FCBARCELONA.CAT

26.07.2009 19:57

Guardiola satisfied with the time in London

www.fcbarcelona.cat

The Barça manager is satisfied with the way the team has developed in London and staying in the senior squad and thanked the club for signing Ibrahimovic.

After six days of training and two friendly matches, the Barça coaching staff are returning to Barcelona in an upbeat mood. Pep Guardiola confirmed this at the post match press conference after the match against Al-Ahly. “The best news is that we’re going back home without injuries and having seen the young and not so young players”. As for his plans academy players that travelled to London, he told reporters: “We’ll take a few of them to the USA but they’ll all go back to the reserve and youth squads. The day that I need them I’ll give them a call and promote them”.

Guardiola also made it clear that he will be using young winger Pedro this season: “He is definitely a senior squad player. He does everything with a lot of good sense and I’m sure he’ll help us a lot this year”.

Ibra will bring “something different”

Guardiola was speaking in Wembley shortly before Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Barcelona. He thanked the Club for making the effort to sign the Swedish striker and told reporters: “He’s a fantastic player. He’ll bring us something different. We have to help him settle into the squad. Signing players isn’t easy but we’ll try and sign a few more because I believe the team needs them”.

Here are some of the players’ post match comments:

Eidur Gudjohnsen

“Today we played a bit slower than against Tottenham, but that’s normal after two matches in three days”.

“We’ve worked very well here this week to prepare ourselves for the season”.

“The youngsters are here because they deserve to be here”.

“Ibrahimovic is a top class player. He scores goals, he’s skilful and very strong. I hope we’ll carry on winning titles with him”.

Pedro

“We weren’t used to playing at this time but we adapted well. They started really strongly but we were able to win”.

“I’m happy to score again”.

“I’d like to stay with the first team but if I have to go back to the reserves I’ll do so without any problems”.

Marc Muniesa

“We can take a positive view of the two matches: a draw and a comfortable win, and we played well”.

“I felt very good, very calm. My team-mates made everything easier”.

“The coaching staff congratulated us all. I suppose we’ll go back to the reserves tomorrow and start all over again”.

Rueda

“The goal made me really happy. I tried one with my left foot a few minutes before but I didn’t have any luck. Then it came off well. The truth is I try quite often”.

“I’m very happy to have played here and to have scored one of the goals”.

“I suppose that today or tomorrow they’ll tell us reserve players what we have to do”.