As La Liga heat intensifies, Marquez discards the saying - don't look back in anger. The Mexican does just that, but with a mixture of sadness.


Barca's defender Rafa Marquez has still not gotten over the sad memories of the final day La Liga showdown of last season in which the Blaugrana finally let the La Liga trophy leave Camp Nou after spending two fruitful years in the Catalan city. The lessons of that disaster is still fresh on his mind, and also fresh on the minds of all the other Barca players who witnesed the sad goodbye last season. The mistake will not be repeated this season, as Marquez has vowed. The Mexican believes FC Barcelona will continue to improve as the League progresses till it emerges victor :

We have not forgotten the mistakes in last year's La Liga loss. It’s true that we still haven’t assimilated the way we let the last league title escape us. I agree with my team-mate Deco that we gave it away. What happened last season demands even more of us now. I believe we’ve got a strong enough squad to aspire to the league title but that has to be proved day in and day out and match by match.

Rafa supports club president Joan Laporta in which Laporta called for caution in the chances of Barcelona winning the League trophy this season, prefering rather to focus not on the trophy, but on the improvement of form by the Blaugrana, without which the league will not be won. Marquez affirms:

Laporta is right. The president doesn’t want to go through the same thing again and neither do we. I put myself in his shoes and I understand him perfectly. We’re gradually getting into our best form, but this year the demands on us all, starting with us, will be high.

About the time he has to spend on the bench due to a wide range of players in the FC Barcelona defence line, Marquez is not overtly concerned that he is missing all the action. The Mexican believes so long as he plays, then other defenders should also have playing time in order for each person to lend his contribution to the team's success:

I have no problem in being a sub when it’s necessary. We have a great squad with a lot of competition and a place in the starting line-up is at stake in every training session. Obviously, I would do everything I can to gain the manager’s confidence but it wouldn’t be a problem at all for me to be on the subs bench.