© EuroFootball.com
"Strategist Sir Alex Ferguson rarely praises other teams, but on Monday he did not spare kind words for the club.
At the Golden Ball award ceremony, the Scot said: "Sometimes in football you need to raise your hands up and say: 'They are better than us.' This is not a crime or a sign of weakness - it's just a fact. This team is amazing."
Ferguson predicted that the Catalans would manage to defend the Champions League trophy.
"I don't see who could take trophies away from them," he said. "The closest, probably, is Real Madrid."
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said: "Winning so much, we lose the understanding that football is a game with opponents, where you can not only win, but also lose. We compete with opponents who play impressively. If Real is five points ahead of us in Spain, it means they have done their job better than us. There are no secrets in football."
