11.09.2009 21:23
Guardiola: “My renewal is not a priority”
Anna Segura
In order to get the issue out of the way, Josep Guardiola explained yesterday that he was in no hurry to renew his contract: “There’s still a long way to go, 11 months’ work, and there’ll be time for everything”.
This is one of the recurring issues in Josep Guardiola’s press conferences. With one more
year’s contract remaining with FC Barcelona, the coach wanted to talk about his renewal, and
he made it clear that this would be the only time he would answer questions about it.
“A lot of work”
One of the reasons Guardiola still hasn’t sat down to talk about
his future is that “I haven’t got time to think about anything else, and when the time
is right, we’ll sit down and talk quickly and discretely”. He added that “I still
have a long way to go, 11 months’ work, and there’ll be time for everything”. He
also stated that his renewal was “not a priority”, and he added “I’m happy
here and I think the club is happy with me”.
A dangerous team
When asked about league rivals Getafe, the Barca coach praised the Madrid team’s game
and their dangers: “There’s one key fact; they haven’t lost since the pre-season
began, which is a sign that they’re doing their job well”.
Messi’s strength
The Barca coach was also questioned on Leo Messi’s mood because
Argentina’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup still looks tricky. Guardiola said that
“he’s sad, as any player would be”. “As a player, when you lose, it affects
you. It would be more unusual if he wasn’t affected”. But as the coach knows the
Argentinian star well, he assured that “Leo has loads of virtues, but his greatest is his
mental strength and determination”.
“We are a bit stronger with Iniesta”
Guardiala was clear that Andrés Iniesta’s addition to the squad gives Barca a boost.
“We’re a bit stronger with Iniesta”. The coach added that he was happy for
Iniesta: “He can help us, but most important of all, he’ll be able to enjoy playing
football again”. “His injury has made him stronger, and he has become more
self-confident in press conferences, as you could see in his last one”.