Marquez: "Guardiola is a born winner"

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





The win against Sevilla was the definite confirmation of the candidacy for the league title?
We're working for that. We take match after match, like the coach wants us to do. There won't be any easy games and thinking from match to match is the way leagues are won.

One thing is the theory and another thing the confident way in which you settle the games on the pitch.
The truth is that we feel very confident. Every player who takes part feels very strong and, above all, believes in the coach, which is also important.

Guardiola is the main reason for the change?
He organizes everything and we need to follow him. But yes, I think he's is greatly responsible for the change, because of his ideas, his work. We just deal with the orders with a different mentality, a new chip for a new era.

You said that the group worked less with Rijkaard. A player maybe needs it to perform well that a coach is watching him closely?
Yes, Guardiola has set his rules very clearly and this makes us follow his way of dealing with things and it has worked until now. With Rijkaard it also worked at a certain point. We won a lot of trophies and this should be remembered.

Which fundamental change made you work all very hard from the first day this season?
Independent of the work, I think that it's also a mental issue. Guardiola is very pressing, he tries to motivate us and to prevent that we relax too much or get down. Not only in the games but also in every training session, every single day. This is good for us because we cannot fall asleep one second. Sometimes you're not really aware of things but he makes you aware. That's an advantage we cannot give ourselves.

Which detail of Guardiola has striked you most?
He's very persevering. He's always there. Sometimes it seems he's not but he sees everything because his staff is controlling things. His mentality and the motivation he gives us is important for the self-esteem of every one of us. It's all very intense. He gives everything for the club, wanting to be the best. It's a born winner.

The great performances on the pitch are only a matter of motivation or you also fear to have to sit the bench?
Every player of the squad has qualities. You only should try to get the player to give everything he has and he achieves this.

Xavi said that you will at least win the Liga. You agree?
That's what we all want. After two years without trophies, we want to win again. We have to be cautious though and keep on working like we have done until now. If we continue like this until the end, it looks dificult we won't win anything.

After defeating Sevilla, would it be a final blow for the Liga if you also win against Valencia, Madrid and Villareal?
Not a final one because there will still be a lot of games left, but maybe it would indeed be a big knock for all the teams that are behind us. Defeating them would mean an important step to win their respect.

Valencia seems ready to take you on. There's something about them that you're afraid of?
They have a good team, but their attack is especially strong, with Villa and Mata, who are both in a good moment.


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part here in the coming days with Marquez talking -among other things- about the game against Real Madrid.

Read more interviews with Barcelona players here