FCBARCELONA.CAT

17.03.2010 23:50

Cautious euphoria

www.fcbarcelona.cat

The players were clearly thrilled by their victory over Stuttgart, whilst at the same time maintaining their customary caution as to their prospects in the next round.

The players admitted that the fans’ euphoria at the win is a positive force, though captain Carles Puyol warned: “we have to keep our feet on the ground – in this competition you can have one bad night and you are out”

Below are some of the players’ post match comments:

Messi:

“We carried on where we had left off after the second half against Valencia”

“I’m happy about the win, the goals and the fact that we are where we wanted to be – in the quarter finals”

“We now have to take it one game at a time, like we did last year and see who we get drawn against in the quarter finals. We have to be cool about it, as always”.

Henry:

“I don’t know what else I can say about my position on the pitch. The boss asked me to bring some depth and I think I’ve done that. I just try and do what I can to help the team and Leo, who’s really on fire at the moment”.

“I always try and come out strong – sometimes it’s not enough, but I always try”.

“The manager chooses the team – that’s his job. If I’m picked then I’ll give everything I can and that’s all there is to it. If he asks me to play wide, then I’ll do that. Everyone knows what my position is, but if he wants me out wide, I’ll do it”.

“It was a tough game over there and we knew we had to pull out a big performance here, because in Europe you can never be sure what’s going to happen”.

“I wouldn’t like to be drawn against Arsenal – it’d be strange to have to play against them”.

“It’s not easy to get through to this stage. People see the big names and think we are already through , but you only have to see what happened to Chelsea and Real Madrid to see that’s not so. And what happened to them could have happened to us too”.

“I haven’t got enough time to start talking about Lehmann – if I did I’d never get to sleep tonight!”

S. Busquets:

“ I came off, but it was only a knock”

“We put in a complete performance: safe at the back and up front. We controlled the game”.

“Touré had more freedom of movement, but I felt comfortable with my role”.

“Henry is playing where he always has and he really helps the team a lot. He played well tonight”.

Valdés:

“It was a good game after a difficult first leg•”.

“Champions League nights are special, the fans are more involved, they push us more and give us a real confidence boost for the rest of the season”.

“One of our best weapons is our defence. I really didn’t have much to do tonight thanks to our great defenders”.

“The fans’ euphoria is good, it creates a positive dynamic. We have to thank them again for their support – they are always right behind us”.

Puyol:

“We’re happy with the result and also with the performance and the way the team played - even better if you score four!”

“We showed we want to win this competition and we are going all out for it”

“Of course the fans are elated, so are we, but we have to keep our feet on the ground – in this competition you can have one bad night and you are out “.

“All the teams in the last eight are tough – we’ll just wait and see who we get in the draw”.

Iniesta:

“Maybe we’ll be seen as the team to avoid, but we were also very aware that we will be facing one of the bets eight in Europe, regardless of whether they have a big name or not. It may sound corny, but it’s true – it’s not easy to get through”.

“There’s nothing wrong with thinking about the final in the Bernabeu, we’re getting close, but there’s still a lot of work to do”.

Pedro:

“My goal was the culmination of a great team move and a brilliant ball from Yaya.”
“It was a deserved win, we played well and got the goals. We really hurt them by playing between their lines”.

“I feel physically good. I’m gaining confidence and try to bring things to the team from the right or the left”.

“The new tactics are the manager’s idea and we hope it all works out. I want to be a regular all through the rest of the season”.

“All the teams left in the competition will be tough. We respect them all and know we have to maintain our focus”.

“We are getting closer, but it’s not easy and we have to take it one game at a time”.