FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.08.2008 13:36

Hleb: “I need time to adapt”

Roger Bogunyà

FC Barcelona’s newest signing, Alexander Hleb, has admitted that he needs more time to fully adapt to his new team. The Belorussian’s aim is to be able to communicate with his team mates on the pitch.

“It takes time to adapt. It’s important for me to learn Spanish and to be able to communicate with my team mates and make myself understood on the pitch.” This is how Hleb summarised his adaptation to FC Barcelona. The Belorussian hopes to resolve this language problem “soon”.

Team first

When asked if these communication problems would affect his time on the pitch, Hleb explained that it could have a bearing but right now it wasn’t something that worried him too much. The Belorussian believes that the team is the priority, and not one individual player: “Obviously I want to play but we have a team of great players and the most important thing is that the team wins”.

His favourite position

The number ‘21’ also spoke about where he felt more comfortable on the pitch. “It’s in the middle, behind the striker”, he said. His utility, however, is one of his greatest attributes: “I’ve learned to play in a lot of positions; on the left or on the right and in the middle of midfield, or further forward; wherever the manager needed me”.

Guardiola: similar to Wenger

On another matter, the Belorussian expressed the importance of having a manager who is on top of the players. “At Arsenal we had a fantastic manager. Wenger was very close to the players, like Guardiola. Proximity to the players is important; it allows you ask him about the game, ask him for help or let him know about your concerns”, he explained.