FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.09.2009 21:23

Guardiola: “My renewal is not a priority”

Anna Segura

In order to get the issue out of the way, Josep Guardiola explained yesterday that he was in no hurry to renew his contract: “There’s still a long way to go, 11 months’ work, and there’ll be time for everything”.

This is one of the recurring issues in Josep Guardiola’s press conferences. With one more year’s contract remaining with FC Barcelona, the coach wanted to talk about his renewal, and he made it clear that this would be the only time he would answer questions about it.

“A lot of work”

One of the reasons Guardiola still hasn’t sat down to talk about his future is that “I haven’t got time to think about anything else, and when the time is right, we’ll sit down and talk quickly and discretely”. He added that “I still have a long way to go, 11 months’ work, and there’ll be time for everything”. He also stated that his renewal was “not a priority”, and he added “I’m happy here and I think the club is happy with me”.

A dangerous team

When asked about league rivals Getafe, the Barca coach praised the Madrid team’s game and their dangers: “There’s one key fact; they haven’t lost since the pre-season began, which is a sign that they’re doing their job well”.

Messi’s strength

The Barca coach was also questioned on Leo Messi’s mood because Argentina’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup still looks tricky. Guardiola said that “he’s sad, as any player would be”. “As a player, when you lose, it affects you. It would be more unusual if he wasn’t affected”. But as the coach knows the Argentinian star well, he assured that “Leo has loads of virtues, but his greatest is his mental strength and determination”.

“We are a bit stronger with Iniesta”

Guardiala was clear that Andrés Iniesta’s addition to the squad gives Barca a boost. “We’re a bit stronger with Iniesta”. The coach added that he was happy for Iniesta: “He can help us, but most important of all, he’ll be able to enjoy playing football again”. “His injury has made him stronger, and he has become more self-confident in press conferences, as you could see in his last one”.