Barcelona sporting director Deco believes the club's back-to-back La Liga title wins are merely the opening chapter for a squad that still has enormous room to grow.

Barcelona clinched the Spanish top flight earlier this month, beating Real Madrid to secure the title with three games remaining — retaining the championship they won the previous season. Deco told BBC Sport the achievement reflects the ambition driving a squad packed with La Masia academy graduates.

"It is true that we won two La Ligas but these players want to win more, they believe that they can win more. I believe that this team for me is the beginning of the era, the beginning of the history of this team because they are so young and still want to win something important."

Talents such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez have become central figures under manager Hansi Flick, who guided the side on an 11-game winning run to coast to the title. Deco noted that Flick has assembled a squad so settled that Barcelona will not need to "go to the market for four to five players" to remain competitive. The one blemish on the season was an exit at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Rashford's loan spell earns high praise

England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United and made a significant contribution to the title run. He appeared 32 times in La Liga, scoring 8 goals and providing 7 assists. In the UEFA Champions League, he added 6 goals and 3 assists across 11 appearances.

His most memorable moment came in El Clasico against Real Madrid, when he broke the deadlock with a stunning free-kick — a goal Deco described in glowing terms.

"We knew he had these kinds of skills, I saw him scoring at United many times, but this goal was unbelievable. It was a fantastic goal."

Rashford's future remains uncertain, though he has indicated a desire to remain in Spain. Barcelona could sign him permanently for 35 million euros (£30 million), though Deco declined to confirm any plans. Instead, he paid tribute to Rashford's professionalism throughout a challenging loan spell.

"Marcus has helped us a lot because he came on loan, it is not easy to come on loan as a player like him because he is a top player. He had the responsibility to replace Raphinha, it is not easy but he did very well. His season was very good and we are happy he won La Liga with us. He deserves it."

Rashford was not a guaranteed starter for Barcelona, but Deco highlighted how well the forward responded when called upon from the bench — a testament, in the director's view, to his character as much as his quality.