FCBARCELONA.CAT

29.04.2008 23:56

Xavi: “We have missed a chance to make history”

Roger Bogunyà

The Barça squad were upset not to have scored tonight and Xavi rued the missed opportunity to create history.

It was a great game of football, but ultimately proved to be yet another disappointment in what has not been the best of seasons for FC Barcelona. The 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford means Barça came frustratingly close to a place in the Moscow final, something Xavi described as “another chance to make history” and he claims that Barça “were better in terms of possession and chances, but it was not enough”.

The following is a selection of some of the comments made by the players after the game.

Puyol

“I think the team worked well in both the first and second legs. We gave it all we could.”

“We were missing a goal and sometimes the ball just doesn’t want to go in.”

“Of course we have to score. They scored one, we didn’t. That can happen, that’s football.”

“It is a shame, most of all for the fans. We have to thank them.”

“It was a very even semi final against a great side.”

“What we have to do is defend the Barça colours with all our strength and be aware of the shirt we are wearing.”

“It is one of the best squads we have ever had, now we have to think about things.”

“We know that in the Cup and the Champions League the team played well, and got to the semi finals, but in the League we have been very poor.”

“When you don’t win titles, it is not a good season.”

Deco

“We created chances but we couldn’t get a goal.”

“In my understanding, the season has been very poor.”

“You have to think that next year we can win again. Everyone needs to have a think about things.”

“We tried, but we didn’t manage it.”

“We played very well today.”

“I don’t think it is the end of any era. There are lots of young, quality players.”

“At least we should find some courage and try to finish second.”

“We are sad, we are sorry about what has happened. It has been a hard season.”

“If Barça have won nothing in two years, then you can call it a failure.”

Xavi

“It was a good game, but that was no good to us.”

“We have missed a chance to make history.”

“We can’t understand it, because we generate a lot of goalscoring chances but they don’t go in.”

“If you don’t score you don’t go through. That cost us the round.”

“I think we were the better team, but that was not enough. We had more possession and chances, but it all proved useless.”

“We had the chance to win the Champions League, and once again we have not achieved our objective.”

“The squad are feeling awful. It has been a poor season.”

“Now we have to bring out our pride in ourselves as footballers and start looking ahead.”

Valdés

“It was not the result we wanted. There’s a lot of disappointment.”

“United played very well in both games, especially defensively. They had the luck of getting a goal in the first half.”

“There are important league games to come.”

“The season is not over yet. We have to keep fighting.”

Iniesta

“We tried, but it wasn’t to be.”

“Our lack of goals has cost us a lot of points and also a place in the final.”

“We are affected by this, but we have four league games to come in which we’ll have to try to finish second. We have to look to the future.”