10.12.2007 14:03
Valdés: “The classic will be vital”
Vanessa Forns
Víctor Valdés knows just how important the last two games of the season against Valencia and Real Madrid are going to be. According to the keeper, “the classic will be vital for getting to the top and making an impact on the league”.
The side coached by Frank Rijkaard, currently four points off the top of the domestic table, have
two crunch fixtures to end 2007. Next week they go to Mestalla, and then Real Madrid are due at the
Camp Nou. Víctor Valdés has told a press conference that “there are two hard games to come,
and they are important ones to win … the classic will be vital for getting to the top and
making an impact on the league”.
Leaders setting the pace
Valdés was asked if Barça are keeping an eye on what Madrid are doing
and answered that “when you are not at the top of the table your reference is always the
leading team … if the team at the top wins their game then you are obliged to win as well if
you want to win the title … but there is a lot of league still to go … it is proving
very demanding”.
Seeking to end poor away for at Mestalla
But before Madrid, there is Valencia next Saturday, and Valdés commented that “we are
playing at a ground where we haven’t done all that well in recent seasons … but
statistics are there to be broken”. He then added that “it will be a very complicated
game, because Valencia also need to win” and that “we need to end this poor run of
results away from home”.
Pleased to welcome back Eto'o and Deco
As for Sunday’s game with Deportivo la Coruña, Víctor Valdés was pleased with the team
in general and was especially happy to witness the return of two players: Eto'o y Deco. “They
are very important players for us, for all they contribute to the team. They have many virtues and
always get down to work for the good of the team”.
Cristian’s goal
Valdés pointed out that, as they knew Madrid had won the day before,
“we were obliged to beat an opponent that in theory was going to be easy but wasn’t
actually easy at all. Whenever you win after the leader has done the same, it has to be
good.” He was also asked to comment on the second minute goal he conceded, saying “it
was a long range shot but the ball swung in the air and changed direction. I couldn’t stop
it”.
United squad
Real Madrid’s director of sport Pedja Mijatovic has commented that the Madrid squad is
more united than the Barça one, to which the Barça stopper responded “he must have cameras in
our dressing room to know what’s happening. There has been a good atmosphere here for several
years. We are a group with a young average age that comes here every day to enjoy ourselves and are
aware of the responsibility of playing for a team like FC Barcelona”.