FCBARCELONA.CAT

26.04.2007 14:43

“Winning now is more important than ever”

Miriam Nadal

Speaking at Thursday’s press conference, Gianluca Zambrotta told reporters that the players had to approach the final part of the season with the same attitude they showed against Getafe in the Cup and avoid observing the rivals too closely.

The Barça players have to focus on themselves. That’s the conclusion and the advice that the vastly experienced Italian defender offered to reporters on Thursday.

A competitive league

The Italian defender believes the league title will be a tough prize and certainly more difficult than last season: “It’s a more balanced league, more difficult, more spectacular, not only for us, but also for Sevilla, Madrid and Valencia”.

Zambrotta believes the team is looking strong and that any nerves can be explained by the tightness at the top of the table. However, in his opinion the situation can change at any moment.

Getafe the reference point

One of the ways Barça can stand out from the chasing pack is to adopt the same mentality as against Getafe. “I believe we are at a decisive moment. We have to continue with the same mentality as in the Cup match against Getafe, and with the mentality of winning all the time”. In short: “Winning now is more important than ever”.

In good shape after Egypt

Zambrotta also insisted that the players are in good shape after their trip to Egypt to take part in the friendly to celebrate the centenary of Al-Ahly: “We had a rest yesterday and today we trained well”.

Saviola focussed

As for the rumours surrounding Saviola’s future, Zambrotta explained that the Argentinean striker is looking focussed. A newspaper headline suggesting his destination could be Real Madrid was described by Zambrotta as “a joke or a lie”. He concluded: “Saviola is only thinking about doing a good job until the end of the season”.

Experience the key

Gianluca understands perfectly the reaction of manager Frank Rijkaard on Monday after the defeat against Villarreal: “The boss did his job. He spoke to the team after a defeat and I think we’re all players that have been through this before in our careers”. The Italian believes the accumulated experience of many of the players will be vital in the final sprint to the league and Cup double.