10.05.2009 22:49
“We have to win the Cup”
Vanessa Forns
Although Barça missed the chance tonight to clinch the league title, Guardiola told reporters after the match that the team “is much closer to the title” and that now the players had to raise themselves for Wednesday’s final in Valencia.
He had said it several times in the pre-match press conference. The players would have loved to win
the championship in front of the fans in the Camp Nou, both for the fans themselves and to finally
get their hands on one of the three titles in play. But Llorente had other plans. “Seeing the
ground like this is fantastic. I understand that people are upset. In the end life consists of good
moments. We’ll try and live them another day. I’m sorry about that”.
However, he reminded reporters that Barça are eight points ahead with only nine to play for:
“We’re much closer, more than at the beginning of this matchday”.
Focussed on the Cup
Guardiola, who stated that the sending off of Abidal had been a turning point because of the
tiredness of his players, called on them to make a final effort: “We have to pick ourselves
up quickly, go forward with what we’ve got and with a smile on our faces to prepare for the
Cup next Wednesday”.
Iniesta injury “the worst news of the day”
”The worst news of the day” was how Guardiola described the injury to Andrés
Iniesta. “He’s a very important player for us because he gives us so much. Playing a
match every three days the effort is very great. He’s definitely out for Wednesday and the
objective is to get him back in time for the Champions League final”.
That’s football
As for Llorente’s injury time goal, which snatched the league title away at the last
moment, Guardiola was philosophical: “Football is like that. A few days ago we did it and
today they stopped us. At Stamford Bridge it was Iniesta and today it was Llorente. Fate has played
a trick on us – it was Llorente”.
Laporta: “The league is very close”
Speaking after the anticlimax of tonight’s draw, Club president Joan Laporta told us:
“We’ve got a point and we’ve taken another step forward. We shall have to wait
but the league is very close. Football’s like that”. He also thanked the fans for their
support: “They’re really keen to lift trophies”.
Joan Laporta also spoke about a week when the team has thrashed Real Madrid and qualified for
the CL final: “The six goals in the Bernabeu is a result we’ll always remember. Also
we’re in the Champions League final, something which puts us among the big teams. It’s
a dream final in Rome against a winning club like Manchester United”.
Next up for Barça is Wednesday’s Cup Final in the Mestalla, against Athletic Club
Bilbao. According to Laporta: “It’ll be a great festival of football against a great
team, Athletic Club.