BARCELONA v LEVSKI SOFIA Tuesday, September 12, 2006 20:45 Back on the Champions trail

FC Barcelona will no doubt see the visit of the Bulgarians as their most comfortable outing in the group stages of this season’s Champions League campaign as they begin the defence of the title. The Blaugrana are clear favourites to win the tournament again next spring in Athens, but no club has retained the trophy since the competition changed both its format and name. While Spanish sides have attempted, usually in vain, to defend in numbers and hit Barca on the break, European teams are not as wise to Frank Rijkaard’s tactics as was proven last time out when the Catalan outfit remained undefeated en route to Paris. The players added to the squad this summer all have vast experience in the competition and will be relishing the prospect of helping the club create history, if they can repeat the same form that they showed last time out.
While this may not appear to be the most attractive fixture, the Bulgarians will arrive at Camp Nou with nothing to lose and that is why the home team cannot afford to be complacent. All eyes are on the games against Chelsea, but Levski could be a decisive team in this group as anyone that does not take maximum points from their trip to Bulgaria could become a cropper.
WHO ARE LEVSKI SOFIA?
Levski Sofia are on the crest of a wave as they became the first Bulgarian side to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
Their reward for beating Chievo Verona in the final qualifier has been a draw against Barca, Chelsea and Werder Bremen. To celebrate the club’s acheivement, the squad and coaching staff laid wreaths at the monument to Vasil Levski, after whom the club was named.
The team that Barcelona face in their opening game are leading something of a revival in Bulgarian football as they reached the UEFA Cup quarter finals last season. Their jubilant supporters have been rewarded for their loyalty by being given free admission to a league game.
Levski have won 24 national titles and the cup-25 times and have a bitter rivalry with city rivals CSKA Sofia, who were the government team during the Cold War.
Coach Stanimir Stoilov has brought even further success to the club as he bonded the experience in the squad with a several players from the youth ranks and the team swept to the title last term.