FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.03.2008 13:26

“The aim is still the same”

Jordi Clos

Eric Abidal admitted that the defeat to Villarreal has made the League more difficult, but he still thinks that Barça are in with a shout in all three competitions.

After losing at home 1-2 to Villarreal, Barça are once again eight points behind Madrid. At today’s press conference Eric Abidal described how the players are feeling at the moment. “The result makes things harder for us but we aren’t giving up as there’s still a long way to go,” he said. “The aim is still the same: we want to make a go of it in all three competitions.”

Learning from mistakes

Abidal said that the team had wanted to beat the ‘yellow submarine’ for Messi: “His injury was a psychological blow and we wanted to win for him.” The defender said that Villarreal had been defensively strong and pointed out that “you have good days and bad days”. The second goal was a “tough blow” and “we need to stop making mistakes to turn things around”.

No excuses

Abidal played well in yesterday’s game and made a number of attacking runs. “It’s a different type of physical training to what I’m used to but I feel fine,” he said. The former Lyon player said that having a lot of matches recently was no excuse, though he is grateful for having a week in which to get ready for the team’s next fixture.

Still alive in all three competitions

Eric Abidal said that what Barça need to do now is “to take each game as it comes, win our matches and not keep worrying about Madrid”. The defender thinks the team can catch up with Madrid. “We know we can catch them and there’s still time to cut the gap before we visit the Bernabéu,” he argued. “We aren’t throwing in the towel. They’ve got better results, maybe when we lose or draw they get a bit more confident, but there’s still time to correct mistakes and win titles.”