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Guardiola Glad With Barcelona Win Over Mallorca
Despite suffering for a large portion of the match, Josep Guardiola has applauded his team for coming through a demanding encounter against Mallorca.
Jan 3, 2009 6:37:50 PM
Josep Guardiola has praised his team's performance during their 3-1 win over Mallorca, stressing the importance of such victories.
Speaking at the post match press conference, the Barca coach described the win as "more useful than a 5-0 victory."
"We created more chances, and therefore it is a fair victory," continued Guardiola. "The team showed a great work ethic. These games, just after the holidays, are always dangerous, but we showed patience and organization."
Guardiola then sang the praises of his opponents, saying "They shut down the space in the middle well, and were always a threat with the pace and talent of players like Aduriz and Arango." He added that their spirited performance did not come as a surprise.
Barca's second goal was highly controversial, but Guardiola simply stated, "I never comment on the referees."
Among the crowd at the Camp Nou was Argentina coach Diego Maradona, but instead of watching Lionel Messi play, he had the chance to talk to him, as he was in the seat next to him.
When asked whether or not he had any interaction with Maradona, Guardiola said "I have not had the luck to meet him, and I don't have his phone number." He added that there was no meeting scheduled.
The Barca coach then confirmed that Rafael Marquez was withdrawn due to physical problems, but it was fatigue rather than injury.
Finally, Guardiola signed off with his signature line, saying "We have not won any titles yet."
--Arjun Miglani Goal.com
Speaking at the post match press conference, the Barca coach described the win as "more useful than a 5-0 victory."
"We created more chances, and therefore it is a fair victory," continued Guardiola. "The team showed a great work ethic. These games, just after the holidays, are always dangerous, but we showed patience and organization."
Guardiola then sang the praises of his opponents, saying "They shut down the space in the middle well, and were always a threat with the pace and talent of players like Aduriz and Arango." He added that their spirited performance did not come as a surprise.
Barca's second goal was highly controversial, but Guardiola simply stated, "I never comment on the referees."
Among the crowd at the Camp Nou was Argentina coach Diego Maradona, but instead of watching Lionel Messi play, he had the chance to talk to him, as he was in the seat next to him.
When asked whether or not he had any interaction with Maradona, Guardiola said "I have not had the luck to meet him, and I don't have his phone number." He added that there was no meeting scheduled.
The Barca coach then confirmed that Rafael Marquez was withdrawn due to physical problems, but it was fatigue rather than injury.
Finally, Guardiola signed off with his signature line, saying "We have not won any titles yet."
--Arjun Miglani Goal.com
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