MADRID - Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde sees little reason to let the political upheaval in Catalonia distract his players' focus after the club recorded its best ever start to a La Liga season on Saturday.

On Valverde's return to Athletic Bilbao, which he left to take charge at Camp Nou in June, goals from Lionel Messi and Paulinho secured a 2-0 win to restore Barca's four-point lead over Valencia at the top of the standings after nine wins and a draw in its opening 10 league games.

Victory came a day after the Catalan parliament voted in favor of a unilateral declaration of independence and Spain reacted by asserting direct rule over the deeply divided region.