FCBARCELONA.CAT

15.03.2007 16:25

Sylvinho stresses positive mood

The Brazilian fullback stressed on Thursday that there’s an upbeat mood amongst the players: “I see that the players, the coaching staff and even the directors are full of hope, and that’s the key”.

This is what has got to take Barca to the league and Cup doble this season. With the door to the Champions League now shut until next season, Belletti knows the team will have to concentrate on the two domestic competitions: “We have a lot at stake”. It’s been a difficult February but it could have been a lot worse: “”It’s been a very difficult month and unfortunately we’ve been eliminated from the Champions League. We’re still alive in two important competitions and that’s because we’ve got quality. From now on, every game is very important”.

Sylvinho belives the players have a tough job on their hands: “The team is putting in a lot of dedication and effort. I see that the players, the coaching staff and even the directors are full of hope, and that’s the key”.

The line-up and the system

Sylvinho picked up a leg injury on 26th January, returning to the side against Atlético Madrid on 25th February when he substituted Edmílson in the 81st minute. Apart from that, he has only featured against Real Madrid, when he came on in the second half for Samuel Eto'o. Sylvinho understands that Rijikaard has many options at his disposal when choosing his starting line-up and is happy to be patient and await his turn: “I got injured in January and I tried to come back as quickly as possible. I’m here to train and try and help the team. The boss has many solutions and I’m satisfied with my work. I’m 32 and I always want to improve”.

One of the reasons for his lack of opportunities has been the change to the 3-4-3 system in recent matches. Sylvinho emphasised that the squad has the quality to play this system and to switch systems depending on the circumstances: “The system is down to the manager and we can make changes during the match depending on the needs”.

The match against Recreativo

Sylvinho also warned about the dangers posed by Barca’s next league opponent, Recreativo: “It’s a difficult match because they’re having a good season and they’ve got players with pace”. As such, Barca are making good use of a week without interruptions: “”We’ve had a ‘clean’ week – without matches – and this is doing us a lot of good”.