Hleb (1): "My team-mates laugh with my accent"

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona attacker Alexander Hleb talked about his first months at the club.





How is your recovery going?
I've done some extra training with Tito Vilanova, Paco Seirul.lo and Francesc Cos on Friday. We have a good feeling about it. I expect to receive the green lght in the coming days. If everything goes well, I'll be able to train normally with the group next week. Being part of the match squad next week? We'll see, we shouldn't rush things, although I'm like crazy to return to play. In this Barcelona you don't even want to miss a training session.

You felt bad not being able to play against Atlético Madrid?
And how! What a game! It was incredible. At least I could see it live. I enjoyed myself a lot. I thought about how lucky I am to be part of this squad.

How is your adaptation going?
It's going well, but it's a process that takes time. When you come from the English Premier League, you don't adapt to this new environment in one night. It's not only starting to drive on the right side of the road instead of on the left side, you know. There's more to it than that. You have to learn how your team-mates are thinking and how they like to move on the pitch so you can adapt your way of playing to that.

They are helping you out around here?
They do, a lot, everybody at the club is very involved and I'm very thankful. When I will be able to talk Spanish, everything will be easier. I will finally be able to ask Iniesta to go for a drink so we can talk a little. I would like to know him better. I can't believe he's really that timid. Now he always uses the excuse that his English is not good enough...

How are you communicating with your team-mates?
With Thierry Henry, who has been a great help, and with Gudjohnsen and Sylvinho, I'm talking English. And with Touré, I'm talking Russian. He knows it very well. It's strange how a guy from Minsk and an Ivorian use this language to talk, but it works. With the others I'm helping myself out with my basic Spanish. I attend classes three times a week, but my real teacher is Piqué. He gives me a big head because he doesn't stop talking. I always tell him to shut up. And of course they all laugh with my accent...


This was the first part of this interview. The rest will follow in the coming days with Hleb talking -amongst other things - about his preferred position on the ptich and the possible return of Cesc to Barcelona.