Marquez: "The clasico is a different game"

Barcelona player Rafael Márquez gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.





Looking at how Madrid is doing now, the game wil be easier?
No, the "clásico" is a different game. The rest of the season will be forgotten that day. We're not writing off a team that has always been our main rival.

Their many injuries can be an excuse?
They should know how to deal with these things, I'm more busy with our own work.

Next weekend's game seems the ideal chance to make the fans happy with a good result against Madrid.
Like in the other games, we'll probably have enough opportunities to score. Another thing is to actually score but we have to keep our motivation and way of playing for that game.

Villareal is second at the moment. You see them as your closest rival?
I don't exclude Sevilla, Valencia or Madrid. Villareal sure is showing some good quality play but we're trying to have a decent advantage before we play them.

Messi was one of the payers who was very sensible for injuries and he's now taking care of himself very well. The same happens with you?
Yes, we're very aware of things, food, vitamines, muscle strengthening... All this to avoid injuries and until now it's working. Let's hope it will help until the end of the season.

All this has in the end an influence on your performances on the pitch, right?
Yes, I feel very good. I think that the mental and personal side is also very important and I feel very comfortable in all those aspects and you can see that in my play.

Without wanting to enter your personal life, you lived a similar situation like Henry last season since you also didn't have your children close?
Every person, whatever job he's doing and whatever personal problem he has, will also be thinking about that and it will have an influence. But one always tries to look for the balnce and the stability so one can do his job better.

Guardiola told you that he counted on you but that he wanted you to focus more on the game?
I'm still living my private life like I was last season with Rijkaard. There has been a lot of talking about me (note: rumours said he travelled a lot to Madrid because his new girlfriend lives there) but many of those things weren't true. Between me and Guardiola there's mutual trust and I keep on living my life like I did before.

About the Liga, you say you're not excluding anyone. How about the Champions League?
I don't know yet, because you have to wait for the group stage to ends. But we're capable of playing against every team.

There are still worries in the club about the low number of fans who are coming to the Camp Nou. What would you say to the fans to make them come out?
That they need to fill the stadium because in the Camp Nou you live the game with more intensity than at home. We need the fans to keep on winning the next games.


This is the second and last part of this interview. Read the first part here:

Marquez: "Guardiola is a born winner"