Vilanova's smooth transition to coach has helped Barcelona, insists Van Bronckhorst

Oct 23, 2012 2:20:00 PM

The ex-Holland defender believes his former club are lucky that their new coach has worked at the Liga giants for a number of years

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has revealed that Barcelona are at a slight advantage due to the fact that Tito Vilanova had experienced much of the club's recent success.

Vilanova replaced Pep Guardiola at Camp Nou in June after working as his assistant for five years, and former Netherlands captain Van Bronckhorst believes that Barca's good start to the season can be put down to their coach's understanding of the way the team plays.

"He knows perfectly the style of Barcelona. He knows the players and for them this is good, because normally with a new coach you must adapt to a new way of working," he told Uefa.com.

"Here Vilanova works in a very similar way to Guardiola. There is no difference between last year and this year. It's business as usual."

The 37-year-old left-back played over 100 games for the Catalan giants as well as for Glasgow Rangers, the city rivals of Barcelona's next Champions League opponents Celtic, and he has been especially impressed with Vilanova's team's performances in Europe thus far.

"The club has started very well. They have secured six points in two games. Only the first match, against Spartak Moscow, was complicated. They could not have started better."

The former Arsenal defender also spoke of how special it would be for the 2011 Champions League winners to secure their fifth European Cup triumph at Wembley after they also won their first title at the Stadium in 1992.

"It's special, the club won its first Champions League at the old Wembley. To win their fifth Champions League there would be fantastic for the club."

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