FC Barcelona left back Sylvinho believes that this season the competition to fight for a place in the team will be much harder. In the final of the European Supercup against FC Sevilla, both Brazilian full backs, Sylvinho and Belletti were in the starting line-up. In the first league match against Celta away at Vigo, Dutch international Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Italian world champion Gianluca Zambrotta played instead of the two Brazilians and both, sylvinho as well as BElletti have not been even included in the squad that travelled to Vigo. The depth of class players in the Barca team gives Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard many more options and alternatives, but Sylvinho told the media in a press conference that this has a very positive effect on the team:

We have two top teams, therefore we are going to have to work harder. Although we do have two top teams and nobody enjoys being left out, we are going through an incredible phase here at Barça at the moment. Everyone is working that little bit harder to improve