FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.05.2007 14:53

Gio stresses unity

Miriam Nadal

Gio van Bronckhorst told reporters at a Camp Nou press conference on Thursday that the players are more united than ever and are training flat out with the aim of winning a third consecutive league title.

The Dutch international left back insisted that the players are focussed and united on the shared objective of taking the league title – despite what some ill-informed rumours have suggested: “The squad are very united and have a big desire to win the league. What’s more, in recent weeks we’ve had some great training sessions. There are three matches left and we want to be champions”.

Focussed on the league

Asked whether some players may be leaking information from inside the squad – and this was one of the most persistent questions this Thursday - Gio was adamant: “There isn’t a single player talking to the press about these things. It doesn’t affect us”. He went on to highlight the work rate and sacrifice of Samuel Eto’o on the pitch: “For me, he’s a great team-mate. He works hard and has scored a lot of goals”.

Up for the Getafe match

Barça’s next opponent in the league is Getafe, the team with the best defensive record in La Liga (29 goals conceded): “The match against Getafe will be difficult. They beat us 4-0 but we played very well at home and beat them 5-2 including that great goal by Messi. We’re hungry for a win and focussed on scoring goals”.

The Dutch international is hoping for a slip-up from Real Madrid so that Barça can regain their place at the top of the table, but he can’t predict when it will happen: “You never know. Every game is difficult”.


“I feel better than before”

On a personal level, Gio van Bronckhorst is feeling positive about his role in the team. He’s started the last three league matches and, like all footballers, he believes this continuity has helped him perform better: “Like every player, the more you play, the more confidence you have. I feel better than before”.

Fixture clashes

Gio also spoke about clashes between the fixture calendars of Barça and the national teams, a common problem for the Barça stars. However, he revealed that he doesn’t see an easy answer: “The league is very long. I have a commitment with the Dutch national squad in Korea and Thailand. It’s not good but we can’t change it”.