Caceres (1): "I don't focus on the first months"

In an interview with Calan sports paper Sport, Barcelona central defender Martín Cáceres talked about his season so far.




How do you feel at Barcelona?
I feel very happy about having joined Barcelona. In my opinion I'm playing for the best club in the world.

What does that mean for a new player like you?
Well, I think it's clear that I'm still adapting.

A new city, a new club...
Yes, but I'm not talking about the city or the language, which I of course know already. Going to a big club means you have to be able to adapt to what the coach, in this case Guardiola, asks you.

How are you dealing with that?
At this moment I think I have been able to adapt fairly well, but at the same time I'm aware that I still have to make a lot of progress.

You're probably not playing as much as you would have wanted.
I knew that I was joining a big club and that it's very complicated to be a starter because in a club like this there's always serious competition.

You have set yourself a deadline for winning the confidence of everybody, both the technicall staff and the fans?
I'm learning, I'm part of the dynamics of the group, but I'm also very much aware that I'm a young player and, above all, that Barcelona didn't sign me for one season, but for several seasons.

What do you mean?
I'm saying that the important thing for me is the end. When I will arrive at the end of my stay at this club, which I hope is a lot of years away from now, I will look back and make an evaluation of all the seasons I've been here. I don't want to focus on how much I'm playing in the beginning because that's not the important thing. You should look at my whole stay here, and not just at my first few months with Barcelona.


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part tomorrow with Cáceres talking - amongst other things - about how to mark Messi and about his favourite position on the pitch.