FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.02.2009 14:49

Guardiola: “I believe in this team”

Anna Segura

Far from having doubts following recent results, the Barça manager is full of confidence in his team. He says his players “have a lot of love for what they are doing and are playing well”.

“We are fine”. That is how clear Josep Guardiola was when asked how the team felt after three games without a win. Following Barça’s amazing run, where they went 22 games without losing, the manager still says “I believe a lot in this team and I will believe in them till the end because I see them every day in training … despite the bad results you won’t convince me to think otherwise about my team”.

Abel Resino’s Atlético

This Sunday they face Atlético for the fourth time this season. Guardiola said “we know each other well, but now they have a new manager”. Abel Resino is the new face on the bench at Atlético Madrid and “he has introduced new things” said the Barça manager.

Guardiola has not forgotten that “we’re playing one of the big teams in the league. They have great players and play very attacking football.” And all of that “in a marvellous stadium full of people and that helps them a lot”.

Dealing with fouls

Josep Guardiola has faced a lot of teams recently that have cut down their game with excessive foul play. On that he said “it’s not good for us when games are held up. When that happens we have to stay cool and not fall into their trap … that’s what the referee is there for and it is him who has to stop it”.

Conclusions after Olympique

After drawing in Lyon, Josep Guardiola said he drew many conclusions from the game. He said today that “when they make more mistakes than usual, you can draw conclusions. Football is never a done deal and there are always new things we have to correct”.

No pressure

Guardiola denied that the lack of wins has increased the pressure on his team to deliver. “The team has a lot of love for what they are doing and are playing well”. He admitted that against Olympique they did lose their calm at times, but “generally speaking we are a well behaved team and you’ll see that again tomorrow”.

Meeting with full backs

Before training on Friday, Guardiola called a special meeting with his full backs. He explained that “I highlighted the good things that the full backs have done until now”.