa set to return from a broken leg, the Argentina forward can hope to have more help sharing the scoring burden.

However, Barcelona’s old guard of Carles Puyol (34) and Xavi Hernandez (32) are slowing and there are doubts over Abidal’s ability to return.

“I want to keep on as always,” said Xavi. “Physically I am fine and I will play as much as I can.”

Madrid and Barcelona have split the last eight league titles— runner-up Barcelona finishing 30 points ahead of third-place Valencia in the last campaign — and this season should be no different given the ongoing financial problems of many of their challengers.

Spain’s recession is adding to the pressure on many of its troubled football clubs. Malaga’s Qatari owner Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani poured more than €200 million ($245 million) into the Costa del Sol side over the past two seasons, and the investment appeared to pay off with the team making its first Champions League appearance after finishing fourth last spring.

But the club has been mired in a financial and institutional crisis since then, and any thoughts of raising the bar and making a run at Madrid and Barcelona is out of the question after the club’s sale of playmaker Santi Cazorla and striker Jose Rondon.

For the third year in a row, a Valencia side weighed down with debts and two football stadiums— one it can’t sell and another it can’t find the money to finish building — was forced to cash in on its best player in selling Alba to Barcelona.

Also, Deportivo La Coruna, champion in 2000, returns to the topflight after one season in the second division along with Celta and Valladolid.

While various clubs face a season of diminished expectations, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are poised to move up the standings after respective fifth- and tenth-place finishes.

Atletico’s Diego Simeone and Bilbao’s Marcelo Bielsa are returning for a second season after impressive coaching starts. Now, both managers will be expected to have even better campaigns as the clubs shoot for a long-awaited top-four finish and Champions League berth.

Mourinho said that despite Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance, the Spanish league is still the strongest in Europe.

“A beautiful league, because the teams are very technical, and that’s the reason I’m in Spain,” Mourinho said. “I want to be where the best league is.”

– Joseph Wilson

Vilanova takes on Mourinho in first season at Barca

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Few first-year coaches have inherited as rich a legacy as Tito Vilanova, now in charge of Barcelona’s experienced and star-studded team led by the unequaled Lionel Messi.

Fewer still face as much pressure as Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, who is tasked with recovering the Spanish league title from Real Madrid.

Not only will Vilanova struggle to escape comparisons with his mentor, who led the club to an unprecedented 14 titles in four seasons, he will also have to handle Guardiola’s biggest adversary, Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

“Until now, (Vilanova) had a low profile and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola, now it is his turn to take the leading role,” said Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. “All eyes are on him, but he has always been an important part of the success of this team.”

Vilanova and Mourinho have a brief but colorful history.

In his first two seasons at Madrid, Mourinho has again proven to be one of football’s greatest coaches as well as one of its most outlandish figures, as Vilanova knows better than most after getting poked in the eye by Mourinho in a scuffle during last season’s heated Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Spanish crown with a record points haul (100) and goals scored (121), breaking Barcelona’s run of three straight titles and sending Guardiola into an early retirement. Vilanova, who had been Guardiola’s assistant for five season, takes over with little margin for failure.

Entering this season as the champion, Mourinho has so far used a conciliatory tone toward Vilanova. He even made a half-baked apology for the infamous eye poke.

“I should obviously not have done what I did,” Mourinho said recently. “Nevertheless, there was a whole story behind that that made me lose a little control. The one who failed there was me.

“There lie no problems between Tito and myself,” the Portuguese manager added. “Thankfully, the story is over and we must just hope to avoid such instances in the future.”

This newfound cordiality will be put to the test when the Spanish rivals meet again in the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 23, four days after both teams open their league campaigns, with Barcelona facing Real Sociedad and Madrid hosting Valencia.

Vilanova promised to stay “very calm” and keep his composure if Mourinho does try to ruffle him.

“I am tired of talking about what happened with Mourinho last year,” Vilanova said.

Guardiola mostly ignored Mourinho’s steady stream of barbs and didn’t mention Mourinho when announcing his coaching hiatus, but he did blame the wear and tear of the constant pressure for his exit.

Mourinho and Vilanova first crossed paths in 1998 when Mourinho was an assistant at Barcelona for Luis van Gaal, who let Mourinho take charge during a Catalonia Cup game against lower-division club Lleida. Vilanova, then a Lleida player, scored from a free kick in his team’s 2-1 loss, making him the first player to score a goal against a Mourinho-led team.

Lleida’s current sports director, Jordi Esteve, was Vilanova’s teammate then. While acknowledging Vilanova lacks Guardiola’s charisma, Esteve told The Associated Press that he believes Vilanova will still succeed as Barcelona’s head coach.

“He was meticulous. He looked for the details and noticed things that the rest of us didn’t,” Esteve said. “As a teammate, you could see he liked to be in charge.

“Still, you never imagined he would end up coaching Barcelona,” Esteve said. “But he was in Barcelona’s youth academy and understands the workings of the club. Like Pep, he knows what it means to be a Barca player. Tito has to be Tito, Pep was a very charismatic player and coach, but (Vilanova) is wise enough to know he can’t try to imitate him.”

Vilanova, soft spoken and withdrawn, appears content with his role as steward of Guardiola’s legacy. This preseason, Vilanova has stayed true to the ball-control and quick-passing system he helped Guardiola design.

“What they want is for the philosophy to be the same, and with Tito that is guaranteed,” Esteve said.

The 42-year-old Catalan, who has ditched his track suits for designer clothes on the sideline, knows he can count on Messi, fresh off a record-setting season of 73 goals.

“Improving on what we have done will be tough,” Vilanova said. “I am aware of the difficulty and that our fans want us to keep winning. We are here to try.”

– Joseph Wilson

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew scoring duel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It will be tough for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take their unprecedented scoring duel to greater heights after last season’s record-breaking performances.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t try.

In the Spanish league alone, Messi scored a record 50 times last season, while Ronaldo almost kept pace with 46 goals, six more than the previous league record that the Portuguese forward established the year before.

“I begin each season with the objective of surpassing what I have done before,” Messi said. “I don’t try to score more goals, I try to improve as a player. I hope I still have margin to continue growing and become a better footballer.”

Messi shattered a string of records in 2011-12.

The 25-year-old Argentina forward scored 73 goals overall in 60 games for Barcelona, breaking the mark of 67 set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1973 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1925. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a 57-year-old club milestone, and equaled a Champions League record with 14 goals.

Ronaldo came close to matching Messi with 60 goals in 55 games in all competitions as he powered Madrid to the Spanish league title and its record point haul (100) and goals scored (121).

“My immediate goals are to work as hard as I can so I can fight with my team for all the titles possible,” Ronaldo said. “I want to keep getting better because it is going to be a long season.”

On Tuesday, the two rivals and Messi’s teammate Andres Iniesta were chosen finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

Messi has won the award the past three years. Ronaldo won it in 2008.

For Ronaldo’s coach Jose Mourinho, his fellow countryman should win this time.

“My idea is clear, football is a collective sport,” Mourinho said. “Real Madrid won a very important title and won it in spectacular fashion. Those that make the difference on a great champion team are the (best) candidates.”

Messi refused to say if he felt he deserved the award more than Ronaldo. Instead, he said he would like to see it go to a Barcelona player.

“I would like to see the award remain for one more year at Barcelona,” he said.

The two scoring aces will soon meet in the Spanish Supercup, to be played between Madrid and Barcelona over two legs on Aug. 23 and 29, one day before the winner of the award is announced.

And if the battle for individual honors wasn’t enough added motivation, both players ended last season with team and individual disappointments despite their superb scoring campaigns.

While Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and both the Spanish and European Super Cups, it was dethroned by Madrid in the Spanish league and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at home against the eventual champion that would have sent the Catalan club through.

Ronaldo had a penalty saved in a loss to Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semifinal.

Messi said his goal is for Barcelona to return to the top of both Spain and Europe.

“I hope so. We’re upset with how we ended last season with the loss to Chelsea and the loss to Real Madrid in Camp Nou,” he said. “Last season is history. We begin from zero.”

Without any international commitments this summer for Argentina, Messi has enjoyed both a longer than usual vacation and has been able to get in a full preseason under Barcelona’s new coach Tito Vilanova.

“Leo has come back strong,” Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano said about his fellow Argentina teammate. “This season you will see him start in even better shape.”

The Spanish league begins for both teams on Aug. 19 with Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad.

– Joseph Wilson

Mourinho was give two objectives when he joined Madrid: break Barcelona’s domestic hegemony and return Madrid to the heights of European football with a first Champions League trophy since 2001.

One down, and one still to go after Madrid was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals last season.

Mourinho’s biggest challenge during the upcoming Spanish league season that kicks off on Aug. 18 will be keeping his players focused on the weekly domestic grind and a title that Barcelona and the rampant Lionel Messi are eager to reclaim.

“I know that Madrid’s fans are very passionate about the Champions League, but what we want to do is win titles,” said Mourinho. “Barcelona didn’t win last season, and we don’t know what they will do now.”

Madrid rolled through the domestic competition last season, including a rare win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium that decided the title race, by unleashing its attacking talent. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a club record 46 times to help Madrid set an all-time record of 121 goals en route to winning its 32nd league title with 100 points, also a La Liga milestone.

“I think these are numbers to stay in the history for a long time,” the Portuguese coach said. “But everybody knows it will be a close fight in between my team and the two best teams in the world, in a league where the other opponents are good.”

After initially failing to better Barcelona with defensive tactics, Mourinho finally found the formula for turning Madrid into the attacking juggernaut that made it a winner, with his entire squad returning this season.

Behind its potent attack, Sergio Ramos has consolidated his position in the center of the defense as did Xabi Alonso in midfield, both having a more prominent role in Spain’s Euro 2012 win than ever before.

“This team has been together for three years now and you can see that we know each other better, and that makes the team perform better,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We are a much better team than two seasons ago, and what we want to do is surpass what we did last season.”

Barcelona, meanwhile, will bring back the same squad that has enamored the world with its passing attack and slew of trophies over the last four seasons.

But the big question is whether Tito Vilanova, promoted from assistant to head coach to replace Guardiola, will be able to lead the team back to the top.

“He’s a new coach even though he has been here with us these years,” said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. “This club demands the maximum of each of us and this year will be no different. This club always demands victory.”

New signing Jordi Alba will replace Eric Abidal, who is recovering from a liver transplant, at left back, giving the Catalan club arguably the most dangerous pair of full backs in Europe with Dani Alves on the right.

Messi, fresh off an unprecedented season of 73 goals in all competitions and a record 50 in league play, will again lead the team. And with striker David Villa set to return from a broken leg, the Argentina forward can hope to have more help sharing the scoring burden.

However, Barcelona’s old guard of Carles Puyol (34) and Xavi Hernandez (32) are slowing and there are doubts over Abidal’s ability to return.

“I want to keep on as always,” said Xavi. “Physically I am fine and I will play as much as I can.”

Madrid and Barcelona have split the last eight league titles— runner-up Barcelona finishing 30 points ahead of third-place Valencia in the last campaign — and this season should be no different given the ongoing financial problems of many of their challengers.

Spain’s recession is adding to the pressure on many of its troubled football clubs. Malaga’s Qatari owner Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani poured more than €200 million ($245 million) into the Costa del Sol side over the past two seasons, and the investment appeared to pay off with the team making its first Champions League appearance after finishing fourth last spring.

But the club has been mired in a financial and institutional crisis since then, and any thoughts of raising the bar and making a run at Madrid and Barcelona is out of the question after the club’s sale of playmaker Santi Cazorla and striker Jose Rondon.

For the third year in a row, a Valencia side weighed down with debts and two football stadiums— one it can’t sell and another it can’t find the money to finish building — was forced to cash in on its best player in selling Alba to Barcelona.

Also, Deportivo La Coruna, champion in 2000, returns to the topflight after one season in the second division along with Celta and Valladolid.

While various clubs face a season of diminished expectations, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are poised to move up the standings after respective fifth- and tenth-place finishes.

Atletico’s Diego Simeone and Bilbao’s Marcelo Bielsa are returning for a second season after impressive coaching starts. Now, both managers will be expected to have even better campaigns as the clubs shoot for a long-awaited top-four finish and Champions League berth.

Mourinho said that despite Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance, the Spanish league is still the strongest in Europe.

“A beautiful league, because the teams are very technical, and that’s the reason I’m in Spain,” Mourinho said. “I want to be where the best league is.”

– Joseph Wilson

Vilanova takes on Mourinho in first season at Barca

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Few first-year coaches have inherited as rich a legacy as Tito Vilanova, now in charge of Barcelona’s experienced and star-studded team led by the unequaled Lionel Messi.

Fewer still face as much pressure as Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, who is tasked with recovering the Spanish league title from Real Madrid.

Not only will Vilanova struggle to escape comparisons with his mentor, who led the club to an unprecedented 14 titles in four seasons, he will also have to handle Guardiola’s biggest adversary, Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

“Until now, (Vilanova) had a low profile and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola, now it is his turn to take the leading role,” said Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. “All eyes are on him, but he has always been an important part of the success of this team.”

Vilanova and Mourinho have a brief but colorful history.

In his first two seasons at Madrid, Mourinho has again proven to be one of football’s greatest coaches as well as one of its most outlandish figures, as Vilanova knows better than most after getting poked in the eye by Mourinho in a scuffle during last season’s heated Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Spanish crown with a record points haul (100) and goals scored (121), breaking Barcelona’s run of three straight titles and sending Guardiola into an early retirement. Vilanova, who had been Guardiola’s assistant for five season, takes over with little margin for failure.

Entering this season as the champion, Mourinho has so far used a conciliatory tone toward Vilanova. He even made a half-baked apology for the infamous eye poke.

“I should obviously not have done what I did,” Mourinho said recently. “Nevertheless, there was a whole story behind that that made me lose a little control. The one who failed there was me.

“There lie no problems between Tito and myself,” the Portuguese manager added. “Thankfully, the story is over and we must just hope to avoid such instances in the future.”

This newfound cordiality will be put to the test when the Spanish rivals meet again in the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 23, four days after both teams open their league campaigns, with Barcelona facing Real Sociedad and Madrid hosting Valencia.

Vilanova promised to stay “very calm” and keep his composure if Mourinho does try to ruffle him.

“I am tired of talking about what happened with Mourinho last year,” Vilanova said.

Guardiola mostly ignored Mourinho’s steady stream of barbs and didn’t mention Mourinho when announcing his coaching hiatus, but he did blame the wear and tear of the constant pressure for his exit.

Mourinho and Vilanova first crossed paths in 1998 when Mourinho was an assistant at Barcelona for Luis van Gaal, who let Mourinho take charge during a Catalonia Cup game against lower-division club Lleida. Vilanova, then a Lleida player, scored from a free kick in his team’s 2-1 loss, making him the first player to score a goal against a Mourinho-led team.

Lleida’s current sports director, Jordi Esteve, was Vilanova’s teammate then. While acknowledging Vilanova lacks Guardiola’s charisma, Esteve told The Associated Press that he believes Vilanova will still succeed as Barcelona’s head coach.

“He was meticulous. He looked for the details and noticed things that the rest of us didn’t,” Esteve said. “As a teammate, you could see he liked to be in charge.

“Still, you never imagined he would end up coaching Barcelona,” Esteve said. “But he was in Barcelona’s youth academy and understands the workings of the club. Like Pep, he knows what it means to be a Barca player. Tito has to be Tito, Pep was a very charismatic player and coach, but (Vilanova) is wise enough to know he can’t try to imitate him.”

Vilanova, soft spoken and withdrawn, appears content with his role as steward of Guardiola’s legacy. This preseason, Vilanova has stayed true to the ball-control and quick-passing system he helped Guardiola design.

“What they want is for the philosophy to be the same, and with Tito that is guaranteed,” Esteve said.

The 42-year-old Catalan, who has ditched his track suits for designer clothes on the sideline, knows he can count on Messi, fresh off a record-setting season of 73 goals.

“Improving on what we have done will be tough,” Vilanova said. “I am aware of the difficulty and that our fans want us to keep winning. We are here to try.”

– Joseph Wilson

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew scoring duel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It will be tough for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take their unprecedented scoring duel to greater heights after last season’s record-breaking performances.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t try.

In the Spanish league alone, Messi scored a record 50 times last season, while Ronaldo almost kept pace with 46 goals, six more than the previous league record that the Portuguese forward established the year before.

“I begin each season with the objective of surpassing what I have done before,” Messi said. “I don’t try to score more goals, I try to improve as a player. I hope I still have margin to continue growing and become a better footballer.”

Messi shattered a string of records in 2011-12.

The 25-year-old Argentina forward scored 73 goals overall in 60 games for Barcelona, breaking the mark of 67 set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1973 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1925. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a 57-year-old club milestone, and equaled a Champions League record with 14 goals.

Ronaldo came close to matching Messi with 60 goals in 55 games in all competitions as he powered Madrid to the Spanish league title and its record point haul (100) and goals scored (121).

“My immediate goals are to work as hard as I can so I can fight with my team for all the titles possible,” Ronaldo said. “I want to keep getting better because it is going to be a long season.”

On Tuesday, the two rivals and Messi’s teammate Andres Iniesta were chosen finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

Messi has won the award the past three years. Ronaldo won it in 2008.

For Ronaldo’s coach Jose Mourinho, his fellow countryman should win this time.

“My idea is clear, football is a collective sport,” Mourinho said. “Real Madrid won a very important title and won it in spectacular fashion. Those that make the difference on a great champion team are the (best) candidates.”

Messi refused to say if he felt he deserved the award more than Ronaldo. Instead, he said he would like to see it go to a Barcelona player.

“I would like to see the award remain for one more year at Barcelona,” he said.

The two scoring aces will soon meet in the Spanish Supercup, to be played between Madrid and Barcelona over two legs on Aug. 23 and 29, one day before the winner of the award is announced.

And if the battle for individual honors wasn’t enough added motivation, both players ended last season with team and individual disappointments despite their superb scoring campaigns.

While Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and both the Spanish and European Super Cups, it was dethroned by Madrid in the Spanish league and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at home against the eventual champion that would have sent the Catalan club through.

Ronaldo had a penalty saved in a loss to Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semifinal.

Messi said his goal is for Barcelona to return to the top of both Spain and Europe.

“I hope so. We’re upset with how we ended last season with the loss to Chelsea and the loss to Real Madrid in Camp Nou,” he said. “Last season is history. We begin from zero.”

Without any international commitments this summer for Argentina, Messi has enjoyed both a longer than usual vacation and has been able to get in a full preseason under Barcelona’s new coach Tito Vilanova.

“Leo has come back strong,” Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano said about his fellow Argentina teammate. “This season you will see him start in even better shape.”

The Spanish league begins for both teams on Aug. 19 with Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad.

– Joseph Wilson

Mourinho was give two objectives when he joined Madrid: break Barcelona’s domestic hegemony and return Madrid to the heights of European football with a first Champions League trophy since 2001.

One down, and one still to go after Madrid was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals last season.

Mourinho’s biggest challenge during the upcoming Spanish league season that kicks off on Aug. 18 will be keeping his players focused on the weekly domestic grind and a title that Barcelona and the rampant Lionel Messi are eager to reclaim.

“I know that Madrid’s fans are very passionate about the Champions League, but what we want to do is win titles,” said Mourinho. “Barcelona didn’t win last season, and we don’t know what they will do now.”

Madrid rolled through the domestic competition last season, including a rare win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium that decided the title race, by unleashing its attacking talent. Forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored a club record 46 times to help Madrid set an all-time record of 121 goals en route to winning its 32nd league title with 100 points, also a La Liga milestone.

“I think these are numbers to stay in the history for a long time,” the Portuguese coach said. “But everybody knows it will be a close fight in between my team and the two best teams in the world, in a league where the other opponents are good.”

After initially failing to better Barcelona with defensive tactics, Mourinho finally found the formula for turning Madrid into the attacking juggernaut that made it a winner, with his entire squad returning this season.

Behind its potent attack, Sergio Ramos has consolidated his position in the center of the defense as did Xabi Alonso in midfield, both having a more prominent role in Spain’s Euro 2012 win than ever before.

“This team has been together for three years now and you can see that we know each other better, and that makes the team perform better,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. “We are a much better team than two seasons ago, and what we want to do is surpass what we did last season.”

Barcelona, meanwhile, will bring back the same squad that has enamored the world with its passing attack and slew of trophies over the last four seasons.

But the big question is whether Tito Vilanova, promoted from assistant to head coach to replace Guardiola, will be able to lead the team back to the top.

“He’s a new coach even though he has been here with us these years,” said Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. “This club demands the maximum of each of us and this year will be no different. This club always demands victory.”

New signing Jordi Alba will replace Eric Abidal, who is recovering from a liver transplant, at left back, giving the Catalan club arguably the most dangerous pair of full backs in Europe with Dani Alves on the right.

Messi, fresh off an unprecedented season of 73 goals in all competitions and a record 50 in league play, will again lead the team. And with striker David Villa set to return from a broken leg, the Argentina forward can hope to have more help sharing the scoring burden.

However, Barcelona’s old guard of Carles Puyol (34) and Xavi Hernandez (32) are slowing and there are doubts over Abidal’s ability to return.

“I want to keep on as always,” said Xavi. “Physically I am fine and I will play as much as I can.”

Madrid and Barcelona have split the last eight league titles— runner-up Barcelona finishing 30 points ahead of third-place Valencia in the last campaign — and this season should be no different given the ongoing financial problems of many of their challengers.

Spain’s recession is adding to the pressure on many of its troubled football clubs. Malaga’s Qatari owner Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani poured more than €200 million ($245 million) into the Costa del Sol side over the past two seasons, and the investment appeared to pay off with the team making its first Champions League appearance after finishing fourth last spring.

But the club has been mired in a financial and institutional crisis since then, and any thoughts of raising the bar and making a run at Madrid and Barcelona is out of the question after the club’s sale of playmaker Santi Cazorla and striker Jose Rondon.

For the third year in a row, a Valencia side weighed down with debts and two football stadiums— one it can’t sell and another it can’t find the money to finish building — was forced to cash in on its best player in selling Alba to Barcelona.

Also, Deportivo La Coruna, champion in 2000, returns to the topflight after one season in the second division along with Celta and Valladolid.

While various clubs face a season of diminished expectations, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are poised to move up the standings after respective fifth- and tenth-place finishes.

Atletico’s Diego Simeone and Bilbao’s Marcelo Bielsa are returning for a second season after impressive coaching starts. Now, both managers will be expected to have even better campaigns as the clubs shoot for a long-awaited top-four finish and Champions League berth.

Mourinho said that despite Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance, the Spanish league is still the strongest in Europe.

“A beautiful league, because the teams are very technical, and that’s the reason I’m in Spain,” Mourinho said. “I want to be where the best league is.”

– Joseph Wilson

Vilanova takes on Mourinho in first season at Barca

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Few first-year coaches have inherited as rich a legacy as Tito Vilanova, now in charge of Barcelona’s experienced and star-studded team led by the unequaled Lionel Messi.

Fewer still face as much pressure as Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, who is tasked with recovering the Spanish league title from Real Madrid.

Not only will Vilanova struggle to escape comparisons with his mentor, who led the club to an unprecedented 14 titles in four seasons, he will also have to handle Guardiola’s biggest adversary, Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.

“Until now, (Vilanova) had a low profile and all the responsibility fell on Guardiola, now it is his turn to take the leading role,” said Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano. “All eyes are on him, but he has always been an important part of the success of this team.”

Vilanova and Mourinho have a brief but colorful history.

In his first two seasons at Madrid, Mourinho has again proven to be one of football’s greatest coaches as well as one of its most outlandish figures, as Vilanova knows better than most after getting poked in the eye by Mourinho in a scuffle during last season’s heated Spanish Super Cup.

Mourinho guided Madrid to the Spanish crown with a record points haul (100) and goals scored (121), breaking Barcelona’s run of three straight titles and sending Guardiola into an early retirement. Vilanova, who had been Guardiola’s assistant for five season, takes over with little margin for failure.

Entering this season as the champion, Mourinho has so far used a conciliatory tone toward Vilanova. He even made a half-baked apology for the infamous eye poke.

“I should obviously not have done what I did,” Mourinho said recently. “Nevertheless, there was a whole story behind that that made me lose a little control. The one who failed there was me.

“There lie no problems between Tito and myself,” the Portuguese manager added. “Thankfully, the story is over and we must just hope to avoid such instances in the future.”

This newfound cordiality will be put to the test when the Spanish rivals meet again in the Spanish Super Cup on Aug. 23, four days after both teams open their league campaigns, with Barcelona facing Real Sociedad and Madrid hosting Valencia.

Vilanova promised to stay “very calm” and keep his composure if Mourinho does try to ruffle him.

“I am tired of talking about what happened with Mourinho last year,” Vilanova said.

Guardiola mostly ignored Mourinho’s steady stream of barbs and didn’t mention Mourinho when announcing his coaching hiatus, but he did blame the wear and tear of the constant pressure for his exit.

Mourinho and Vilanova first crossed paths in 1998 when Mourinho was an assistant at Barcelona for Luis van Gaal, who let Mourinho take charge during a Catalonia Cup game against lower-division club Lleida. Vilanova, then a Lleida player, scored from a free kick in his team’s 2-1 loss, making him the first player to score a goal against a Mourinho-led team.

Lleida’s current sports director, Jordi Esteve, was Vilanova’s teammate then. While acknowledging Vilanova lacks Guardiola’s charisma, Esteve told The Associated Press that he believes Vilanova will still succeed as Barcelona’s head coach.

“He was meticulous. He looked for the details and noticed things that the rest of us didn’t,” Esteve said. “As a teammate, you could see he liked to be in charge.

“Still, you never imagined he would end up coaching Barcelona,” Esteve said. “But he was in Barcelona’s youth academy and understands the workings of the club. Like Pep, he knows what it means to be a Barca player. Tito has to be Tito, Pep was a very charismatic player and coach, but (Vilanova) is wise enough to know he can’t try to imitate him.”

Vilanova, soft spoken and withdrawn, appears content with his role as steward of Guardiola’s legacy. This preseason, Vilanova has stayed true to the ball-control and quick-passing system he helped Guardiola design.

“What they want is for the philosophy to be the same, and with Tito that is guaranteed,” Esteve said.

The 42-year-old Catalan, who has ditched his track suits for designer clothes on the sideline, knows he can count on Messi, fresh off a record-setting season of 73 goals.

“Improving on what we have done will be tough,” Vilanova said. “I am aware of the difficulty and that our fans want us to keep winning. We are here to try.”

– Joseph Wilson

Messi, Ronaldo set to renew scoring duel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — It will be tough for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take their unprecedented scoring duel to greater heights after last season’s record-breaking performances.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t try.

In the Spanish league alone, Messi scored a record 50 times last season, while Ronaldo almost kept pace with 46 goals, six more than the previous league record that the Portuguese forward established the year before.

“I begin each season with the objective of surpassing what I have done before,” Messi said. “I don’t try to score more goals, I try to improve as a player. I hope I still have margin to continue growing and become a better footballer.”

Messi shattered a string of records in 2011-12.

The 25-year-old Argentina forward scored 73 goals overall in 60 games for Barcelona, breaking the mark of 67 set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1973 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1925. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a 57-year-old club milestone, and equaled a Champions League record with 14 goals.

Ronaldo came close to matching Messi with 60 goals in 55 games in all competitions as he powered Madrid to the Spanish league title and its record point haul (100) and goals scored (121).

“My immediate goals are to work as hard as I can so I can fight with my team for all the titles possible,” Ronaldo said. “I want to keep getting better because it is going to be a long season.”

On Tuesday, the two rivals and Messi’s teammate Andres Iniesta were chosen finalists for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

Messi has won the award the past three years. Ronaldo won it in 2008.

For Ronaldo’s coach Jose Mourinho, his fellow countryman should win this time.

“My idea is clear, football is a collective sport,” Mourinho said. “Real Madrid won a very important title and won it in spectacular fashion. Those that make the difference on a great champion team are the (best) candidates.”

Messi refused to say if he felt he deserved the award more than Ronaldo. Instead, he said he would like to see it go to a Barcelona player.

“I would like to see the award remain for one more year at Barcelona,” he said.

The two scoring aces will soon meet in the Spanish Supercup, to be played between Madrid and Barcelona over two legs on Aug. 23 and 29, one day before the winner of the award is announced.

And if the battle for individual honors wasn’t enough added motivation, both players ended last season with team and individual disappointments despite their superb scoring campaigns.

While Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup and both the Spanish and European Super Cups, it was dethroned by Madrid in the Spanish league and lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semifinals. Messi missed a penalty in the second leg at home against the eventual champion that would have sent the Catalan club through.

Ronaldo had a penalty saved in a loss to Bayern Munich in the other Champions League semifinal.

Messi said his goal is for Barcelona to return to the top of both Spain and Europe.

“I hope so. We’re upset with how we ended last season with the loss to Chelsea and the loss to Real Madrid in Camp Nou,” he said. “Last season is history. We begin from zero.”

Without any international commitments this summer for Argentina, Messi has enjoyed both a longer than usual vacation and has been able to get in a full preseason under Barcelona’s new coach Tito Vilanova.

“Leo has come back strong,” Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano said about his fellow Argentina teammate. “This season you will see him start in even better shape.”

The Spanish league begins for both teams on Aug. 19 with Real Madrid hosting Valencia and Barcelona hosting Real Sociedad.

– Joseph Wilson