FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.08.2009 23:59

“Messi’s pass was half the goal”

Roger Bogunyà

Pedro Rodríguez, the hero of Barça’s third Super Cup triumph, claimed much of the credit for his goal goes down to Leo Messi for providing such a brilliant pass.

The Canary Islander, who scored the only goal of the night at the Louis II in Monaco, explained what happened in detail. “I saw Messi in the middle, gave him the ball and he returned a through ball to me … I am delighted with the goal, but most of all, for winning the title” he said.

Pedro also thanked the fans for chanting his name at the end of the game. “The supporters have always treated me well, and I thank them for that” he said. He also confessed that it hadn’t been an easy game, but that the players’ desire to win had made the difference in the end.

The following are some of the other comments made by the Barça players after the match.

Valdés

“We were lucky enough to win another title, another important one.”
“We have made up for the defeat in 2006.”
“I don’t think it matters how you win a final, winning is what matters.”
“They played a very tactical game, playing on the counter.”
“It was very humid out there and it is hard to cope with such heat. But we aren’t looking for excuses, if it went into extra time we just had to keep playing.”
“It is a very important title and the international coverage required the game to go into extra time.”
“I hope it doesn’t affect us on Monday.”

Alves

“This game taught us a lesson. Football is hard at this level and you can miss out on titles if you relax too much.”
“The team worked really hard.”
“I think the team knows what we are achieving, but to carry on doing great things we need to want it more. We should always have the maximum ambition.”

Piqué

“We expected a difficult game. The conditions, with so much heat and humidity, weren’t the best either.”
“I think the reserve players are making a more and more important contribution. That’s good for Barça.”
“I haven’t been able to say much to Pedro, but I’m sure he’s the happiest man in the world.”
“I hope we can win the World Clubs Cup and become the team of the Six Cups.”

Bojan

“We are all thrilled.”
“It’s a spectacular year. I think Barça are the best placed team in the world. And I’m confident that this year we can put ourselves in a better position still.”
“I told Pedro that his was the best present anybody has given me (it was his 19th birthday tonight).”