Barcelona Celebrate La Liga & Copa Titles in Style

As director of Laurence Martin Developments, a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, Laurence Grigorov is involved in all aspects of the development process, including land acquisition, rezoning applications, architectural design as well as the finance and legal components of these complex projects.

In his spare time, Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching football and is a massive childhood fan of FC Barcelona who play in La Liga in Spain. Recently the club capped off a successful season by winning both the Spanish La Liga title as well as the Copa del Rey cup.

Thousands of Barcelona fans lined the streets of the city Monday to celebrate the club's success, although the pain of an early Champions League exit was omnipresent. Wearing the club's trademark blue and claret-coloured shirts, fans cheered as an open-top bus passed by carrying Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and other stars who were taking photos with their mobiles, throwing confetti or singing "champions, champions."

It is the eighth time Barca have achieved the feat, although the celebratory parade through the city centre was not as well attended and less exuberant than in past years. Not only did it take place in the middle of a long weekend, when many locals leave the city, but Barca fans are still reeling from their shock elimination by Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals.

As arch-rivals Real Madrid continue their bid for a record-extending 13th Champions League title, Barca fans are left pondering what might have been had their turbulent season gone differently.

The departure of Brazilian star Neymar last summer came before defeat to Real in the Spanish Super Cup. Barcelona regrouped, dominating their rivals on the pitch to win the Copa del Rey with a 5-0 demolition of Sevilla and then securing the league title, in their first season with Ernesto Valverde as coach, with a 4-2 win at Deportivo La Coruna.

It is Barca's seventh La Liga title in 10 years and their fourth consecutive Copa del Rey victory.
Laurence Grigorov is pleased Barcelona were able to bounce back from the disappointment of the shock Champions League result against Roma as I looking forward to a strengthened squad for the next season.

Words courtesy of www.supersport.com

Ernesto Valverde - Beginning to Leave His Mark on Barcelona

Laurence Grigorov has 15 years’ experience in residential property developments as director Laurence Martin Developments. The company specialises in high-end and luxury residential developments and homes. Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching football in his spare time and is an avid supporter of FC Barcelona. He follows the news on Barcelona closely.

After a turbulent off-season and transfer market, Barcelona have started the league season steadily and have 3 wins from 3 starts.

Guillem Balague, Spanish football correspondent and expert, had the following comments on the playing style of the team: “Barcelona are doing very well on the pitch - nine points from nine, none conceded, nine scored. They have shown traits of what this team is going to be like under Ernesto Valverde; they will press high, they will be physically strong, they have started the season in very good condition and with very clear ideas”.
“Without Neymar, Jordi Alba has more opportunities to go forward, and we started to see the old Jordi Alba that we had been missing for a while. Dembele will need a flank, probably the right-hand side while Nelson Semedo gets used to Barcelona. Those two can become a really powerful force on that right-hand side, and leave the left one to Jordi Alba”.

“As well as pressing high, there is a lot of play through the midfield and that brings the best out of Andres Iniesta. They have nine midfielders, all quite different, which gives them lots of versatility”.

“Lionel Messi continues to score for fun, and this could be a better goal scoring season for him than last because the team plays to his strengths. He's playing in what you may call a false nine position, but really it's wherever he wants, and he feels he is much better near the box, through the centre, with many midfielders around him moving the ball around, creating spaces and moving the ball early”.

Laurence Grigorov is pleased with the good start Barcelona have made to the season and is hopeful that the improvement in the playing style will continue over the season as Valverde has more time to impose his ideas and patterns on the players and the team.