Txiki (4): "We were right giving Eto'o a new chance"

In his first interview to a paper in two years, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain talked to Catalan sports paper Sport about the past months and the current situation of the club.


(you can read the earlier parts of this interview here)


A lot of the key figures of last seasons' team stayed at the club, like Eto'o... He's still there because nobody signed him.
Guardiola said that if he would stay, he would give everything to get him back at his best level and that Eto'o would be one of the guys. You shouldn't forget that phrase. It's true that until the 21st of July, there was one situation and after that we had another. Guardiola talked with Eto'o and both took the shared and right decision to continue together at Barcelona and it has been proven that somtimes in life giving someone a second chance can turn out very well. Samuel has today the same ambition as the first day.

Rafael Márquez is another player who seemed to be on his way out and who is now performing at a great level...
Here it also was Guardiola who talked with the player and who decided he should stay. I gave Guardiola all the information that I had and then he took the decision what to do. Márquez is without any doubt a very important player for our team. There are few players in the world who understand the game that well. He's an intelligent guy and tactically he's helping the coach a lot on the pitch. He reads the game very well.

Xavi and Iniesta have this season definetely become key players...
You won't find two players like them on the market. They're taking a lot of responsibility and that's good for the team. Iniesta is incredible in the one on one and, like Xavi, he's never hiding himself. They are two homegrown players who go out there and play as if the Camp Nou is their backyard.

We finish with Henry. His game doesn't convince and sometimes he shows to be very little integrated...
Thierry came here at a very difficult moment, because of his personal problems and the crisis of the team. He needs to take up a more important role within the team. And we're starting to see that because in every game he has a big chance or he scores. Guardiola is very satisfied with his work.

This team is hungry for trophies?
I like what I see. You just have to watch how they celebrate the goals. Last time, they celebrated the sixth goal as if it was the first one. That says something.


This was the first and last part of this interview.

Read the previous parts here:
Txiki (1): "Messi is the best player of the planet"
Txiki (2): "The players are very loyal to the coach"
Txiki (3): "Champions win couldn't save Rijkaard"