Coach Pep Guardiola congratulated his players on their win against Espanyol, and called on them to keep their spirits up for the Clubs World Cup.
Guardiola was proved right in his pre-match prediction saying that it would be a hard-fought game.
“It was just as I thought. I knew it would be a closed-down game”. After getting the
three points, the coach praised his players: “We’ve beaten a great side. It’s an
important win”.
The Barça coach said: “We played well in the first half, it was a close thing. In the
second, Espanyol created problems for us. We’re tired and it must be noticeable”.
The penalty and substituting Ibra
About the deciding penalty, Guardiola stated that Xavi had assured him
that it had been a foul, and the coach believed him. He seemed resigned to what some of the
headlines would say. “I can imagine what will happen. We’re used to it by now”.
In reference to substituting Ibra, the Barça coach justified it by saying: “They were trying
to get him sent off. I didn’t like what I was seeing”.
And now the Clubs World Cup
Barça’s next challenge in their quest for the five cups is the
Clubs World Cup next week in Abu Dhabi. “We’re not going to automatically pick up
anything. We have to win our right to be in the final”. After yet another long journey, the
Barça coach has clear intentions: “We’re going to train a little, rest as much as
possible and see if we can win”.
To view this content you need the latest version of the Flash Player
“Thanks” to Civil Aviation
In reference to the two-hour stopover the Barça squad will have to make in Istanbul on the way to
Abu Dhabi, Pep Guardiola said ironically: “I’d like to thank Civil Aviation for not
letting us fly directly. It’s a serious time-waster. We’ll have muscular fatigue and
we’ll have to spend eleven hours on the plane”.