Press conferences/interviews

[instinct]

This is the place to post quotes from Barca's press conferences.

I'll start with today's presser from Lucho and Zubi:

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Zubizarreta : "Like 80-90% of big clubs, we're looking to strengthen the centre back position. We hope to have news soon."

Zubizarreta: "If we'd have wanted, we'd already have sined a centre back, but we want someone who improves what we have."

Zubizarreta: "Luis Suarez ban? Our lawyers told us that we have to be extremely careful with what we say."

Zubizarreta: "We rejected offers from Kroos' agent? We take all decisions together, looking at what we already have. No further comment."

Zubizarreta: "Song could leave? Alex has a contract. If we receive a bid, we'll look into it, but we're not going to discuss..."

Zubizarreta: "We won't have a squad of 25 players like last season. We want a smaller squad, because some B players are ready to help out."

Zubizareta: "Signing another midfielder if Xavi would leave? As for midfielders, we have what we wanted to have."

Zubizarreta: "Bid for Jeremy Mathieu? We're working on a transfer. We made a bid, but I cannot give further comment."

Zubizareta: "Bojan? We discussed his situation with his agent. We hope to find a solution soon, that'd be best for both."

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Luis Enrique: "I talked twice with Cesc. I wish him all the best at his new club."

Luis Enrique: "Alves has an ongoig contract. We'll talk and see what his wishes are. And we'll explain ours."

Luis Enrique: "Goalkeeper who'll play first game? If I'd have to chose today, I'd say Masip, because I know him perfectly. We'll see."

Luis Enrique: "Luis Suarez, Messi, Neymar? Coaches want to have the best players and the more the better. I'm delighted to have them."

Luis Enrique: "I talked with Xavi. He has a contract at the club. We're waiting for him to decide."

Luis Enrique: "We count on Adriano for this season. We have told him that.'

Luis Enrique: "I like Mascherano a lot, I like versatile players. He'll play at centre back or as midfielder depending on what we need."

Luis Enrique: "I want a team hungry for victory, true to the style of these last years, going out to win from minute one and defending well"

Luis Enrique: "This is Barça, the door to the first team is open for youth. I hope B-team players will leave me no choice than to use them."

Luis Enrique: "We don't want to be a predictable team. We want to be able to use different concepts and tactics and to surpise the opponent"

Luis Enrique: "Luis Suarez ban? I don't want to comment on that now, it's a delicate issue."

Luis Enrique: "We're now frst looking for a centre back. When we've signed him, we'll see what options he gives us."

 

[DonAK]

Sticky this, mods.

 

[KingMessi]

 

[instinct]

Date: 17.7.2014
Player: Deulofeu

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Gerard Deulofeu: ''Coming home was always my objective. I learned a lot of things at Everton and now I’m going to have to work hard to achieve this season’s targets.”

Gerard Deulofeu: "Luis Enrique won’t be giving away first team places for free. We’ll all have to work for them"

Gerard Deulofeu: "I know that Barça has the best footballers but I have high hopes of winning myself a place"

Gerard Deulofeu (about Luis Enrique): “He’s a brave coach, he’s got character and knows what he wants”

Gerard Deulofeu (about his time at Everton): ''I learned a lot, but I still think I deserved to play more … But it was a good experience. I have improved in terms of fitness and defending, although my mid-season injury had an impact”.

Gerard Deulofeu: “Messi, Neymar and Suárez are three of the best players in the world, but we still have to prove that we have the best forward line in the world. I am looking forward to learning from them”.

 

[instinct]

Date 18.7.2014
Player: Jordi Masip

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“Luis Enrique knows me, but not so well Ter Stegen and Bravo. His words have encouraged me and that motivates me to keep working hard"

“We are all going to have to work hard to win a place in the team and help the side to win the titles it needs this season”

“I am very hopeful about getting games and helping the team”

“We want to play nice football to please the fans.''

''Marc wants to learn a lot, including Catalan and Spanish. And it’s very important to have a keeper who’s so good with his feet. He’s very complete, and young, so there’s still plenty of room for improvement.''

''High demands are going to be made of all three goalkeepers, but such competition for places can only be good for the team.”

''Luis Enrique has always had faith in young players. If he has to play someone very young then he will, and that’s added motivation for the reserve team players. We have to do all we can to make things harder for the people who’ve been here for longer”.

“I’ll have to put 100% into every single training session. Rain or shine, you’ve got to fight hard … Luis Enrique doesn’t seem any different to when he was managing the Barça B team. The intensity, the character and the enthusiasm are just the same. He’s developed, so some things are different, but the idea is the same. And he likes to speak to his players, and that helps a lot”.

(about Suarez) “I hope he gets here as soon as possible because he’s going to bring us a lot of joy”.

"Valdes saying he wants me to replace him? It's an honour, I'm flattered. He's an idol for me and he made history at Barça."

 

[instinct]

Date: 21.07.14
Player: Sergi Roberto

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“A new coach makes you keen to train. We’re all starting from zero. We all have to give it one hundred per cent. And the youngsters a little bit more”.

“Luis Enrique was vital for me. But now we’re in the first team, with even better quality players. I have to show that he can trust me like he did back then. He knows the reserves. We have signed players from other clubs out of necessity, but the philosophy is still the same”.

“He wants me to be focused, to get to 100% and to put effort in training hard''

(about his role on Saturday): “It was something new for me, but I just want to help the team as much as I can. And it was an honour to wear the captain’s armband. But the most important thing was winning and getting into our playing rhythm”.

(about last season) “It was tough because I didn’t get many games. But at the same time I learned a lot. Nothing in life is easy.”

 

[KingMessi]

Technically, this isn't a press conference, but rather an interview Puyol had with FIFA.com.

Puyol Interview with FIFA.com

How would you explain Spain’s poor performance at Brazil 2014, where they unwittingly provided one of the biggest surprises of the tournament?

“That elimination has been hard to take as we had high hopes. In my case, having to watch it from afar was even worse, as you can’t help the team and just feel powerless. Small details made all the difference. In the opening game against the Netherlands, we could so easily have gone two up, but then they went and made it 1-1, which affected us. They were the better team after the break, but if we’d scored that [second] goal, it would’ve been a whole different story. When you suffer such a heavy defeat (5-1), it’s always hard to pick yourself up for the next game. Then we were unable to beat Chile, a team that have been playing well for a long time now.”

“I don’t see it as a problem of motivation – for many of the squad this might be their last World Cup – and what could be more motivating than playing a World Cup in Brazil? No one wants to win more than the players, but sometimes things don’t work out as you’d like. Added to that, some players came into the tournament carrying injuries, others after a very tiring season, and that takes its toll in the end.”

With everything indicating the end of an era, how do think La Roja should go forward from here?

“I’m not a big fan of revolutions. People nearly always call for them when a team that’s triumphed a great deal goes a year without winning anything. For me, however, the experience gained in previous victories is important. The rebuilding should be done in a measured way, without undoing what has already been accomplished. As we say in Catalan, you need to use seny (common sense). We have great players and, while some of them may have taken part in their last major competition, we should let them and the coach discuss the future, and not make rash decisions in the heat of the moment. I still believe that the current crop is very good and that there’ll be top quality players in the years to come. Right now we have to be strong, look to the future and learn from our mistakes.”

On a personal level you also marked the end of an era when you retired from football last May. How did you arrive at that decision?

“Over the previous two seasons, I’d really tried everything. I had surgery twice, tried lots of different treatments, but my knee had had enough. Although it was very difficult, I knew retirement was the correct decision. It’s frustrating to see part of your body not responding – even more so given the way I am, and the way I like to train and always give 100 per cent. You experience sadness, anger and powerlessness… you really want to do something but you can’t. In the end, however, you have to be honest with yourself and those around you. I’m paying the price for all the exertion, all the injections over the last two years and forcing the knee to the limit. Right now I’m undergoing a new type of treatment, but it’s not with a view to playing once more. It’s just to have a normal life again as, at the moment, even walking down a flight of stairs is difficult.”

In September you begin a new phase of your career in Barcelona’s Technical Department. How will you tackle this new role?

“Many people have told me I could be a coach, but it doesn’t appeal. Ideally I’d be playing, but those days are over. You need to find your niche, and in the end you need to be involved with what you know. Barcelona have given me this opportunity, for which I’m very grateful. Initially there will be a period of learning where I won’t be taking big decisions, but I’ll face up to it with the same determination and anticipation I showed during my playing days. Over time, I hope I can use everything football has taught me over the last 19 years.”

Although you’re not yet involved in club transfers, how would you assess the signing of Luis Suárez – aside from what happened to him in Brazil – and the search for central defender to replace you?

“There is no justification for what Suárez did, but things like that occur when you lose your head – it can happen. At any rate, he has apologised for it. He’s a great footballer, extremely competitive and scores a great deal. I think he can bring a lot to an attack that’s already brimming with quality. With Luis, we can be even stronger.”

“As for the defence, for some time now Barça have been looking for centre-backs. Then again so has half of Europe, so it’s not easy – even less so for us, given our style of play. To represent Barcelona, it’s not enough to possess technique and the ability to come out with the ball, you also need to have pace, as we defend so far from our goal. When you look over your shoulder and realise just how far out you are, you feel dizzy sometimes.”

It’s also a time of change at Barcelona with the departure of some great players and at least two former captains – you and Víctor Valdés . How will the club deal with these changes?

“Yes, players who have made history with the club have departed, but that’s the way life is. Sometimes the moment just arrives, whether it’s because of injury, as in my case, or the desire for a change of scene, as happened with Víctor. When we first came here, others were also departing, and so the cycle repeats itself. What matters most is that the team always comes ahead of the players.”

 

[instinct]

Date: 22.07.2014
Player: Marc Bartra

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“Luis Enrique's message is that we all have a part to play and we all must pull in the same direction".

''I want to establish myself and get plenty of playing time, so I can contribute fully to the team with all my ability. This is my third season and I feel confident that I am ready to take a step forward”

''We have to win our place in the team in every training session. I am hoping to convince him that I should be in the starting line up from the first game of the season, I spent my first two year as a professional and I have great memories - I learnt that winning mentality from him- that’s what he taught us all”.

“It’s my third year and I’ve been through a lot, from not getting a sniff to playing a bit and then getting picked for big games. Now I feel mature and excited about giving all I can to the first team. There will be more competition and we will have to grit our teeth and fight for a place in the team”.

“The best thing we can do is to accept that there are no guaranteed starters and reserves – we are all the same. There are players with more cachet, but the most important thing is what they bring to the team as a whole- Luis Suarez has already shown he is one of the best strikers in the world”.

 

[KingMessi]

Another interview. This time talented young La Masia goalkeeper Jose Aurelio Suarez (Juvenil A 13/14, Barca B 14/15) with El Comercio del Gijon.

What did you think of the experience in the UEFA Youth League, the ‘mini’ Champions League?

What I can say is that it was a very big thing. It was the first time the competition took place and we managed to win the title against Benfica. We came across teams of an extremely high level. It is always good to play these kind of demanding matches because they force you to mature.

How do you see the season ahead? This year you’ve made the leap to Barça B, one of Sporting’s rivals. (Note: Sporting Gijón is the club at which Suárez started playing football)

I look forward to it with lots of excitement. I have to fight with two other goalkeepers (Ortolà and Ondoa) for the starting spot. In theory, it is Ortolà who has the biggest chance of being the team’s starting goalkeeper, because he was with the team last year as well, but that is something you have to win through your work in training.

Do you feel that you are prepared for playing in the Segunda División?

I feel very confident. Yes, this is a very great leap, but we’ll see how it goes. I consider myself to be a worker, I cannot say anything more. What may come? Whatever comes is welcome.

Your promotion to the Barcelona reserves coincides with the arrival of another Gijón native, at the FC Barcelona first team bench…

That is something normal. Perhaps one has to have more confidence in Asturians… (Laughs)

Have you been able to speak with him?

No, I haven’t had the chance. I met him once, but he was in his car and looked to be in a bit of a hurry, and so I didn’t want to bother him.

You got the chance to share a dressing room with Messi, Xavi and company last season.

Yes, in two training sessions. The experience was unique. A one-of-a-kind experience. Being able to look at these monsters from two meters is unbelievable. They made us feel very welcome. In fact, the first time we trained with the seniors, we preferred to stay amongst ourselves. I remember that a group of players including Neymar, Adriano, Bartra and Alexis was first to greet us. They were very nice and you could easily talk to them. However, who took my eye during training was undoubtedly Víctor Valdés. He’s an impressive goalkeeper, a real spectacle to watch. He is a cat-like goalie and a very nice person.

Were you subjected to the torture of the ‘rondo’?

Unfortunately, yes! I remember that I played that game with Busquets, Masherano… I could neither keep track of the ball nor pass…

What did you think of Messi?

He is a very normal guy, very nice. Many people criticize him for being distant, but what I saw was a very normal person.

What about Munir, Adama Traoré and all the other players?

They both belong to my generation, generation 1995. There are some of these players who are obviously stand-out players. Then there’s also Sandro Ramírez. I believe that the one who stands out the most is Munir, because of his overall performance in the UEFA Youth League and because of the golazo he scored in the final against Benfica. He is a great footballer. As well as Adama, Sandro and Samper. I think that those ones are those who stand out above the rest.

Let’s talk a little bit about yourself. When you were 14 you couldn’t fit into clothes.

(Laughs). I had a growth spurt and I grew a lot. Now, I am nearly 1.90m tall. My father is very short and you wouldn’t easily think of my mother being a grown-up woman. I’ve come out more like my grandfather and my mother’s brothers.

Who is your inspiration?

The one I focus on is Víctor Valdés. To me, he is the most complete goalkeeper. With him injured, Neuer is the best out there. It is so bad that Víctor isn’t going to be at Barcelona next season. He is a spectacular professional. However, Barça have managed to get two excellent goalkeepers in Ter Stegan and Bravo.

How are your studies going?

I passed my exams, but I’m a bit lazy (laughs), and this year I want to focus more on football. But if I can get myself a career in something, fine. I like journalism, but in the long term.

Speaking of music, you are a bit of a strange figure in the dressing room…

I listen to AC/DC before matches in order to get me motivated, I listen to the song ‘Thunderstruck.’ True, it’s a bit strange for someone of my generation to like this group, but my father is also kind of a rocker, and come on, who doesn’t know AC/DC?


I had no idea that the boy was this tall already.

 

[DonAndres]

I listen to AC/DC before matches in order to get me motivated, I listen to the song ‘Thunderstruck.’ True, it’s a bit strange for someone of my generation to like this group, but my father is also kind of a rocker, and come on, who doesn’t know AC/DC?

Already won me over This kid knows his rock. Ortola and Ondoa better be packing their bags right now.

 

[KingMessi]

Already won me over This kid knows his rock. Ortola and Ondoa better be packing their bags right now.

Ortola is barely a year younger than Ter Stegen. And between Ondoa and Suarez, I rate Suarez higher based on his Juvenil A performances. Him liking AC/DC just seals the deal.

 

[Icarium]

Well if he said black Sabbath there would have been no doubt but still i am happy he did not say one direction.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Tapatalk

 

[KingMessi]

So it seems that Xavi will indeed stay.

 

[instinct]

Date: 24.07.14
Participants: Andoni Zubizarreta, Jordi Mestre and Jeremy Mathieu

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Mathieu: "I like Barcelona's game because I like to play football. Just kicking the ball away is not really my thing."

Mathieu: "Jordi Alba insisted that I joined. He said it's a great club and that I would feel good here."

Mathieu: "Joining Barça is a reward for my whole career. I worked very hard to get here. Chance comes maybe a bit late, but I'll enjoy it."

Mathieu: "I'm very motivated. I come here to work hard and I only think about winning."

Mathieu: "I talked for the first time with Luis Enrique last month. He wants me to play at centre back, he showed he really believes in me."

Mathieu: "When I heard Barcelona wanted me, I did everything to join them. It's a joy that I'm finally here. I'm very happy."

Mathieu: "It's true I'm a versatile player, but I feel in the first place a centre back now, which is also why the club signed me."

Mathieu: "It's a pleasure to play Barça, for me the greatest team in the world. I'm proud and happy to join and I will give everything."

Mathieu: "If you are playing at Barca is because you are a good player, I will learn a lot from my teammates"

Mathieu: "Xavi is a very important member of the squad on and off the pitch. A player like him can help you in many ways"

Mathieu: "Puyol was a great player here, and I hope to achieve what he achieved here, although it difficult to follow on a player like that"

Mathieu: "I know that there is a lot of quality in this squad"



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Zubizarreta: "We can sign players until 31 August. Now we'll take some time observe the market and make decisions."

Zubizarreta: "Song and Afellay could leave? We're working with them to see what we'll do."

Zubizarreta: "Xavi will wear our number 6 for as long as he wants."

Zubizarreta: "Xavi? The door will always be open for Xavi. Knowing he'll be with us is great news. This is his home."

Zubizarreta: "Mathieu can also play in a defense of three players. He gives us more tactical options."

Zubizarreta: "Jeremy Mathieu will join the pre-season training tomorrow"

Zubizarreta: "Despite the criticism I think we've done well in the transfer market since I arrived at the club, I accept criticism"

Zubizarreta: "Last year we thought that no CB was needed because Puyol was still playing"

Zubizarreta: "The price is appropriate to the market at the moment, their are fluctuations in the market"

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Jordi Mestre (about Suarez): "We are optimistic that the ban will be reduced"

Jordi Mestre: "We've signed Mathieu for 4 season with an option for a further year worth 20m, its an important signing for the team"

 

[macleod]

Why they don't given posters of player toons herou?What's happend with Barca Toons?