Hleb: “Everyone knows Henry is a fantastic player”
Roger Bogunyà
Alexander Hleb was full of praise for Thierry Henry after the French forward netted an impressive hat-trick against Valencia on Saturday evening in a game that saw both former Arsenal players start.
The Belorusian described his team-mate as “a fantastic player” and believes that
“to score three goals is a big thing for him and the team”. Hleb believes that
“playing in the middle is easier for him, despite the good work that he also does out on the
wing”.
Adapting well
After joining the club in the summer, Hleb believes that he
is adapting to life all the time. “Every day I am feeling better and better, more
settled,” he said. “It is very important for me to be able to speak Spanish well. I
think that soon I will feel completely integrated.”
On the team’s style of play, he explained that “it is very different to Arsenal,
but I am slowly understanding it and soon I think I will be playing my best football again
here.”
“We can beat Madrid”
The press conference on Sunday quickly focussed on the visit of Real Madrid next weekend and
Hleb was optimistic about Barcelona’s chances of picking up all three points in el Clásico.
“Everyone wants to play against Barça and win, above all Madrid,” he continued.
“It will be a special game, which is traditionally difficult because of the rivalry. We
intend to win and I think that we will do.”
To view this content you need the latest version of the Flash Player
Clásico information
Alexander Hleb has revealed that his former Arsenal team-mate, Cesc Fàbregas, told him all about
how sad everyone was at Barça after losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in the Bernabéu last season. “I
talked to Cesc and he explained it all to me and I also read about it in the newspapers,” the
Belorusian said. “We talked about it and evidently any defeat is not good because they are
two big clubs. But now it is a new season and there is a new coach, who is completely different. We
just have to be focussed.”