6 European Clubs Set for Much-Improved 2017-18 Seasons
New season, new hope. With the new campaign around a month away, Europe's most prestigious clubs have to start all over again, and there are a few who have scores to settle.
Here, we take a look at a half-dozen giants who are aiming to make swift reparation for recent letdowns over the next nine or 10 months.
Barcelona
On paper, it doesn't look like Barca have too much work to do at all. They only finished three points behind champions Real Madrid after signing off from 2016-17 with six straight La Liga wins and a Copa del Rey final victory over Alaves.
Yet, as is often the case in title struggles between Spain's two biggest sides, the table doesn't tell the whole story. Take 2009-10, for example, where the gulf between Pep Guardiola's Barca and Manuel Pellegrini's Madrid was clear as day but only demarcated by three points in the final reckoning.
New coach Ernesto Valverde's priorities are clear; he needs to create a stronger sense of squad than his predecessor Luis Enrique did, with buys such as Paco Alcacer and Andre Gomes failing on the job so far. Zinedine Zidane, on the other hand, saw Alvaro Morata, Mateo Kovacic and James Rodriguez chip in when needed for Los Merengues.
The outside influence of Valverde should bring some fresh ideas to a group that has looked stale for a while, and there is the hope that Gomes' strong performance in the Copa final could provide a launchpad for him after a season of criticism.
The buy-back of Gerard Deulofeu is also a nod to squad building, though he will need to step up considerably, and the remainder of the summer window is crucial.
Paris Saint-Germain
After Paris Saint-Germain's seriously underwhelming 2016-17—losing their Ligue 1 title to AS Monaco and the infamous Champions League implosion against Barcelona—many observers have been surprised that coach Unai Emery has held on to his job.
That the Basque tactician remains in situ is a reflection of what a mess the club's management structure was in last season. It was clear Emery was neither the beginning nor the end of the problems.
There is at least clarity in the decision-making process, with a new sporting director in place in the shape of Antero Henrique, who masterminded FC Porto's years of scouting (and selling) success in the transfer market.
The window has started slowly for PSG, with left-back Yuri Berchiche (Real Sociedad) the sole arrival so far.
Perhaps Henrique is right to take his time. It is imperative that the club avoid the transfer blunders made under the inexperienced Patrick Kluivert last summer.
Holding on to Marco Verratti is key, with Barca remaining keen (per Goal), but a big signing would really give the new direction lift-off.
As also reported by Goal, Monaco's Kylian Mbappe remains the top target, but the champions' difficulty in holding on to their stars could be the biggest boost of all for Paris.
AC Milan
It really is a new era in Milan, with both clubs under fresh ownership.
Many assumed Inter Milan would be the better set to challenge of the city's two clubs in the coming season, being a year ahead in terms of their new regime and with the protracted nature of the Rossoneri's sale by Silvio Berlusconi making many wonder how much cash new owner Li Yonghong really would make available to regenerate.
The riposte has been swift. AC Milan have moved quickly and decisively in the market, capturing the imagination with signings including Andre Silva, Hakan Calhanoglu and Ricardo Rodriguez, with proven young Serie A talent such as Franck Kessie and Andrea Conti also getting on board with the new project.
Perhaps the best news of all is that coach Vincenzo Montella, who did such an admirable job last term, has extended his contract to 2019. It gives Milan the stability Inter never had in the opening weeks and months of their new ownership, with Roberto Mancini leaving and Frank de Boer quickly in and out.
With four Champions League places up for grabs in Serie A next season, Milan have picked the ideal moment to think big.
FC Porto
The word "drought" hardly seems to do justice to Porto's unprecedented four-year run without a trophy.
A huge banner hung between the two tiers of the stand you face as you exit the tunnel at Estadio do Dragao reads "A Vencer Desde 1893"—winning since 1893. At a club with this culture of silverware, it has come to taunt the present players.
In such a context, a change was needed at the top, and new coach Sergio Conceicao has a battle on his hands to halt Benfica's run of four successive Liga titles.
"The fifth isn't going to happen," Conceicao said at his presentation last month, per Jornal de Noticias. He will have to do it without Andre Silva after his move to Milan, and Porto are committed to making more sales to satisfy financial fair play regulations.
On the plus side, Conceicao is a relentlessly positive coach who should get rid of the reticence in tight games that stymied their title challenge. The return of the excellent Ricardo Pereira from his loan at Nice is a plus, too.
President Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa certainly believes in Conceicao, calling his work at Nantes last season "more difficult than Zinedine Zidane's" at Real Madrid, per O Jogo.
Galatasaray
It's been a rough few seasons for Galatasaray. After last season's European ban, they are back in the Europa League but begin their campaign this week in the second qualifying round against modest Allsvenskan side Ostersunds.
Coach Igor Tudor, though, has been well-backed by the club this summer, with Younes Belhanda, Bafetimbi Gomis (coming off a career-best season at Marseille) and Maicon all big upgrades to their squad.
Nobody should be making them Super Lig title favourites in a hurry. After back-to-back championships, Besiktas are still clearly the team to beat.
Even if the transfer business of manager Senol Gunes' team is far from finished, the signing of Pepe—who remains one of the world's premier centre-backs—from Real Madrid is a significant statement of intent to get them underway.
Fenerbahce, who brought in Mathieu Valbuena and Carlos Kameni, and last season's runners-up Basaksehir, who signed Eljero Elia, Gael Clichy and Aurelien Chedjou, have strengthened, too.
Yet finally there is some light at the end of the tunnel at the Turk Telekom Arena, with West Ham United's Sofiane Feghouli reportedly the next on the way in their ambitious recruitment drive, per Goal.
CimBom manager Igor Tudor has some big expectations to meet.
Wolfsburg
Last season was a traumatic one for the Lower Saxony club, who went from beating Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final first leg to the brink of relegation in little over a year.
At least they avoided the worst, swerving the indignity of being dumped out of the Bundesliga by local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig in May's play-off.
Andries Jonker was given the coach's role in late February with the club already in dire straits, but he has a clean slate this time. Die Wolfe experienced big management changes last term with the exits of Dieter Hecking and Klaus Allofs, but a little more stability could see them moving upwards again.
There certainly appears to be a recruitment plan, with young starlets like Ohis Felix Uduokhai (1860 Munich), Landry Dimata and Arsenal's Kaylen Hinds brought in to join existing talent Paul-Georges Ntep, Riechedly Bazoer and Yannick Gerhardt.
There is experience, too, with Ignacio Camacho (from Malaga) and former Hertha Berlin defender John Anthony Brooks sure to be influential signings and top scorer Mario Gomez committed to stay.
With the European places up for grabs this season, there is something for Jonker and his youngsters to work toward.
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