Gerard Piqué believes the team is as ambitious as ever about next season. Although Barça have won everything, they still have challenges ahead, such as “winning the fourth Liga and retaining the Champions League”.
Abidal’s Champions League
One of the images of the Wembley final that was seen around the world was that of captain Carles
Puyol insisting that Éric Abidal should be the man to receive the Champions League trophy. Piqué
feels that was “a unique gesture. We are so lucky to have a captain like Puyol, who has such
a big heart. It shows what our squad is like, we are like brothers, and that struck the heart of
the Barça fans and anyone who likes football”.
The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper was the venue chosen for Nike to present the new boots that Gerard
Piqué will be wearing from now on. After winning the double and then travelling with the Spanish
national team for two friendlies, the defender has spoken to the press.
Objectives for next year
His main topic of conversation was next season. “There are a lot of
challenges ahead. Winning the fourth Liga, retaining the Champions League and the European
Championship with Spain”, said Piqué. He knows that a fourth league in a row would equal the
achievement of the Dream Team, and also they could become the first team to win back-to-back
Champions League titles since the new format was introduced.
Harder each year
Piqué has been at the club for the same length of time as Guardiola as manager, and
so has also won ten titles in three years. He believes it is getting harder and harder to continue
being successful and “not because we are less ambitious, but because the other teams are
spending more to win titles … but we are as keen as ever, and that’s how we can achieve
the targets next year”.
Ready for everything
In his speech after winning the Champions League at the Camp Nou, Piqué insisted
that “we don’t take drugs, we don’t dive, we don’t bribe referees, we just
play football”. In saying so, he explained today that “I wanted to make it clear that
we haven’t done any of the things they have accused us of”. Piqué knows that such
attacks are likely to continue next season, but “we have to put up with them if we want to
win titles. The team is prepared for that”.
Cesc Fàbregas
As ever, the close season rumours are attaching many names to the Barça shirt for
next season, and one of those is Cesc Fàbregas. Piqué describes his fellow Catalan as “a
great player and the kind of player that would fit in at Barça, he knows the language we speak on
the pitch”. But although he would be delighted for Cesc to come to Barcelona “anything
can happen in the world of football”.
Piqué also spoke about Rossi, who he played alongside at Manchester United. “He has an
exquisite left foot, he scores and he’s quick. He is a player that would work at Barça and
gets 10 out of 10 as a person”. Alexis Sánchez, another name that has been mentioned,
“is great in one on ones”.