Champions League 2011: Guardiola urges Barca to rise to the occasion
LONDON: FC Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola urged his lads Friday to play their best game if they want to win the Champions League 2011 title.
Manchester United vs FC Barcelona. Courtesy: Getty Images
FC Barcelona had defeated Manchester United 2-0 to lift the Champions League title in 2009 in Spain but this time around Manchester United are playing on their home soil at Wembley where they are likely to have a huge edge over the visitors.
The 2009 final was far from the best game as both sides never played up to their potential but this time both sides are looking to play an aggressive game.
Barcelona vs Manchester United. Courtesy: Getty Images
Pep Guardiola is in no mood of feeling over confidence as he told reporters here, “We need to play much better than we did in 2009 and this is one of the things I’ve told my players repeatedly in the last few days. United were better in defence and attack and we need to be much quicker. Everything was new to us really and there was a lot of chaos and confusion. We know each other a lot better now and if we play like that again we won’t win.”
Manchester United are in a great form as they are playing their third final in four seasons and recently won the English Premier League title while FC Barcelona clinched La Liga title and are on the back of a tough season where they played against their arch-rivals Real Madrid four times in a short span of time.
Josep Guardiola. Courtesy: Getty Images
Guardiola is well aware of the recent success of both teams as he said, “Both teams have had an extraordinary decade, it is very difficult to repeat the sort of success both have had, to keep making finals and winning trophies. Whoever loses tomorrow you can’t take away the achievements of the last few years.”
If FC Barcelona win tonight, this would be their fourth European titles, which would take them in the ranks of Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam while Liverpool have won five times, AC Milan seven times, and Read Madrid won it nine times.
Manchester United. Courtesy: Getty Images
Guardiola said, “It’s always difficult the first time round, you have to break that psychological barrier. I don’t think you really enjoy finals, you have to suffer, but that was important for the club. There have been many great teams through history, I haven’t seen them all and it’s impossible to compare. If in the next five or 10 years someone remembers the team we have now that would be good but to say we are the best team ever is impossible, it’s just not true.”
Guardiola ranked tonight’s final as the best-ever in the history of the European soccer. He said Friday, “Tomorrow we have to show if we deserve all this talk of it being the best final, maybe when both teams want to play and both respect the ball and want to attack it should be a good final. We both have our strengths and we have to see who can dominate the situations best. We want to get hold of the ball and use it, we want the players to be balanced, to play as we have over the past few years. Our attitude is to show the world how we play, we can’t lose by not giving it our all, let’s hope it’s a show. Both teams have won their leagues and have had to fight hard to get here so it’s just down to tomorrow.”
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Congratulations to Barca, the best team won on the day. United will be back stronger next season, hope to give them a game next time.