The Barça technical secretary attended the draw for the Club World Cup, and believes that the most likely semi final opponent is Mexican side Atlante.
Txiki Begiristain was speaking to Barça TV and www.fcbarcelona.cat from Abu Dhabi, where he
travelled in the company of board member Albert Perrín and director or football Raül Sanllehí.
Another Mexican
Barça will play the winner
of the game between Atlante FC and either Al-Ahli FCD or Auckland City FC. Asked for his
predictions, Txiki Begiristain was convinced that “the Mexicans are the team we will play in
the World Cup”.
This will Barça’s return to the competition after they played in it in 2006 and faced
another Mexican side at the same stage, América, who they beat 4-0.
Chance to see them
Barça will find
out for sure who they will be playing on December 12, when the quarter final is to be played. Txiki
is glad that will "give us a chance to see them live and see how they play” although thanks
to the club’s well planned system they always “have the capacity to find out how any
team plays".
"We want this title"
As he said before travelling to Abu Dhabi, Txiki Begiristain reiterated that the Clubs World
Cup is “a title we want. To be the one of the best in the world, you have to win this".
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Two Mexicans at Barça
If Atlante FC do make the semi finals and play FC Barcelona, it will be an especially important day
for Barça’s Rafael Márquez and Jonathan dos Santos, two Mexicans that will be able to tell
Guardiola all about the side they’re facing. Guardiola himself is also familiar with the
club, having played them in his Mexican League days at Dorados de Sinaloa.