29.01.2011 23:07

Guardiola: “it’s an honour to equal this record”

Vanessa Forns

With the win in Alicante, Barça have equalled the record number of successive league wins, 15, held by the Real Madrid team of the 1960/61 season, an achievement Guardiola adjudges: “an immense honour”.

Guardiola stressed the importance of winning at an always difficult ground and against the only team to have beaten Barça this season, as well as the honour he felt at equalling the 50-year-old record held by Miguel Muñoz’s Madrid team.

Three points the most important thing

The boss insisted that the most important thing was: “taking the three points at such a difficult ground”, whilst also remarking: “it’s an immense honour to share this record with a team such as Di Stefano’s Madrid. It’s stood for half a century and that just shows what a tough thing it is to achieve”.

Players”again gave a lesson”

Guardiola revealed that immediately after the game: “there was an especially happy atmosphere amongst the players. This has always been a tricky ground for us and we came into the game after a lot of matches recently, but despite all that, the players have again given a great lesson. They knew the importance of winning here and the chance of equalling the record gave us an extra incentive”.

“Seriousness”

After praising the performance of the whole team, Guardiola also highlighted the seriousness” with which they had gone about the game, adding: “we controlled the strategy of the match and Hercules’ counter attacking game and we beat a team against whom sides don’t normally create many chances. Getting a goal before half time was also very positive for us”.

Praise for goal scorers

Finally, Guardiola referred to his two goal scorers, Pedro and Messi, stressing: “Pedro is an enormous help to the team and I hope he continues with the scoring touch he’s enjoying. Messi is a competitive animal. He’s just 23 and he’s scored 164 times - if he carries on like this, he’s going to smash all the records”.