Edmilson: "Barça is the best display in Europe"

Former Barcelona and current Villareal player Edmilson gave an interview to Barcelona sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





Have you adapted to your new club?
Luckily, there many similarities with Barcelona, and that makes everything easier. Athletically I still need to have better rhythm. But I am convinced that once February comes around, which is when everything gets decided, I'll be in good shape.

And your aspirations are the same they were in Barca?
The main favorites are always Barca, Madrid, Valencia and then it's us, Atletico and Sevilla... After our matches with the important teams we will see where we are at and what our aspirations are.

How do you think Barca is doing?
Right now its the best display in Europe: beautiful, efficient, and well balanced in defense as well. It seems ready to be on top.

Do you understand such fast transition from a team that was loosing?
I don't think that the previous team was a loosing team. After winning two league titles and a Champions it was a winning team, but as the proverb says, "it was once". There was need for changes in players and coaches and those that have arrived have done so with a new mental attitude, adding to the quality the team already had.

You said that there were "black sheep" in the dressing room. Now that you are no longer there, can you go into more detail?
When I had that interview, I said it speaking in general terms about footballers, not just us. About the compromise that one needs to have with ones identity. Our careers go by very quickly, and my intention is to let everyone know that we, since we get paid so well, need to fulfill our responsibilities. But I wasn't signaling anyone from the dressing room out. It was not directed at any type of player nor anyone in my team. People speculated that it was Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto'o, Marquez... but my intention was not to signal anyone out.

But you reported that something was not working.
Yes, I reported that something was not working well within the club. It could have been us the players not working hard enough to obtain good results, the coaching staff for not being stern enough, the front office that never came down to talk to us. Its clear that Edmilson did not have to come out and say what I said, but people new that more work was due on our part, more toughness from the coaches and more dialogue from the front office and that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth because there was enough team to do much more than we accomplished.

Some of your ex-team members signaled Rijkaard as the sole responsible.
Frank was always the same person, when we won the league and the Champions League and the last seasons. The difference was that before we were much more committed to winning and fighting. I would not blame him. I would look at us first. He went out many times standing up for us when many thought that some players were not injured. All of us that partook in the last two years are responsible just how we were all responsible for winning before that.

What do you like most about your ex-team?
It's well adjusted both in defense and offense. They score a lot of goals which makes their opponents afraid, specially when they score first. This aside from having three or four players that mark the difference.

Which ones?
Messi, Eto'o, Xavi, Iniesta, with out them Barca would be a normal team. They are the head of Barca.

What about Guardiola?
I dealt little with him, but he doesn't surprise me. He is an intelligent guy who has been in many dressing rooms, worked with many players and knows football. You can see it.

Do you see yourself matching up against Barca in the Champions League final?
That would be fantastic, but this time we should win it cause Villarreal was close but did not go through to play the final because of the penalty that Riquelme missed. This final would be much more difficult then the one against Arsenal, that's for sure.

Translated by: Mario


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OFFICIAL: Edmilson to Villareal