FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.07.2009 15:06

Baresi: “Barça has its own way of playing”

Jaume Marcet

Former Milan player Franco Baresi, who took part in the first international indoor football tournament this weekend, highlights the identity of the style of play created by Josep Guardiola’s team.

Speaking exclusively to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat, the man seen as one of the best defenders of his day is full of praise for Barça’s style of football: “Barça have played in their own way with a unique philosophy. It’s been great watching them. It’s been admirable.”

Guardiola’s gesture

Baresi thanked Josep Guardiola for his gesture of dedicating Barça’s Champions League Final triumph in Rome to one of Italian football’s all-time greats Paolo Maldini. “That was really nice of Guardiola. Maldini deserved it for being at the top of Italian and world football for so many years”.

Piqué is the future

As an ex-defender, Franco Baresi is particularly impressed by Gerard Piqué: “Piqué is the future. I like the way he plays with personality and being the boss of the defence despite his youth for Barça and Spain,” he says. “He’s had a wonderful year in the League and the Champions League and is still young enough to continue making progress.”

Barça academy

The ex-Italy player and World Cup runner-up in 1994 also praised the Barça academy. “The fact that ten of Barça’s first team squad are ex-academy players is really unusual in top flight European football,” said Baresi. “That would be almost impossible in Italy. Giving home-grown players the chance to play for Barça is a great move, especially at a tough time for football, and I hope they can continue with it for many years to come.”