Barca embark on high-risk 'galactico' project

By Mark Elkington

MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona's move for Thierry Henry's signals their determination to develop their reputation as one of the most attractive footballing sides in the world.

But they have only to look at what happened to their rivals Real Madrid to see the pitfalls of trying to construct a glamorous team out of some of the game's biggest names.

Real president Florentino Perez spent millions on landing Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham before dramatically quitting last year as his famed 'Galactico' project failed to deliver.

Three of those players had left by the time Real lifted their first trophy in four years last Sunday, when they pipped Barca to the Primera Liga title on the final day.

Barca have reacted swiftly to their disappointing, trophyless year by signing a consistent goalscorer in Henry, but face the same problems that befell Real under Perez.

The most obvious is how to fit the France striker into a forward line that already boasts Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, Brazil's Ronaldinho, and Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Coach Frank Rijkaard is unlikely to change his attack-minded 4-3-3 formation to play all four at once, something Real attempted and suffered from as a result.

Rotations are vital to the success of Rijkaard's tactics. He likes his side to push up, dominating possession and working hard to win back the ball when it is lost.