Víctor Valdés played his 400th game in a Barça shirt against Osasuna. In an interview with the Barça TV program, ‘El Marcador’, Valdés spoke about this record, and Barça, in the build up to the Champions League semi-final.
Víctor Valdés is not one of those players who are constantly obsessed with personal records, but
few can boast of having played 400 games at the highest level, as the Barça goalkeeper has.
Reaching this figure in the game against Osasuna, Valdés became the second goalkeeper in the
history of Barcelona to have played most games, surpassed only by Zubizarreta.
In an interview in ‘El Marcador’ on Barça TV, Valdes couldn’t avoid
speaking about the number of games: "It's an honour for me. I don’t pay much attention to
these things, but it’s a pretty good figure, and I would like to thank all those who have
been there for me. Without them I wouldn’t be enjoying this moment".
To pass Zubizarreta would be an honor
Valdes is only eleven games away from overtaking Zubizarreta and becoming the most capped
goalkeeper for Barcelona. "It's an honour. First, because Zubizarreta has been an example for me
since I got into the first team. As the seasons have gone by, he’s been very influential in
my game, and my way of thinking. I've always said that what he did was fantastic. He was the first
to win a European Cup and the first in many things. I’m lucky to have him by my side every
day and if I can beat his record, so much the better".
In high spirits before the semifinal of the Champions
The win against Osasuna has lifted the morale of the team, following the
disappointment of their defeat in the Spanish Cup Final, and they’ll face up to the challenge
of the semifinal of the Champions League with optimism. With the League Title almost decided,
Valdes believes the team will go all out against Real Madrid: "We are a team with players who are
winners and we want to repeat the triumphs with Barça. So, we just have to keep going, and go all
out against Real Madrid".
Valdes hopes that Barça will be able to play their true game in Madrid, something which
they’ve found difficult to do in the last 2 games, in the League and the Cup Final: "We know
what can happen against Real Madrid. We must take what comes, and it may depend a lot on the
referee whether we can play our game or not. But we’re not obsessed about these things. We
have to do our thing and play the game that suits us. The key will be ball possession, and we have
to pass, and pass, until we get a chance on goal".