12.12.2008 11:54
Belletti: “Barça are favourites on Saturday”
José Manuel Lázaro / Vanessa Forns
Juliano Belletti relieves that FC Barcelona are “the favourites” to win the game on Saturday against Real Madrid, but the Brazilian full-back did say that the hosts had to be wary of the dangers that their visitors will pose.
On May 17, 2006, the defender wrote his name into the Blaugrana’s history books
when he scored the winning goal in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal in Paris.
That day Barça won the European Cup for the second time in their history and Belletti was
seen as the hero of the hour and a year later he moved to Chelsea to try his luck in the English
Premier League.
Sporting spectacle
From London, the former FC Barcelona star explained his thoughts on the
forthcoming clásico. “Barça against Madrid is the biggest sporting spectacle in the world at
the moment,” he stated. “Looking at the game I think that Barcelona are the favourites
to win on Saturday. They play great football at a very high level.”
Team play
Real Madrid have changed their coach in the week leading up to the game and Belletti believes
that they will head to Camp Nou “with enormous pressure on them” before adding
“but they are not just any team however.” Away from which players will be appearing,
the Chelsea full-back thinks that “the team with the best collective quality normally wins
over any individual ability.”
Highly motivated
Having played in several clásicos during his time at Barça, the Brazilian knows what the
players are thinking in the build-up to the big game. “Barça against Madrid is a great shop
window around the world for the players and they all want to play at their best,” he
explained. “They cannot make any mistakes. In the preparations for the game not a moment will
be missed to help the squad prepare mentally. Everyone will be highly motivated.”
Good win
Among all the game that he played against Real Madrid, Belletti
remembers the game during the 2004-05 season when Barça win 3-0. “That day we beat a Madrid
side that contained Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and more,” he said. “It
was a great Madrid side and we beat them in every area. We really wanted it.”
Praise for the Blaugrana
Belletti is still a fan of the Blaugrana and believes that “they have the best players
in the world in every position”. He is also a big fan of Thiery Henry. “I think that
Henry is in his best moment of form and for me is one of the best players of all time,” he
added.